Year-End Video Campaign
Here’s an interesting online video fundraising campaign from Volunteers of America Chesapeake, in the Baltimore/Washington area.
VOA Chesapeake has prepared fifteen short videos, posted on their website and sitting on YouTube, that illustrate the ways that the group helps its clients … and how donors’ gifts will be put to use.
The videos, some better than others, do a respectable job of bringing the organization and its programs to life. That’s the right idea.
But I’m not sure about the campaign itself, which is aimed at attracting donations in the year-end rush. Therefore the various videos are voiced in a manner — emphasizing giving by December 31st — that limits their shelf life.
Having gone to the trouble and expense to produce the videos, I would have constructed them to be timeless. And a fifteen video countdown — one each for the last fifteen days of the year — while cute, seems unnecessary … and might even strike some as extravagant. I’ll bet 2-3-4 really compelling videos, or even one — drawing from the best of the material shot — would be equally or more effective.
A couple of nits. Courtney, the presenter, seems a bit too ‘put together’ for a heartfelt human services appeal. As a viewer, I’d wonder … who is this person? Perhaps a real volunteer would make it all come off less slick and more touching.
And the videos should display the contact info much longer.
But the larger issue is how anyone — especially new prospects — will find out about these videos in the first place. The Agitator received a press release that alerted me to them, so I’m assuming some sort of media outreach has occurred. I just hope as much resource has gone into promoting awareness of the videos as went into producing them.
That said, I don’t want to be the Grinch. I applaud VOA Chesapeake for trying something a bit outside the box. I hope it works.
Tom
2 responses to “Year-End Video Campaign”
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I take my hat off to them for trying new ideas and being as transparent as possible. As for your point about Courtney being “too put together” well picking your spokesperson for your campaign will always draw the most critiques.
Check out Malaria No More for excellent use of video in a year-end email campaign — short, edgy, compelling. Also great way to showcase other related videos, equally well done.