Ad Execs, Part V: Craig Allen & Jason Kreher

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An Airplane Magazine, Through Non-Profit Eyes: Part 5 of 5: Craig Allen & Jason Kreher

See all five posts here.

I rarely read the airlines' magazines when flying because I'm generally doing one of the following: reading something I brought along for the flight, sleeping, or working on my computer. For some reason (even though I had the capability of doing any of these preferred activities), the July 2010 issue of Delta's Sky magazine caught my eye on a recent Baltimore-NYC-Boston trip. Well, not just "some reason," but the fact that the cover story was entitled The Mad, Mad World of Advertising. The magazine tied interviews with leading advertising professionals in with an article about the hit show, Mad Men.

I found some great material from those interviewed in the magazine and bring you the following quotes, Through Non-Profit Eyes. The direct quotes are from Sky.

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Craig Allen, art director, & Jason Kreher, copywriter, Wieden+Kennedy (@WiedenKennedy)

Sky: Two of the creatives who have helped transform Old Spice from the cologne your grandfather wears into the not new hipster scent, Allen & Kreher are two of the bright young minds at W+K.

More Donors Blog: The firm has offices in Portland, New York, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, New Delhi and Shanghai. It is widely recognized as one of the leading firms in the world and recently caused waves with the Old Spice Guy campaign.

Some of the firm's work:

Craig Allen: I think people buy things from brands they like. When a brand makes someone laugh, they like it more. They're more willing to listen to what the commercial is selling.

MD: There have been many attempts by non-profits to be humorous... and many (probably most) have failed. Why? Well... selling deodorant & body wash lends itself to humor better than feeding the hungry, cleaning the gulf, sending students to college, etc. That being said, the non-profit industry often forgets the first part of Allen's answer: People buy things from brands they like. There are two ways to look at this statement through non-profit eyes:

• People support causes they like.
• People support non-profit organizations they like.

I think the first is remembered by those marketing NPOs. The second interpretation, however, is often assumed to go hand-in-hand with the first. Just because someone believes in supporting efforts to bring clean water to those in Africa doesn't mean they necessarily like charity:water, The Water Project, or the African Well Fund. Your marketing materials & your staff must work to make your organization likable. It sounds very basic, but it is often forgotten. Check yourself: What has your NPO (or one of your faves) done lately to be personable and likable? Being personable is one of the reasons I encourage NPOs to give a personal face to Twitter accounts (like @humanesociety).

S: How do you define "smart" humor?

Jason Kreher: I don't think it's my place to define smart humor.

CA: That is a tough one. I'm not sure there is an exact definition. I think humor is at its best when it makes a person think. Consumers are smart; they want to feel like they're in on the joke.

MD: Try this translation: "Donors are smart; they want to feel like they're in on the solution." It also is not your place to define what they care about and what works at gaining support.

You must communicate with your audience and conduct appropriate research to judge who your constituents want to hear from (your CEO, those you aid/support, a fellow donor, etc.), what they want to hear (the challenges, statistics, success stories, etc.), when they want to hear from you, and via what channel (email, mail, phone, events, etc.).

Having this information will help fine-tune your fundraising and communication efforts and avoid falling into the trap of producing materials and solicitations that would work on you but not necessarily your audience.

photos courtesy of W+K & Sky

Ad Execs, Part IV: Linus Karlsson & Paul Malmstrom

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An Airplane Magazine, Through Non-Profit Eyes: Part 4 of 5: Linus Karlsson & Paul Malmstrom

See all five posts in the series here.

I rarely read the airlines' magazines when flying because I'm generally doing one of the following: reading something I brought along for the flight, sleeping, or working on my computer. For some reason (even though I had the capability of doing any of these preferred activities), the July 2010 issue of Delta's Sky magazine caught my eye on a recent Baltimore-NYC-Boston trip. Well, not just "some reason," but the fact that the cover story was entitled The Mad, Mad World of Advertising. The magazine tied interviews with leading advertising professionals in with an article about the hit show, Mad Men.

I found some great material from those interviewed in the magazine and bring you the following quotes, Through Non-Profit Eyes. The direct quotes are from Sky.

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Linus Karlsson & Paul Malmstrom (@motherNY, but with only one tweet!), Co-founders and executive creative directors, Mother New York

Sky: The art director (Malmstrom) and copywriter (Karlsson) team known as "The Swedes" (they met in school in Sweden) are co-creative directors of Mother New York, which they launched in 2003 as an offshoot of Mother in London. They've hatched campaigns for the likes of Target, the NBA and Dell.

More Donors Blog: The firm was awarded the Creative Agency of the Year award by AdAge earlier this year. Malmstrom & Karlsson were also listed in the Creativity 50 by AdAge & Creativity.

Some of the firm's work:

The Swedes: (speaking on changes impacting the advertising industry) ...You'll find something more meaningful going on - the corresponding swing of the brand-building pendulum from persuasion to the influence of trusted sources, as seen, for example, in the proliferation of social media. Again, if you seek to drive change, it's essential to grasp not only the "whats," but also the "hows" and "whys" of new media.

MD: This is a topic you likely have thought of if you're taking the time to read this post, but th"hows" and "whys" - and I would add the "whos" - of new media are critical to advanced non-profit communications. Along those lines:

• How does social media fit into your overall message and communications plan?
• How does your NPO's work impact the people on ?
• Why would someone want to follow you on Twitter? Do you provide something useful to the conversation?
• Who among your followers, fans, donors, supporters, volunteers, etc. have the greatest influence on others? ...And will they speak on your behalf?.

TS: ...Finally, I think the wise agency realizes that the phrase "creative talent" encompasses left-brain, analytical thinking, too. This is especially true in today's incredibly interactive marketing world, where consumers tell us so much about their preferences, lives and actions - if we know where to look and how to listen.

MD: Do you have this talent on your team? If you need to know about your constituents preferences for giving, how you impact their lives, and what actions they take to support other NPOs, where do you look?

• Analyze your data to see patterns in giving in terms of timing (time of year/month/day), frequency (annual/monthly/quarterly/etc.), channel (mail/phone/web/email/social-media) and amount. Look at the same for event attendance and volunteering.
• Plan future appeals accordingly - asking for the right amount at the right time via the right channel. Save your NPO resources and respect your constituents by not inundating them with mail appeals when they have only responded to email in the past.*
• * That being said... I'm a strong believer in campaigns in one channel helping fuel the success of campaigns in another. For example, the success of your year-end email appeal may be due in part to the case you made for support in your newsletter. Pay attention to results and analytics and adjust your strategy accordingly.

photos courtesy of Creativity & Sky

Ad Execs, Part III: Miles Nadal

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An Airplane Magazine, Through Non-Profit Eyes: Part 3 of 5: Miles Nadal

See all five series posts here.

I rarely read the airlines' magazines when flying because I'm generally doing one of the following: reading something I brought along for the flight, sleeping, or working on my computer. For some reason (even though I had the capability of doing any of these preferred activities), the July 2010 issue of Delta's Sky magazine caught my eye on a recent Baltimore-NYC-Boston trip. Well, not just "some reason," but the fact that the cover story was entitled The Mad, Mad World of Advertising. The magazine tied interviews with leading advertising professionals in with an article about the hit show, Mad Men.

I found some great material from those interviewed in the magazine and bring you the following quotes, Through Non-Profit Eyes. The direct quotes are from Sky.

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Miles Nadal (@milesnadal), Chairman and CEO, MDC Partners

Sky: Nadal is founder, chairman and CEO of the Toronto-based MDC Partners, an advertising, media and marketing holding company that includes the hot shop Crispin Porter + Bogusky (the firm behind Burger King's "Creepy King" and Best Buy's "Buyer be Happy" campaigns). Nadal also founded First Asset Management, one of Canada's largest asset-management firms.

More Donors Blog: It should also be noted that Nadal is a generous and dedicated philanthropist. He has given millions of dollars to organizations such as the UJA Federation, Reena Foundation, and the Jewish National Fund of Canada. Nadal also was honored as the 2004 Volunteer of the Year by Toronto's chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Some of the firm's work:

Nadal: (speaking on changes impacting the advertising industry) ...You'll find something more meaningful going on - the corresponding swing of the brand-building pendulum from persuasion to the influence of trusted sources, as seen, for example, in the proliferation of social media. Again, if you seek to drive change, it's essential to grasp not only the "whats," but also the "hows" and "whys" of new media.

MD: This is a topic you likely have thought of if you're taking the time to read this post, but the "hows" and "whys" - and I would add the "whos" - of new media are critical to advanced non-profit communications. Along those lines:

• How does social media fit into your overall message and communications plan?
• How does your NPO's work impact the people on Twitter & Facebook?
• Why would someone want to follow you on Twitter? Do you provide something useful to the conversation?
• Who among your followers, fans, donors, supporters, volunteers, etc. have the greatest influence on others? ...And will they speak on your behalf?.

N: ...Finally, I think the wise agency realizes that the phrase "creative talent" encompasses left-brain, analytical thinking, too. This is especially true in today's incredibly interactive marketing world, where consumers tell us so much about their preferences, lives and actions - if we know where to look and how to listen.

MD: Do you have this talent on your team? If you need to know about your constituents preferences for giving, how you impact their lives, and what actions they take to support other NPOs, where do you look?

• Analyze your data to see patterns in giving in terms of timing (time of year/month/day), frequency (annual/monthly/quarterly/etc.), channel (mail/phone/web/email/social-media) and amount. Look at the same for event attendance and volunteering.
• Plan future appeals accordingly - asking for the right amount at the right time via the right channel. Save your NPO resources and respect your constituents by not inundating them with mail appeals when they have only responded to email in the past.*
• * That being said... I'm a strong believer in campaigns in one channel helping fuel the success of campaigns in another. For example, the success of your year-end email appeal may be due in part to the case you made for support in your newsletter. Pay attention to results and analytics and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Quotable Tweet:

photos courtesy of Twitter & Sky

Ad Execs, Part II: Lynn Power

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An Airplane Magazine, Through Non-Profit Eyes: Part 2 of 5: Lynn Power

See all five posts in the series here.

I rarely read the airlines' magazines when flying because I'm generally doing one of the following: reading something I brought along for the flight, sleeping, or working on my computer. For some reason (even though I had the capability of doing any of these preferred activities), the July 2010 issue of Delta's Sky magazine caught my eye on a recent Baltimore-NYC-Boston trip. Well, not just "some reason," but the fact that the cover story was entitled The Mad, Mad World of Advertising. The magazine tied interviews with leading advertising professionals in with an article about the hit show, Mad Men.

I found some great material from those interviewed in the magazine and bring you the following quotes, Through Non-Profit Eyes. The direct quotes are from Sky.

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Lynn Power (@LynnPowered), President, ArnoldNYC

Sky: Power joined ArnoldNYC in 2005 and has helped build iconic brands such as Hershey's, Lee Jeans, Gillette, L'Oreal, Duracell, American Express and Pizza Hut. During her 20-plus-year career, she's worked at McCann, BBDO and O&M, among others, but says shes is thankful every day for the entrepreneurial idea-driven culture of Arnold.

Some of the firm's work:

Power: Don't try to manufacture coolness or try to be hip; consumers can see through that. Just be true to who you are, understand your DNA and make it relevant to people today.

More Donors Blog: The Old Spice Guy caused a stir recently with the viral nature of the campaign. Now that reports indicate a spike in sales for Old Spice, everyone - many non-profits included - want to know how to plan such a campaign. As @geoffliving and I tweeted back-and-forth about last week, trying to mimic the campaign is not the best plan. What non-profits need to know, though, is:

• "You don't win if you don't play." Obviously, you'll never have a successful non-profit viral campaign if you don't have content online.
• Don't anticipate a campaign going viral just because you really, really want it to.
• Have fun.

P: Obviously, we want people to be inspired to go try and buy the product we're marketing. But often just a "Wow, I didn't realize that" can be just as effective for a brand that is a bit outdated

MD: I think this is partially true for non-profits, but this is one of the areas where fundraising and advertising differ. Coke wants to beat Pepsi. The average non-profit wants to earn your support. Sometimes the tried-and-true practices will do just find for non-profits - direct mail appeals, newsletters, email campaigns, phone campaigns, etc. But to stand out with new campaigns will also help your cause. So:

• Be original. What makes your organization unique? How can you promote in a way that is unique to your organization and its mission?
• Ask your constituents to get creative on your behalf. Ask for videos and promotional material from your followers and supporters.

Quotable Tweet:

photos courtesy of Arnold, Twitter & Sky

Ad Execs, Part I: Christian Haas

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An Airplane Magazine, Through Non-Profit Eyes: Part 1 of 5: Christian Haas

I rarely read the airlines' magazines when flying because I'm generally doing one of the following: reading something I brought along for the flight, sleeping, or working on my computer. For some reason (even though I had the capability of doing any of these preferred activities), the July 2010 issue of Delta's Sky magazine caught my eye on a recent Baltimore-NYC-Boston trip. Well, not just "some reason," but the fact that the cover story was entitled The Mad, Mad World of Advertising. The magazine tied interviews with leading advertising professionals in with an article about the hit show, Mad Men.

I found some great material from those interviewed in the magazine and bring you the following quotes, Through Non-Profit Eyes. The direct quotes are from Sky.

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Christian Haas (@chaas), Group Creative Director & Associate Partner, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

Sky: Since joining Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in 2006, Haas has worked on award-winning campaigns for clients such as Sprint, eBay, HP, General Electric and Adobe. Earlier this year, Advertising Age and Creativity recognized Haas as one of the 50 most influential and inspiring creative personalities of the year.

Some of the firm's work:

Haas: A guide for creating a successful viral campaign is as effective as a tutorial on how to win the lottery. Ok, you'll learn the basics like "you don't win if you don't play," but that's about it.

More Donors Blog: The Old Spice Guy caused a stir recently with the viral nature of the campaign. Now that reports indicate a spike in sales for Old Spice, everyone - many non-profits included - want to know how to plan such a campaign. As @geoffliving and I tweeted back-and-forth about last week, trying to mimic the campaign is not the best plan. What non-profits need to know, though, is:

• "You don't win if you don't play." Obviously, you'll never have a successful non-profit viral campaign if you don't have content online.
• Don't anticipate a campaign going viral just because you really, really want it to.
• Have fun.

H: Advertisers need to break through not by pushing yet another ad, but by giving people something they actually would want to watch, interact with and share. That often involves approaching advertising differently, taking risks and not doing things that are proven to work.

MD: I think this is partially true for non-profits, but this is one of the areas where fundraising and advertising differ. Coke wants to beat Pepsi. The average non-profit wants to earn your support. Sometimes the tried-and-true practices will do just find for non-profits - direct mail appeals, newsletters, email campaigns, phone campaigns, etc. But to stand out with new campaigns will also help your cause. So:

• Be original. What makes your organization unique? How can you promote in a way that is unique to your organization and its mission?
• Ask your constituents to get creative on your behalf. Ask for videos and promotional material from your followers and supporters.

Quotable Tweet:

photos courtesy of Sky, Twitter, Advertising Age, Creativity.