Larry Rowen & Dave Warren’s excellent MediaWeek article, “Embracing the Brave New World,” offers a thoughtful view of message convergence in the new media environment. Applications for fundraisers are vast and deep.
Read through the article. Go through it again, this time substitute the word (or concept) “fundraiser” in place of “advertiser.”
Here’s a sliver of my take: As fundraisers, we realize that branding and direct response fundraising must cohabitate the same space, in the same house…under the same roof. Many charities don’t have the luxury of having separate “branding” and “direct response” budgets. Heck, most barely have enough budget to aggressively grow year-over-year revenue. So? Fundraising must build the brand in an entirely new and complex (rich) media environment. It’s the “new and complex” part that’s got my goat and has me up at night.
“Over fifty years ago, Bill Bernbach came up with the revolutionary notion of throwing an art director and copywriter in the same room and tasking them to come up with effective ads. Today’s advertising agency must now begin throwing branders and direct-response experts in the same room. Their task is still the same: to come up with effective ads. But now those ads need to work on entirely new levels and work in entirely new media.”
Be sure, donors are devouring new media and are responding on entirely new levels. We see it in our direct mail response rates and our DRTV call-in volumes. Donors are responding via online channels at an astonishing rate.
Are you ready for this Brave New World?
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