Through The Prizm
Remember PRIZM, the market segmentation tool originally developed by Claritas (now owned by Nielsen) and widely used in the 90s?
We used to have great fun looking up zip codes to see which had the most people characterized as ‘Blue Blood Estates’, ‘Bohemian Mix’, or ‘Shotguns & Pickups’. There were (still are) 60-odd segments or ‘clusters’ deemed to illustrate the American marketplace.
Or more specifically (for the times), to help visualize your archetypal customer and the key characteristics that might help you better locate and market to her or him.
Of course nowadays, in the ‘big data’ era, we have the tools to pinpoint not just clusters, but individuals.
But these analytic and targeting tools are only as good as our ability to stand in the shoes of our customers/donors and visualize their world through their eyes.
Here are two brief recent items on the subject.
The first is from Angie Moore, writing in Fundraising Success: What’s in a Personality? She describes eight ‘personality’ clusters — identified as ‘At Peace’, ‘Me & Mine’, ‘Renaissance’, etc — and suggests that if you haven’t tried to ascertain the ‘personality’ of your likely prospect, you are quite likely to mis-communicate … and fail.
Now, these particular clusters might or might not deliver exquisite insight into donor perception and behavior. But the point is … do you as a fundraiser even bother to think in such terms? To look through their eyes and not your own?
The second item is from Seth Godin: Worldview and stories. He concludes:
“An accurate description of a worldview has nothing to do with you or your mission… it’s the way a person acts without you in the room. In the case of McDonald’s, it’s the worldview of: I don’t want to take a risk in this transaction, and one way to do that is to follow the crowd.
And the story is the (true) narrative that unlocks that worldview and turns it into action.
Tell me what your ideal customer believes, at the most emotional and primordial level, and then you can tell me the story you’ll craft and live and deliver that engages with that belief.”
Thinking about your archetypal donor, can you do that? Remember, he’s not asking for your worldview.
Tom
2 responses to “Through The Prizm”
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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I have to share my favorite PRIZM story from the very early ’90s. My client was Miller Brewing, and we were doing public affairs work to help them respond to a consumer boycott in the gay community because Miller’s parent company, Philip Morris, had made a substantial contribution to the Jesse Helms library. A DM firm who shall not be named made an elaborate (and stunningly wrong) presentation on the demographics of the gay community, based on PRIZM data. Their findings? Gay men were at the very lowest end of the SES scale, likely to live in public housing, didn’t own cars, etc, etc, etc. My client and I, both openly gay, sat there stunned as this played out. When it ended, we asked how they reached these ridiculous conclusions? Their answer: “We analyzed the neighborhoods around gay bars, and that’s what PRIZM told us.” Because of discrimination, gay bars had historically been located in warehouse districts, etc, so that no one would see who came and went. Needless to say, the DM firm did no more work on this project for Miller. The lesson is that data needs to be coupled with an authentic understanding of the target audience. Then you have real insight.
For the sake of clarity, PRIZM in Canada looks at either the ZIP+4 equivalent (FSALDU in Canada) or at the neighbourhood level for insights. For Canadian readers to quickly access their “Lunch at Tims” or “Pets and PCs” PRIZM id, they can visit http://www.environicsanalytics.ca – ” PRIZM Lifesytle Lookup”.