Nonprofit organizations are particularly good at (or bad at) stating more than really needs to be said. Perhaps it is a side effect of trying to survive in a grantmaking environment where overcommunicating is more than the norm - it's the expectation. Grant applications ask tough (if not unreasonable) questions, and nonprofit professionals find themselves wordsmithing their way into a proposal that talks of sustainability and outcome measures on services and programs that are intrinsically unmeasurable and fundamentally unsustainable. But, beware that your tendency to overstate and expand upon doesn't carry over into your external marketing activities.

I recently saw an ad for a nonprofit organization that read like a book report. It was 5.5 x 8.5 with no images or design elements, and was laden with text. Even the text was boring. It talked about the organization's early beginnings, about its capital campaign 30 years ago, and boasted a valuable staff. The first thought I had after seeing the ad wasn't about how strong of a history the organization had or admiration of its fiscal responsibility. The first thought I had was simply, "Who cares?" That thought was quickly followed by, "They actually paid to print that?"

When engaging in marketing activities that are aimed at informing and motivating donors to contribute, potential clients to call, or volunteers to get involved, nonprofit organizations need to exercise a certain amount of simple communication.

Think. What is worth highlighting? What fact or tidbit is interesting to Joe Community Member, and how can you craft it in such a way within your marketing piece that it is interesting, eye-catching and valuable? Here are five strategies for making your communications clear and your marketing pieces worth reading:

1. Address the "Who Cares?" Factor
When working with your text, ask yourself whether the facts and information you are incorporating into your ad copy or press release is interesting and relevant to someone outside of your organization. You have a small window of opportunity to catch the eye of the peruser. Don't waste that opportunity explaining the origins of your organization or the details of your strategic plan. Captialize on that moment with what matters most: who are you, what do you want them to know, and how can they get involved?

2. Stop the Grant-Speak
Nonprofits tend to have their own set of vocabulary, words like "outcome," "donor," "invest," "impact" and "sustainability." Avoid grant-speak in your advertising. Instead of asking someone to "Become a donor today and impact the lives of underprivileged children," you could say "Give today and impact the lives of tomorrow." Speak their language and you will have a better chance of being heard.

3. Keep it Brief
More than ever before, the consumer's attention is divided. We are multi-tasking media consumers. Your television ad fights the remote every time it comes on, your web ad runs against the quick search toolbar every time it rotates, your print ad gets buried on page 11 next to three others. It's more important now than ever before to keep your message concise and to craft brief - yet strong - highlights and points.

4. A Matter of the Heart
The most effective way to touch a person with the value of involvement with your organization is through emotional response. People give based on emotional stimulation. Emotional involvement is what drives passion and commitment. Emotional messages capture the attention, and when someone's attention is captured they are sure to tell someone else. Use quotes from a client who has been helped by your organization. Tell their story and let them do the selling.

5. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
In the end, the most cleverly crafted tagline or message will be overshadowed by a moving or shocking photo. You want to capture their attention? Do it visually. Your images will get them to stop, then your text can follow-up with the information you need to communicate. Be aware of the importance design plays in any marketing piece you put out.

Your marketing pieces need you to focus on fresh ways of communicating your organization's impact, importance and opportunity for involvement. The first step is to simplify the way you communicate to your audience.

- J.A. (November 2006)

Have you ever seen a creative commercial only to be left wondering, "Well, who was it for?" Or, perhaps you have driven by a billboard whose image peeked your interest, but whose sponsor went unnoticed. While some may believe that such campaigns are effective for driving curiosity and momentum, it is more likely that these campaigns leave your target market confused and your organization with minimal results to show for its advertising investment.

Creatively implementing your ad campaign without losing sight of the message can be a tricky task. Don't be afraid, however, of creativity. A well-crafted and creative campaign can yield increased awareness, desired action and long-lasting impressions if done correctly. Balance between a creative concept and a clear message is possible. The key is to strategically coordinate your campaign with effective images and targeted copy. Here are several suggestions for how you can avoid anonymity and give your message impact.

Branding

Branding is an intentional effort to make your organization distinctive and identifiable through means such as consistent graphic elements (i.e. a logo), reoccurring text (i.e. taglines) or other elements that when seen or heard create a link between the element and your organization in the consumer or donor's mind. Branding is very important, particularly the more creative and ad is, as it identifies your organization and connects your message to the impression left by the ad.

Perhaps the most important element of a successful brand is an organization's logo. A logo says much about an organization and its level of professionalism. A good logo should match an organization's identity by considering the proper typeface, colors and "feel." Logos should be unique and should avoid elements such as clipart or WordArt. A good logo is also very "clean," lacking graphic clutter and over design.

In addition, some of the most successful logos have an iconic element to them, or a recognizable symbol that when used on its own and without additional identifiers can still be linked to a particular organization. The United Way, for example, has an iconic logo.

Capturing your brand provides you with the versatility needed to become as creative with your campaign as you can while still connecting the market to your organization's message.

Less Clutter

There's nothing worse than a good idea gone bad. A cluttered ad, billboard, message, press release, website, commercial or print piece is worse than no piece at all. An over designed marketing piece leaves a consumer confused and wondering what message is important. For example, a direct mail postcard advertising an upcoming fundraising event will be far more effective if the message is focused solely on the event than lost in the clutter of other agency news, clunky text or overly stimulated graphics. Combining messages in one piece may save printing and postage, but at the cost of your message.

Some of the biggest pitfalls of campaigns in the areas of clutter are not enough white space, too many fonts, unfocused images and ineffective text.

Don't mistake this advice as advocacy for a minimalist approach to ad design. Be creative, but be strategic in your decision-making and make sure that each element of an ad supports the overall message rather than overshadowing it. It's all about balance.

Effective Taglines

An effective tagline has three primary elements: originality, recollection potential and a concise message. The best taglines are short and memorable. If your organization has adopted a tagline, actively incorporate it into your brand. Use it wherever your logo is used and in every ad. Weave it into press release copy, commercial scripts, and CEO speeches. Maximize its impact by maximizing its exposure.

Some of the best nonprofit taglines we've come across include:

"Today's Kids. Tomorrow's Leaders." [Camp Fire USA]
"Little Moments. Big Magic." [Big Brothers Big Sisters]
"Save a Life. Right Here, Right Now." [Community Blood Center]
"Where Volunteering Begins." [VolunteerMatch]
"Providing Help. Creating Hope." [Catholic Charities]
"Finding Cures. Saving Children." [St. Jude's]

Campaign Consistency

Coordinating each of the pieces of your campaign is crucial for campaign implementation and impact. Consistency moves independent advertising initiatives into a more recognizable and memorable marketing effort. The average person is bombarded by hundreds of advertising messages a day through billboards, radio, television and print mediums. How are you going to make your message stand out amidst the competition? Frequency. If you're going to invest your time, creativity and resources into an ad campaign, let your message be delivered to your market in as many ways as possible (and feasible).

Let's say you have plans to launch a print advertising campaign. At the same time, you are kicking off your annual fundraising campaign, and seeking to garner media coverage for your annual meeting. In this model, you are expecting the message recipient to hear, recognize, process and remember three separate and unrelated messages in a short amount of time.

The more effective approach would be to coordinate these efforts, create one consistent message and hit a consumer or potential donor with the same message multiple times. Hearing the same message multiple times will more likely leave an impression than three separate messages each distributed through their own medium.

Consistency maximizes your message...and your advertising dollar.

Examples of Successful Creative Campaigns

Here is our top three list for innovative nonprofit ad campaigns:

1. "Expect Change": During the 2005 holiday season, the Salvation Army launched its annual kettle campaign with the theme, "Expect Change." The tagline was simple. The red kettle became iconic as it was featured throughout the campaign on billboards and in ads. The overall theme was creative and cleverly weaved in a double meaning. It not only encouraged donors to invest, but also encouraged them to expect results.

2. "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste": For years the United Negro College Fund has banked its recognition and success on a solid advertising campaign. Its television ads capitalize on the inspiration found in overcoming obstacles. Its tagline effectively communicates its mission. In each of its mediums (commercials, print ads, etc.), specific instructions and requests for action are given - call to learn how you can help support the organization's efforts.

3. "Truth Found": Truth is an anti-tobacco advocacy group whose television campaigns and public service announcements present some of the most stark messages about the dangers of tobacco. Their campaigns stick in the market's mind. Their website was redesigned to embrace the campaign, posters and direct mail pieces all incorporate the same images. Their logo is clearly present in every element.

Before you implement your next advertising campaign, be sure to think through your idea thoroughly. Have you made sure your brand is recognizable in the ads? Is your message clear and concise? Have you used supporting graphics that catch the eye, are creative and will leave an impression? By taking a few extra steps in your planning process, you will help your campaign go a long way.

- J.A. (April 2006)

You've heard the saying, but how much truth is in the old cliche? Sometimes getting back to the basics is the best move you can make when it comes to marketing nonprofit organizations and promoting their mission. Revisiting older ideas and tried and true marketing practices can provide a sense of clarity that is vital to fresh creativity.

Back to the Basics

You've heard the 4 P's of marketing: product, place, price and promotion. How do those apply to the nonprofit community when their product is intangible, their place is often undefined, their price is indeterminable, and promotion is approached cautiously out of fear of an image that donor dollars are not well spent? Here are some suggestions.

1. PRODUCT - The product of nonprofit organizations are not the services that they offer the community. The product of non-profit organizations is impact. What impact are you making in the lives of your clients? What change is occuring in the community as a result of your efforts? How is your organization's mission meeting needs, transforming lives and contributing to the greater good? Your product is impact and change - focus your marketing messages on that, particularly when trying to reach potential donors.

2. PLACE - In merchandising marketing, place refers to placement of products for optimum sales. In nonprofit marketing where the product is impact and change, we define place as the area in which you concentrate your marketing messages. Let's say, for example, you are a small organization in Kansas City, Kansas. Your services and programs are primarily geared toward Wyandotte County residents. When considering how and where to place your messages, focus your resources on local media, not city-wide or regional outlets. Reach the people whose community you directly serve.

3. PRICE - What price can you put on helping a homeless person achieve self-sustainability, or what price can be assigned to the impact of a tutoring program in an inner-city school? Your target market is likely to be potential donors. The product you offer them is an improved community. Where are you offering that? In their neighborhood. Your third task is to convince them that your organization is worth investing in - at whatever level they are able to give.

4. PROMOTION - You may have a great organization and outstanding programs, but how do you share that with potential donors? You share that through promotion. Nonprofit organizations have limited budgets, and those limited budgets rarely account for marketing, public relations and promotions. Our goal is to help you see the importance of marketing and public relations, and recognize that a little investment can go a long way. In fact, promotion doesn't always have to be costly - it may take the form of a press release or an announcement to your local community bulletin board. The important thing is that you consider ways to actively promote your organization.

Get Comfortable Inside the Box Before Stepping Out

The challenge that too many organizations face is that they try and think "outside of the box" before making sure they know what is inside of the box. Or in other words, make sure that your creative, fresh, unique marketing idea is a solid one before investing time, creativity and money into it.

For example, a staff member at ABC Organization decides that an advertising campaign in the city's Hispanic newspaper will help spread the word about their mission in the Spanish-speaking community. "This will certainly get our message out, and reach a new audience" she reasons. She comes up with a great ad campaign theme, has the ad designed using Spanish, and spends hundreds of dollars on running the ads. Unfortunately, there is little return on that time and financial investment because her marketing theory and promotional plan was flawed.

A.) She didn't know her target market. You see, ABC Organization doesn't have any Spanish-speaking staff, and therefore can't accomodate any requests or interests from that community. Even if a Spanish-speaking individual sees the ad and is interested in supporting the organization, no one is available to speak with them when they call for more information.

B.) She didn't communicate her message effectively. What she wanted was to introduce the organization to the Hispanic community and hopefully find new donors. Unfortuantely, all her ad did was describe the organization's programs. There was no explanation of the organization's impact. There were no quotes from Hispanic individuals who had received services from the organization. Her message missed the mark.

C.) She didn't focus her message on the community her organization serves. She advertised in a city-wide Hispanic newspaper whose circulation in her local community was a fraction of those she could have reached had she advertised with the local Hispanic paper.

How to Avoid the Pitfalls

There are three things that can help you avoid the pitfalls of ineffective marketing:

1. Plan, plan, plan. Develop a strategic marketing plan. This will help you know whom you are trying to reach, what message you will convey when you reach them, and how much money you will need to set aside to embark on that effort.

2. Craft, craft, craft. Craft your message and wrap it in a way that is appealing and that stands out. Craft your marketing effort with creativity while keeping in the forefront of your mind who you are trying to reach and what you want them to do once you reach them.

3. Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Establish some way for you to evaluate how well your marketing efforts worked. This will help you know whether a marketing effort was successful, and whether your investment in that effort was worth the return.

Creativity and innovative thinking is vital to the long-term sustainability of any marketing or public relations campaign; but, before embarking on that next great idea, make sure that your footing is placed firmly on tried and true marketing techniques.

- J.A. (January 2006)