MediaPost | Marketing: Causes

Think Big, And Big Things Will Happen

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:30:04 -0400

If you are paying attention, I'm sure you've seen new local events sprouting up all over the place that bring runners together for a good cause. Since the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings, the running community has stepped up to help victims and families, and show (expletive deleted) jerks that we are stronger than the destruction and violence. You've probably seen "Last Mile" and "Run Boston" events, no matter where you live - each and every one important and doing its part to help with fundraising, healing, and community building.

America's Checkout Charity Champions: The Power Of Other People's Money

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:23:04 -0400

Years ago, it was common for nonprofit executives I knew to gripe that instead of digging into their own coffers, corporate partners were creating programs that moved customers to make small contributions when checking out.

IRS Must Remain Neutral Where Nonprofits Are Concerned

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:10:03 -0400

Years ago, I read a book by a man who had been the public defender in the bad old days of Soviet Russia. There were horrors aplenty worthy of a Kafka novel. One of the things that has stuck with me ever since was his belief that he wasn't defending his clients against just the Soviet apparatchik. He also had to defend against the expectations of jurors who "knew" what the government wanted even when there was no communication from any level of the Nomenklatura.

Spring Cleaning, Search Style

Tue, 28 May 2013 09:10:04 -0400

If your allergies haven't told you already, it's springtime! Usually that means it's time for spring cleaning - but what does that mean for your home online? (Also known as your nonprofit's website because, let's be honest, you practically live there.) As your resident online cleaning specialist, I recommend checking for broken links and meta tags.

Caring More About The Cause Than The Marketing

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:10:03 -0400

If you read my post last month about volunteering at the Boston Marathon and have been following the news, you might understand why I don't feel like talking about marketing right now. It seems a bit trivial to me, even though it's part of my job (and something I love - I'm a self-proclaimed "marcom maven"). This is because I experienced the second explosion at the finish line from across the street - a blast that sent two of my friends to the hospital (I will not discuss the details, but it's been a tough few weeks, and everyone is getting better each day.).

Campaigns That Refresh One's Enthusiasm

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:15:03 -0400

The other day I realized that I'd slept through the 12th anniversary of my professional "Eureka!" moment: the day I realized I could make a living by sharing information with businesses and nonprofits on strategies for doing well by doing good together.

Make Yours Top Of Mind

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:16:02 -0400

In April, Grey Matter Research released the findings of a survey that asked a representative segment of the public what charities they could name. Bad news is, unless your cause is in the first percent of the first percent of the first percent, your charity wasn't one of them. But of the small number that were, most were active cause marketers.

Proving Your Purpose: Doing Good Vs. Just Sounding Good

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:55:02 -0400

Cause-focused marketing is virtually everywhere. Consumers are inundated with brand messages promising positive societal impact across all consumer touchpoints, from print and TV (remember those heart-stirring cause-focused Jeep and Dodge Super Bowl ads?), to digital, on-pack, in-store, social media and even in-flight entertainment. It's what I like to call the causeification of marketing-the widespread integration of cause across the marketing mix.

Tap Enthusiasm Using Social Media To Create Influence With SEO

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:34:02 -0400

Like their for-profit counterparts, nonprofit marketers often get excited about the "shiny marketing objects of the year." This year social media continues to take on a huge share of interest at conferences such as NTEN's NTC (Non-Profit Technology Conference), and there's a whole separate conference that tours globally (Social Media For Nonprofits).

SEO - The Yin To Paid Search Advertising's Yang

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:17:01 -0400

So you've figured out Google Grants and paid search advertising - but have you balanced your overall search efforts, and looked into search engine optimization (SEO)? SEO is the non-paid, somewhat trickier side to search marketing, but it is equally (and some would say even more) important. Are you a complete newbie? Well, then welcome to SEO 101 - please make sure your cell phone is in the off position, and keep all hands and arms inside the cabin at all times.

Volunteer Retention Is Worth Your Time And Effort

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:00:04 -0400

If you are reading this on Monday, April 15, I am volunteering at the Boston Marathon for the sixth consecutive year. This is something I look forward to each spring. When the time comes to register as a volunteer I don't think twice about it (even if it means using a vacation day). I've served at three different stations over the years: finish line Gatorade, mile 17 gel stop with my local running club (go Wicked!), and now at the race start in famed Hopkinton, Mass.

Thon Fundraising 2013: Would You Like Some Mud With Your Run?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:32:03 -0400

With the arrival of spring comes another season of thon fundraising. From Portland, Maine, to Portland, Ore., good-hearted folks are once again hitting the roads and hitting up their friends for contributions to support good causes.

Maximizing Your Campaign Using Research

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:26:02 -0400

You put out donation canisters in all kinds of locations, but did you put them high enough to really maximize your yield?

AdWords Ad Extensions: Part 2

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:49:13 -0400

It amazes me how many people have never used (or even heard of!) AdWords ad extensions. Most of them are free (or cost the same as a click), and they add a certain "pop" to your ads, that not only improve click-through-rates, but also help push your competitors farther down the page. A win-win! Last year, I covered the basics of ad extensions - ad sitelinks, call extensions, location extensions, and social extensions. There are many more extensions available, however, and several new ones, so I thought I'd write a part 2.

Word Of Mouth Still Works

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:32:33 -0400

A friend of mine makes cool athletic gear on the side and made me a couple of tennis skirts that are unlike any other - custom fabrics and made to my measurements, with ball pockets. You can't get that from Nike. When I wore the skirts on the courts, women were asking a lot of questions and so the chain reaction began. Several players are now in line for a custom skirt and one is even considering team skirts. This was in-person, word-of-mouth marketing at its best. And it would not have happened the same way online because: a personal endorsement and enthusiasm for a product is more infectious in-person, the women could accurately see and feel the fabric, and I am not connected to most of these women via social media.

Spring Training: Stop Making These 4 Rookie Mistakes

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 06:14:30 -0400

My favorite line from a baseball movie is uttered by Kevin Kostner in "Bull Durham." Crash Davis, a veteran catcher trying to school a talented, but undisciplined young pitcher, tells the rookie: "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." I'm the last person you'd want to go to for baseball coaching, but I do know a thing or two about corporate social initiatives. As complex as these programs can be, I think that it's crucial to step back at times and get back to basics.

Keep The Message Going When Products Go Home

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 06:40:14 -0500

There's some swell cause marketing messaging on a great number of packaged goods products nowadays, but after the messaging gets in the home, then what?

What A Difference A Month Makes ...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:09:50 -0500

A lot of updates happened over the past month that will directly impact the Google Grants accounts that I know a lot of nonprofits use. Since some of these updates were sent to users via email instead of via an official announcement, I thought I'd write up a summary, in case you missed it.

It's Simple: Deliver What You Promise

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:05:46 -0500

This year was the nail in the coffin. As a musician and former employee of the performing arts, I want to love the Grammys. I really do. But this year, when they failed to deliver on a promise, I realized I'm done. All night long, an all-star "tribute" to Bob Marley was pitched, promoted and promised on air and via social media. What we got was two current pop stars singing their own tunes, and then another one chiming in to sing one Marley song (fun fact: the man wrote over 200 songs) - joined briefly by two of Marley's sons and musicians-in-their-own-right Ziggy and Damian. It was fantastic to have actual Marleys on stage, but it wasn't enough to save this falsely promoted dedication. This was no "tribute." And, thankfully, I'm not the only one that feels this way.

Is Aggregation The Right Approach?

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:52:03 -0500

In the holiday season, it's easy for a retailer to be involved in two or three or even more cause promotions at the same time. But when you activate these promotions, should you aggregate them together, or spread them around?

PPC Campaign Management Tips And Tricks

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:35:57 -0500

Managing your AdWords campaigns can be a daunting task, and many nonprofits just don't have the resources to outsource the day-to-day campaign management. Totally lost? Here are some tips to help make it a bit easier.

Lessons From The Dowager On 'Downton Abbey'

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 05:44:00 -0500

Hands up! Who is addicted to "Downton Abbey"? This colorful drama filled with priceless characters has taken the nation captive via PBS's Masterpiece franchise. I'm hooked. And like most viewers, I find Maggie Smith's portrayal of Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (a.k.a. Lady Grantham) simply delightful and unforgettable.

Bloomingdale's And The Child Mind Institute: Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Alliance

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:54:42 -0500

Mental health is an enormous issue facing our nation, but because it makes so many people feel so uncomfortable, very few companies publicly embrace it.

The Global Movement

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:44:29 -0500

Last month, I watched the Chase Giving Awards on NBC and was enamored with the stories that were told about individuals who spend every waking moment trying to make the world a better place. Then it hit me. Cause marketing is officially a movement that is out to change the world. I was literally watching an awards show for non-profits. The night was a little more special for me because my cousin's non-profit, Krochet Kids International, was awarded $500K to further its mission of helping women in Africa and Peru.

5 Key Anti-Trends For 2013

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 07:48:09 -0500

Critical things you should have paid attention to in 2012 (but probably didn't).

Alternative Giving Sites

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 10:34:03 -0500

Tis the season for giving! Hopefully, everyone is having a successful year-end fundraising campaign, and since fundraising is top-of-mind right now (when is it ever not?), it got me thinking about alternative giving sites. You may have come across them before in your work -- third-party sites that take donations for various causes and nonprofits. Some donors prefer these sites, where they can go to just one site to browse different causes from around the world. In that light, I thought I'd review a couple alternative giving sites that I've come across or heard of in my work.

Empower Employees Through Charitable Giving

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:22:07 -0500

Everyone's shopping for the holidays, and corporations are no different. 'Tis the season of corporate gift giving to employees. Many of my friends have received chocolate, baked goods, gift cards and other items that are nice tokens of thanks -- but, to me, they are also, well, predictable and somewhat generic. Instead of giving employees the usual, I like the idea of charitable giving for the holidays because it makes a gift more personal and impactful. Charitable gifts or actions go beyond the gift giver and the recipient.

Thon Fundraising Turned Upside Down By Social And Mobile Technology

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:24:09 -0500

Charity runs, walks, rides, triathlons, hikes, climbs, swims and other peer-to-peer fundraising events are a multibillion dollar business, according to the annual surveys conducted by our team at the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council.

When Both Parties Are Nonprofits

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 06:44:16 -0500

I was reminded of these sorts of relationships by a press release issued by the Illinois State Bar Association, which recently announced a goal to provide 1 million meals to needy Illinoisans. They'll do this by hitting up bar association members and their law firms for donations of food and money, which will be distributed to food banks across Illinois.

SEO Basics - Making Sure Your Site Is Ready For Year-End

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 06:22:09 -0500

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day! Now that you've all recovered from your tryptophan turkey comas, I hope you're all geared up and ready for the giving season. (Just starting out? Check out last month's post for year-end best practices.) But before we head into the biggest time of year for nonprofits, I thought it might be a good idea to make sure everyone has their bases covered as far as search engine optimization (SEO) goes.