Predictions
I stumbled upon a planning report from ad agency Young & Rubicam that offers nine social trend predictions that Y&R believes marketers must address. None of the predictions relate specifically to fundraising, but I think you’ll see some implications here.
Besides, it’s Friday … time to stretch your brain a bit beyond all that fundraising minutiae.
1. Your smartphone will know you are sick before you do.
mHealth apps — the 3rd largest growing apps category — will detect anything from impending heart attacks to depression taking hold.
2. You will fall in love with a robot.
His name will be Roger and he’ll harangue you about donor retention! One artificial intelligence guru predicts human-to-robot marriage will become legal in some parts of the US by 2050.
3. Performance enhancing drugs will fuel the workplace.
Hmmm! This prediction clearly relates to fundraising. Doesn’t that sound like your office already? A pill called Provigil, approved only for narcolepsy and sleep apnea, has been nicknamed “Viagra for the brain” with sales increasing 73% in the past four years.
4. The next civil war will be a generational one.
There’s an economic catastrophe on the horizon, and the young and able-bodied will be pitted against the old and retired. The projected gap in 2075 between federal spending and tax revenue is $211 trillion!
5. Boomers will leave the country to seek treatment for chronic diseases.
In 2015, the country will have 62,900 fewer doctors than needed, and that shortage will more than double by 2025.
6. Young adults will reject the Ivy League, choosing to be auto mechanics.
The ROI on a college education has been eroding.
7. Items will no longer have one price, they will have your price.
Hmmm! Didn’t The Agitator invent this with our ‘name your own’ subscription price?! The average person has over 3,000 bits of personal information stored about him/her every week.
8. People will communicate through animated GIFs.
Videos are shared 12 times more than links and text posts combined.
9. You’ll be living with your parents when you’re 50.
And that will give ‘inter-generational transfer’ an entirely new meaning! Forget the bequest.
Enjoy. Any trend Y&R missed that you’d like to bring to our attention?
Tom
2 responses to “Predictions”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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Tom–
If there is any semblance of truth in Y & R’s predictions, it underscores how essential it is to really understand the mosaic that is your donor file (not one monolithic group, but a compendium of different groups); why the give to you (motivational triggers); what they want from their involvement; how they prefer to communicate and give to you; how they perceive you, and more. Now more than ever it is imperative that we be strategic IF we’re going to grow and, ultimately, survive.
Dana
Wow, is it already April 1?
From the frightening to the downright ridiculous, these predictions don’t paint a bright future for anyone.