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February 2007 Archives
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February 28, 2007
People Will Pay 5% More to Support Charity
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Research
Consumers are willing to pay more for a product when a portion of the proceeds go to charity. But how much more? Now we have the answer. Consumers are willing to pay 5% more for products that support chairty.
U.S. News & World Report covers the research of two Univeristy of Washington professors who explored eBay's "Giving Works" program. They found that supporting a charity did make a difference, up to a point. (link via Selfish Giving)
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February 26, 2007
GQ for Generosity
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The 50-year-old men's magazine GQ that stands for the epitome of style is about to add generosity to their long-standing tradition of style. The magazine launched the Gentlemen's Fund to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The charitable project will raise money for five different organizations in five different areas (opportunity, health, education, environment and justice).
“It’s cool using the name for more than looking good,” said spokesman and singer John Legend, who agreed to represent the fund for free. “If you want to be a GQ man, you should give.” In addition to donations, the fund will also be raising money through eBay auctions and partner products like a Nautica deck shirt. (link via Selfish Giving)
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February 23, 2007
Donors Don't Trust You
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The president of Charity Navigator, an organization that evaluates charities, offers a stat that should be scary news for non-profits: 20% of the donations made through Network for Good (a Charity Navigator partner) were made anonymously. These donors chose to give money to a specific charity and then asked to be kept anonymous. The organizations receiving the donation had no idea who gave the money and had no way to respond or thank them.
So why would someone choose to donate this way?
The most likely reason is that these donors have no interest in being contacted by the charity they're donating to. They like the cause, but not the non-profit. They're received one too many pieces of junk mail. And they're cutting you off. Charities have dropped the ball by not courting donors and donors are getting sick of it. The next logical step? No more donations, anonymous or otherwise.
So what's a non-profit to do?
Continue reading "Donors Don't Trust You"
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February 21, 2007
What Motivates Donors?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Research
The Donor Power Blog points us to some great stats on what motivates donors. The bottom line? Friends & family top celebs, word of mouth beats advertising, trust & personal involvement trumps media coverage. It shouldn't come as a surprise, but it's easier to earn donors than it is to buy them.
What influences donors to support a charity?
- Family members (77%)
- Friends (64%)
- Their place of worship (60%)
- Co-workers (40%)
- Companies (30%)
- Celebrities (15%)
Continue reading "What Motivates Donors?"
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February 20, 2007
Giving Makes You Feel Good
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Research
That good feeling donors get is no longer just anecdotal. A new scientific study shows that giving makes you feel good.
Giving affects the same part of the brain stimulated by sex, drugs and money, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
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February 14, 2007
Marketing Turned Upside Down
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Philosophy
A classical approach to marketing has always been find out who the market is and what they want, and then create a product or service to meet that need. The rhetoric: Why create a product or service if no one wants to buy it?
Another approach has been to find out who the market is, and then cajole a demand for a particular need that can only be met by the product or service you create. The rhetoric: The higher the appetite for our product or service--regardless if anybody needs it or not--the more money we make.
The next wave of marketing we're seeing is that organizations must first find out who they are and what they're passionate about, and then figure out who the market is.
Continue reading "Marketing Turned Upside Down"
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February 13, 2007
The Amazing Change
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Featured Nonprofit
The slave trade ended in Britain in 1807 thanks to the efforts of William Wilberforce and other abolitionists. But 200 years later slavery is alive and well. In fact, more people are enslaved today than throughout the entire 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
An estimated 27 million people—half of them children—are enslaved in some type of bondage or forced labor where they are tricked or coerced into slavery. Human trafficking is second only to drug trafficking as the world's largest criminal industry.
The Amazing Change is reigniting the abolitionist movement started by William Wilberforce more than 200 years ago. Started by Bristol Bay Productions, the film company behind the movie Amazing Grace, The Amazing Change is effectively a massive cause marketing campaign, pairing the movie's powerful anti-slavery message with organizations that can help like the International Justice Mission, Child Voice International, Free the Slaves and Rugmark.
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February 12, 2007
Lisa Says You Need Us
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
Last Friday I wrote about the book I finished reading by Lisa Johnson. One of the things I failed to mention was Lisa's concluding thoughts in her last few pages. It was the one time that made me literally shout a "wahoo" as I nearly fell off the treadmill at the gym. She identifies five key players she believes every organization in every industry--regardless of size or budget--should have. "Even if you're a sole entrepreneur, these are the people you will need to find as strategic partners."
The first "partner" she identifies is what she calls content strategists. Aside from the lame title, the description she gives of this role is nearly spot on for what Personality™ does when it comes to profiting businesses and propelling causes.
Continue reading "Lisa Says You Need Us"
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February 9, 2007
Mind Your X's and Y's
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Philosophy
I just finished reading and sharing with the team in our weekly brown bag lunch about Mind Your X's and Y's: Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers. Written by Reach Group's Lisa Johnson, it's an excellent look at how the next generation will be interacting, interfacing, and engaging the world. I really appreciate the way Lisa organized the book into 10 different chapters--one for each of the cravings--and surrounded everything with excellent examples.
There are certainly redundant lulls in each chapter--as if I didn't get her point the first three times--but overall it was a quick and mind-stirring read. It didn't help that I read the book before bed every night. I had to keep my pen and pad ready for putting some of this stuff into action.
Lisa begins the book with five essential criteria that underlie each craving for the next generation.
Continue reading "Mind Your X's and Y's"
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Facebook Gifts & Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Causes are benefiting from social networking. First there's the MySpace Impact Awards and now Facebook has teamed up with Susan G. Komen for the Cure (formerly the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation) to offer Valentine's Day gifts.
The "gifts" are Valentine's Day themed icons (designed by Susan Kare, who designed the original Mac icons) you can give to another Facebook user to be displayed on their profile (if they so choose). The first gift is free but then gifts are $1 each with at least $0.50 per dollar going to fight breast cancer for the month of February.
Continue reading "Facebook Gifts & Susan G. Komen for the Cure"
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February 7, 2007
Lots of Learning, Lots to Learn
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
Last summer we sent Shawn and Ken to the HOW conference. Last month we sent Brett to the ReCourses new business summit. This week Brian and Josh are going through some training with Franklin Covey.
I love the enthusiasm in people when they take a break from the ordinary and pursue the extra-ordinary. In addition to the great knowledge each person reports back and applies to their job, there is this intangible rejuvenation that comes upon people that is so contagious!
Some people think that only the bosses/managers should get to pursue outside educational opportunities. At the very least it keeps them one step ahead. I'm of the persuasion that when everyone is learning, everyone is benefiting.
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February 6, 2007
Sheer Force of Will
Posted by Brett Hutchinson | Filed under: Inspiration
There was a lot going on in the decade that Martin Luther King Jr. stepped forward and died to make his dream come true. On May 25, 1961, the American people decided to go to the moon and less than 9 years later--beep, beep, beep--we landed.
Like King, we didn't get there because we knew how to, we got there because we had the will to do it.
Want to win a Super Bowl? Who's stopping you? Want to rise above your circumstances and start a new life? The world is cheering you on. Are you a little afraid of the sneers and jeers of those with no courage to dream? Don't be. If you want to land on the moon, the real question is not, "can I do it?" It's, "Will I do it?"
We are inspired by the great achievements of humankind which soar above the normal and everyday and the people who change everything for the better and that challenge us to dream. During Black History month our hats go off to Tony Dungy and all those who refuse to give up. Who, by the force of their great will, accomplish great things. You inspire us.
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Cause Marketing vs. Government Mandate
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
We've talked before about the benefits of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) and Wal-Mart jumping on the CFL bandwagon, but now it seems the state of California may be joining the club:
The "How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act" would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
Who needs to legislate morality when we can legislate efficiency? It's good to see the government backing more efficient lightbulbs that can save energy and money and be better all the way around, but I wish it weren't a mandatory thing. That's part of the joy of cause marketing. It piggybacks with what people are already doing and works with them, providing incentive rather than punishment.
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February 5, 2007
If the Cause is King
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Philosophy
One of our core convictions at Personality™ is that the cause must always be king. This has been an important guide for us because it guards against putting for-profits and non-profits ahead of the cause. This is not to say that companies and organizations can't win--indeed they must be winners too!--rather that the cause we are fighting for must stay front and center. The cause is what will ultimately bring success (sustainability, goodwill, profit, donations, etc.) to the for-profits and non-profits.
However, this begs a natural question if you let the progression of this philosophy--that the cause must be king--play itself out to the fullest extent. If the cause is king, what happens when it has no kingdom? For example, if one of the causes we're fighting for is a safe classroom environment for all children in K-12 grade in the U.S., what happens when that is no longer an issue? What happens when all classrooms for K-12 grades are safe (absent of infrequent exceptions)?
Continue reading "If the Cause is King"
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February 3, 2007
How Non-Profits Can Cut Clutter and Connect with Audiences
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The Carnival of Non-Profit Consultants offers a collection of helpful links for causes and the most recent is Nancy Schwartz's collection of entries about How Nonprofit Communicators Can Cut Through the Clutter to Engage Overloaded Audiences. Loads of useful content, but here's the best of the best:
- Faces Make Messages That Stick - The story of Buttons of Hope, an organization that literally puts a face on fundraising.
- Getting Attention for a Bargain - The Houtlust offers more than a dozen visual examples of non-profit ad campaigns carried out with little cash but still have a huge impact.
- The Death of B.S. and the Rise of Authenticity - Out of the box ideas on how to inspire donors and reconnect them with the passion of your organization.
- Not-for-Profits Have the Gift of Stories - Steve Bridger recommends non-profits tell stories, something we highly recommend and can teach you how to do. As an example, he points to something we covered before, the water buffalo video.
- Cutting Through - Two inspiring examples of how non-profits can connect with donors and accomplish their mission while also raising money.
- 5 Steps to Cutting Through the Communications Flash, Floam and Fluff - Leave the wristbands to Lance, keep it simple, connect with a star, seize the open-minded moment, and take risks and fail. Good stuff.
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February 2, 2007
Office Re-Model
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
If you've been to the Personality™ offices lately, you've noticed a lot of dust, debris and dirty digs. Late last year we began re-modleing our offices as we expand a little bit. It's a challenge to work in the same environment where walls are going down and going up! We're looking forward to a speedy completion, hopefully within the next 30-60 days. Our plan is to have an open house once it's all finished. The new conference room has a view of downtown LA, the Hollywood sign and beautiful Echo Park lake. You can't beat that!
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February 1, 2007
Giving vs. Advertising
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Research
In a Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) earlier this month, Gene Epstein of Barron's magazine, highlights some recent studies that show corporate generosity has its rewards. To the tune of 200% to 300% return on investment. Wow.
In addition to including some of the same research we mentioned in our entry earlier this week, Epstein takes it a little further in reporting the findings from the professors out of NYU's Stern School of Business and University of Texas at Dallas School of Management.
What these same firms spent on advertising alone was more than 50 times greater. For the rate of return on the charitable dollar to do as well, it need return only one-fiftieth as much. And, with a 200% to 300% return, according to the researchers, it does a lot better than that.
Epstein concludes his piece by suggesting that investors, fund managers and CEOs should not be asking if they're giving away too much, but rather if what they are doing is enough.
I love it when stories like this emerge that prove doing good really works.
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