Communications

I thought you would enjoy seeing this book review by the people over at Idea Sandbox.   Seth Godin will have a new bookout in May, “The Dip: A Little Book that Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)”.  Looks like this book will be another huge winner for Seth. 

 

Why would someone write a book about quitting? We’re taught that quitting is for the weak… for losers… for those who lack moxie?

But Seth Godin’s upcoming book “The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)” is about quitting. (Seth knows controversial book topics get attention… a recent book of his was “All Marketers are Liars”)

Long story short… Seth suggests strategic quitting. Stop the stuff that’s not getting you to your long-range goal… and try another tactic.

In addition to great advice… the book is peppered with motivational quotable quotes…

Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.

…and…

Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.

The “dip” that Seth refers to is that low, challenging part experienced after the high, fun, and excitement of starting something and before the other high-point of being the best at something… “The long slog between starting and mastery.”

The Dip is the combination of bureaucracy and busywork you must deal with in order to get certified for scuba diving.The Dip is the difference between the easy “beginner” and the more useful “expert” approach in skiing or fashion design.

The Dip is the long stretch between beginner’s luck and real accomplishment.

 

What separates those we have heard of, those who are “great” at something from those you’ve never heard of… is survival of the dip. The difference between mediocre and remarkable!

When the pain gets so bad that you’re ready to quit you’ve set yourself up as someone with nothing to lose. And someone with nothing to lose has quite a bit of power. You can go for broke. Challenge authority. Attempt unattempted alternatives. Lean into the problem; lean so far that you might just lean right through it.

To be successful focus on the long-term strategy… your big goal. Work through this hard part… the dip… even if you need to modify your short-term strategy.

I’d recommend a companion book to Seth’s “Dip” especially if you’re finding yourself a bit bogged down in your own dip experience… “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield.

The Dip is under 90 page long, yet chock-full of inspiring advice.

Idea Sandbox recommends it

The folks over at InfluxInsights posted an alarming POV of the (RED) Campaign championed by Bono.  As you may know “(RED) was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world’s most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT)^RED branded products. A percentage of each (PRODUCT)^RED product sold is given to The Global Fund. The money helps women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.”

  

The meat of the Influx Insights article is as follows:

“As of January 2007, RED has delivered over $11.3 million to the Global Fund and had estimated a further $10 million would be added when holiday sales were accounted for.

The US launch was helped by a PR launch that leveraged Oprah to the max and massive advertising campaigns from Gap and Motorola. This has driven consumer awareness of the brand to 20%.

RED’s goal is to expand the product offering and to expand the concept into other non-English speaking markets.

The critical challenge for RED is to stay top of mind.

It needs more PR spikes of news to sustain interest, as the Alexa traffic data below shows.

It will be tough job as we move into full election mode in the US and as there?s been a recent shift in interest away from Africa and towards the environment and global warming.

RED needs to develop two prongs to its campaign:

1. Rapidly bring new partners into the mix- Their advertising and promotion will help drive awareness

2. Clearly communicate what its efforts to date have achieved in Africa- To validate the brand’s mission and to continue to educate the consumer about the issue which the product ads aren’t doing.

They have a YouTube channel, which is smart move, but of all the films they have up, only Bono’s message for World Aids Day, has a significant view count.

Perhaps RED needs to reach out to obtain some user generated content, or ask a broad group of creatives to donate their time to create some compelling messaging for the brand.”

Somewhere in all of this there is a lesson or two for for most of us.  It’s interesting to me that, with all the power behind (RED) — and I do mean the kind of power we would love and ache to have in support of our various causes — only $20 million and change seems to have been raised so far.  Wouldn’t you die to have Oprah, Bono, American Express, Converse, Apple, Gap, Armani, and others of this caliber behind you?

And yet, only $20 million. 

Some may say that it’s only the beginning of a the brand.  True enough.  But there’s a need for more, for the next leap forward. And what next? Bobby Shriver puts forth his answer:

“The big challenge we face is sustainability. Everywhere we go, people ask what our plans are for making this venture sustainable. Every time we answer “continuing innovation in products, continuing innovative campaigns to inform people that the (RED) embrace means money for medicine in Africa and continuing innovation with new product partners and their integration into the (RED) marketing system.”  

It’s the same challenge we all face, to be fresh, innovative, new, effective, real, authentic.

We are a community in desperate need for innovation.  To try new things.  To see with a new perspective.  To risk.  One organization I work with has a directive to try at least one new big thing each month.  That’s 12 a year.  Maybe one or two will hit it big and propel the organization to a new stratosphere in funding. Do that over the period of 5 or 10 years and the rest is history. 

I think this is how we change as fundraisers, as marketers, as organizations and as people. 

Ok.  Maybe this is old news to you, but here’s a very interesting publication that claims to give 100% of their $20 subscription fee to a number of charitable organizations.  Good Magazine’s founder, Ben Goldhirsh writes:

Welcome to GOOD, media for people who give a damn

We see a growing number of people tied together not by age, career, background, or circumstance, but by a shared interest. This revolves around a passion for potential mixed with fierce pragmatism and creative engagement. We sum all this up as the sensibility of giving a damn. But to shorten it, let’s call it GOOD. We’re here to push this movement and cover its realization.

While so much of today’s media is taking up our space, dumbing us down, and impeding our productivity, GOOD exists to add value. Through a print magazine, feature and documentary films, original multimedia content and local events, GOOD is providing a platform for the ideas, people, and businesses that are driving change in the world.

 

 

Good’s goal is to have 50,000 subscribers by mid-2007 and give away $1,000,000 by mid-2007.  Charitable organization beneficiaries include UNICEF’s Unite For Children , World Wildlife Fund, Generation Engage, Millennium Promise and a few other worthy causes. 

Quite a hefty goal, but there is something about these guys that is both gutsy and admirable.  Have a look.

 

I read a press release today announcing ten trends taken from Next Now: Trends for the Future, the latest book from Trendspotters Marian Salzman and Ira Matathia.  For entire list, follow the link above or click on the “More” link below.  I’ve cherry-picked the few trends that relate most directly to our industry. 

The trend most getting my attention is:  “Single Minded Ethics.”  Why?  Well, any trend related to our industry is fairly historic, important, and implicative.  I trust that anyone (high-profile celeb or not) choosing to “pursue change vigorously” will do so in ways that accomplish our long-term fundraising objectives.  Thoughtful fundraising marketing efforts strive to more fully engage donors, create long lasting relationships, and foster deep ties to organizational mission.

Trends for 2007 (abridged version):

SHADES OF GREEN: As environmental responsibility becomes a prerequisite for corporations, companies will battle to become the greenest in their respective categories. Think BP or Toyota, whose hybrid vehicles have given the company gold-star status. Some companies will seek to stand out by promoting a particular cause or natural resource. Bonus points will go to businesses that help consumers understand environmental issues and offer smart, easy ways to make a difference. At gepower.com, for instance, GE explains its energy-saving initiatives. For those companies that don’t act, 2007 will see newly concerned consumers speaking out and taking action.

LOCAL LOYALTY: Globalization is giving us not only a new perspective on the world but also a greater loyalty to our own communities. Remember American Idol Ruben Studdard’s custom-made shirts emblazoned with the area code of his hometown, Montgomery, Alabama? More people will feel compelled to support local businesses, producers, artists and community initiatives. The local-food movement is leading the trend: In Manhattan, for example, high-profile chefs such as Danny Meyer have helped to make the Union Square farmers market a must for locally minded shoppers. Just as globalization has made the world seem smaller, localization allows us to make our hometowns feel bigger and more important.

Single-Minded Ethics: Bono has AIDS, Angelina Jolie has orphans, and Al Gore has CO2. 2007 will see more of us pick a niche and pursue change vigorously rather than skim like a stone across the ethics pond. We believe we can change the world, but we know we can’t change it all at once.

This Tube Is MyTube: More of us will start creating entertainment using formats such as blogs or publicly posted video clips as today’s technology makes it easy for amateurs to express themselves at minimal expense or risk. And it’s not just for fun or, sometimes, profit: Because they cannot be easily reined in, these forms of online media are becoming increasingly vital forums in countries where free speech is repressed.

Click here for the entire list.

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MADD is holding a “virtual candlelight vigil” this holiday season that is rather unique and meaningful. The idea here is fairly simple and straightforward:

MADD will be holding an online candlelight vigil during the Holiday Season when you can light a ‘virtual candle’ and submit a tribute message to a loved one or friend impacted by drunk driving. You can even have the tribute emailed to the person or family being honored.

Reading through a number of tribute messages left me speechless and numb.  Here is one example:

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does this campaign have to do with fundraising?  My guess is fairly little in the immediate sense of the word (although MADD may see it as an email capture strategy.)  However, this campaign creates a powerful experience for those left behind and living in the aftermath of such a tragic event.  Memories need to be kindled and re-kindled and this campaign helps light the spark. 

Like a character out of the “Lost” TV series, I  somehow stumbled upon this post from The Positivity Blog. As I read the post, “Do you make these 10 mistakes in a conversation”, I couldn’t help but make the transition to fundraising - especially when speaking to our donors - especially our BIG donors. Here is the article in it’s entirely:

Can you improve your conversation skills? Certainly.

It might take a while to change the conversation habits that’s been ingrained throughout your life, but it is very possible.

To not make this article longer than necessary let’s just skip right to some common mistakes many of us have made in conversations. And a couple of solutions.

Not listening
Ernest Hemingway once said:

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”

Don’t be like most people. Don’t just wait eagerly for your turn to talk. Put your own ego on hold. Learn to really listen to what people actually are saying.

When you start to really listen, you’ll pick up on loads of potential paths in the conversation. But avoid yes or no type of questions as they will not give you much information. If someone mentions that they went fishing with a couple of friends last weekend you can for instance ask:

• Where did you go fishing?
• What do you like most about fishing?
• What did you do there besides fishing?

The person will delve deeper into the subject giving you more information to work with and more paths for you choose from.

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Here is my pick of the week from the Salvation Army Canada (sans audio)

 

Credits:
Title: Invisible
Agency: ACLC Inc., Toronto

Let me introduce you to Lisa Ray and her blog, Two Knives.  Lisa is a recent stay-at-home mom living in Minneapolis. I think her blog is extremely well written.  Todays post, about her experience this past weekend at a local fundraiser, is very funny, short, and long on insight for those of us in the fundraising community.  Here it is:

The perfect storm

I spent much of Saturday morning trying to alleviate my guilt over spending about $600 at a fundraiser the night before. Donating, I mean. I donated $600.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s all for a good cause. People Serving People is a family homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. It was their annual fundraiser - food, drinks, music, and a live auction.

I decided it was a convergence of three factors that led to the ill-fated bid, or as my friend Joni said, I created the perfect storm:

• an auction, which ignited my gambling-addiction tendencies, combined with
• homeless seven-year-olds, combined with
• two (or several) glasses of vodka.

I flashed my bidding number faster than you can say Indian gaming. The prize, which was much more appealing at the time, is an afternoon in local radio studio watching how a live show works. At least my 9-year-old seems excited about going.

I think I’ll have to stay away from fundraisers. At least until I’m employed again.

My takeaway: Sometimes, we’re so sophisticated in our approach to securing the gift - our segmentation, our careful campaign development, our dazzling creative, our whiz-bang back end analysis.  Then again, maybe it’s because a couple of unknown factors (I call them “Donation-X Factors”) came together in perfect alignment, like whirling planets in some cosmic convergence, that actually produced the sale, er, donation.  I mean donation.