EMBARKEMBARKon your way to eff ect ive market ing and fundraising

August 2015August 2015

Integrating Your BrandBuild donor loyalty through integrated marketing,

a strong brand, and great direct mail campaigns.

+Check Out: - Brand Cohesion - Direct Mail is Alive & Well - Building Donor Loyalty

Integrating Your BrandAll organizations desire more resources to extend and expand the services they provide to their community. Increasingly, there is a need to project your campaign messaging to the right donors, in the right way, for the right amount of time – at the most cost eff ective way possible. Today’s donor expects to be more engaged and involved than ever before in your group’s fundraising eff orts. If you are not rising to this engagement level, you are missing an opportunity to fully develop your relationships.

An integrated marketing campaign can appear to be confusing or overwhelming to understand. So, let’s go over the basics:

Impressions: On average, a message needs to touch your audience at least seven times to make a lasting impression. The more your audience sees the call to action, the more likely they are to respond to it. The cost per impression is the total number of impressions divided by the total cost of the integrated campaign. Alpha Dog’s goal is to make this cost as low as possible. Cost per impression shows how much your agency is spending in order to get one donor to make a gift.

Engagement: This is the big buzzword! Keeping your audience engaged gives you a:• Higher retention rate• Increased average gift • Lift in acquisition• Good return on investment

Provide your target audience with compelling information and graphics that draw them to your cause and encourage them to make a gift.

Call to Action: Every campaign message that goes out should have a strong call to action. The goal is to compel your viewers to take immediate action. It should be stated simply with easy to understand instructions, and positioned EVERYWHERE to grab the attention of your donors and prospects.

Multi-Channel: In order to minimize risk and maximize gains, it is crucial to diversify your fi nancial portfolio. It is the same concept with integrated marketing. Using multiple channels to send out your message will maximize the size of the audience and increase the potential to grow your donor base and gain additional gifts. Your agency will be able to target the key groups of people with enough impressions to drive up your results.

Consistency: In order for your campaign to have the greatest impact on your audience you must send out a uniform message. Consistency increases brand awareness, perception of need, and strengthens the individual’s connection to the organization. Keep in mind that a consistent message can still be personalized.

Measuring: The best way to know what is working for your market and audience is to track and measure your results. It is important to know the results before and after the campaign so you can see which channels and messages were the most eff ective. See the next page for results from an integrated campaign recently completed.

Using multiple channels to communicate your message and market your organization’s mission will require cross-functional planning and strategy. If you are looking for something new to increase your average gift, boost new donor acquisition, decrease attrition rates, maximize return on investment, and grow your donor database, then it’s time to integrate! If you’re ready to build donor loyalty, a stronger brand and increase donor trust, reach out to your sales lead today.

THE

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AM

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Direct Mail

+37%gross revenue

+13%average gift size

+87%new donors

Online

+170%gross revenue

+230%number of gifts

[ [ Increase in

New Donor

Acquisition creating a

large revenue increase.

54%54%This integrated marketing strategy helped to

generate 88% more gifts88% more gifts through all channels

compared to the previous year when no

campaign was done.

Alpha Dog Marketing executed a fully integrated multichannel campaign focusing on hope for animals during the holiday season. The “HOPE needed” campaign used a variety of channels to increase awareness, number of new donors

and total dollars raised during this busy time of year for fundraising.

Timeline: 8-week campaign from the start of November through the end of December

Market Area: Media for this campaign focused on 660,000 mailable households in the Atlanta, Georgia area with a total population of 1,300,000.

Direct Mail: Atlanta Humane Society used a variety of direct mail packages for the holiday “HOPE needed” campaign that encouraged constituents to make a gift in order to help animals in need.

Print: Atlanta Humane Society placed free standing insert ads featuring the “HOPE needed” creative in the Atlanta Journal Constitution which gave the Humane Society 83,300 impressions over the four-week period.

Digital: Atlanta Humane Society ran digital ads on a variety of websites. This retargeting strategy aimed to increase conversion among website visitors who left before completing a donation. Google AdWords were selected using keywords associated with Atlanta Humane Society.

Radio: During the integrated campaign, live-read traffi c sponsorship spots were broadcast on 13 diff erent radio stations in the area. The spots ran during the entire campaign and gained 1.6 million impressions.

Pre-Roll Video: Atlanta Humane Society created a short video featuring the “HOPE needed” message that was spread through social media and the website. The video also played in eight movie theaters throughout Atlanta during the campaign.

Outdoor: Atlanta Humane Society placed billboards in 53 locations in the market area. These billboards delivered a large number of impressions and were instrumental in spreading awareness of the “HOPE needed” campaign.

Brand Cohesion

Source: http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_role_of_brand_in_the_nonprofi t_sector

A nonprofi t’s brand is a psychological concept as perceived by those aware of the branded product, organization, or the resulting community impact. Brand management is the work of managing these psychological associations. Your organization’s brand is an all-encompassing image of how you are seen by the public.

An agency’s brand should be in alignment with what your current and potential supporters perceive in terms of your organization’s cause. If your brand is not accomplishing its purpose, it may be time to align your brand image. Your brand is what sets you apart from your competition and deepens your relationships with donors. A great brand will deliver a message clearly and consistently, add credibility to your organization, emotionally connect to constituents, motivate people to take action, and build donor loyalty.

It is the total experience that goes far beyond just a logo and colors, which intentionally draw people to your organization and cause. Marketing that moves beyond simply another communication piece will establish your distinctive voice and identity. Your brand will be most eff ective when both the internal and external identities and communication strategies are aligned. A cohesive organizational plan will attract more resources, giving way to a greater ability to respond to the public need.

To align your brand with your mission, core values, public perception, and organizational strategies, follow the Branding Cycle. Each layer nesting inside another are roles that link together into a cohesive and well-aligned identity for the nonprofi t.

The outside layer is your mission and core values which are easily accessible to the public and members of your group. The next level is your organizational strategy which Alpha Dog Marketing can help you develop and maintain. The inside layer is the actual brand cycle. This is where your public reputation, position, and leverage all work together to strengthen your ability to make an impact.

At the very center of this Brand Cycle is your core: Identity, Image, Cohesion, Trust, Capacity, and Impact. All of these are the building blocks for success which will bring higher retention rates, increased donor and public trust, more brand awareness, and all around improved results from your campaigns and fundraising eff orts.

In the end, your brand is the personality of your organization. Is your community responding to the heart and soul of your agency? Spending time aligning and strengthening your brand will not only make your nonprofi t better, but will have a greater impact on your mission.

ublic need.

values, public follow the

other are ligned

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core: Impact. which will d public trust, results from your

Direct Mail is Alive and Strong

Fundraising and marketing through direct mail will always have a place in the nonprofi t

industry. Check out below some interesting statistics from the 2015 Direct Marketing

Associations’ 2015 Fact Book along with research recently done on direct mail versus email.

Sources: http://www.business2community.com/marketing/direct-mail-seeing-resurgence-01255251 http://thedma.org/ www.blackbaud.com

Gave a donation in response to a

mail piece in the last two years:

GEN Y

10

%

MATURES

52

%

BOOMERS

40

%

GEN X

22

%

of recipients fi nd

postcards useful

50.9%

of individuals age 45-54

respond to direct mail

pieces, making them the

demographic most likely to

respond

14.1%

42% of recipients read or scan direct mail pieces

U.S. agencies

spent on direct

mail in 2014

$46Billion

U.S. agencies

spent on direct

mail in 2013

$44.8Billion

Customers act on direct

mail immediately

79%

Response rate

generated from

direct mail

4.4%

Customers generated

from direct mail

34%

45%Customers act on

email immediately

0.12%Response rate

generated from

email

24%Customers generated

from email

Building Donor LoyaltyBy defi nition, brand loyalty in the nonprofi t industry is a donor’s decision to make a gift over and over again because they feel connected to the organization and are passionate about the mission. The foundation of building a high donor retention rate is by building strong donor loyalty. Donors who strongly believe in your cause, the work that you do in the community, and trust the people involved in your organization, will continue to make regular donations and refer your nonprofi t to their family and friends.

In order to inspire donor devotion and commitment, you need to emphasize the importance of trust in your donor relationships. The strength of these relationships determines your retention rates, donor referrals, planned giving, and every other piece of fundraising that you do. Consider loyalty and trust similar to making new friends. In order to gain great supporters, you need to be a great friend.

With that in mind, it is far easier to lose someone’s trust than it is to gain it.

Let’s cover a few ways that you can grow donor loyalty through building donor trust:

1. Make your fi rst impression memorable. Leave your potential donors with a desire to

interact with you again.

2. Quickly acknowledge and express appreciation for gifts, no matter how big or how small.

3. Show your donors that they matter by personalizing your messages to the individual.

4. Give recognition to volunteerism as well as donations. Research shows that volunteers are

more likely to give than other database constituent segments.

5. Ask for supporter feedback and take the responses seriously through action.

6. Report your campaign, project, event, and fundraising results. Transparency is key!

7. Treat donor referrals like royalty. These are the best prospects you have for sustainer gifts and

their word of mouth helps increase your current database.

8. Consider how a donor likes to receive communications and follow those preferences.

There are certain times in which it is critical to take action and start building loyalty. The fi rst happens as soon as a potential donor signs up for your emails, attends an event, or visits your location. This fi rst point of contact is critical in maintaining that new relationship because it strengthens your connection. Another crucial contact point is after you receive the fi rst donation. This communication should be timely and show appreciation for the gift. Personalization will boost your retention here.

Building Donor LoyaltyAfter two or three months have gone by it will be important to touch base with your donor again. This may be through a newsletter, direct mail, voice broadcast, or any communication that goes directly to your donor.

The goal is to keep your mission uppermost in their mind. The end of the year campaign is a great time to make contact again. The season of giving allows for the opportunity to receive a second gift. Alpha Dog Marketing encourages all of our clients to set up a plan that allows for continual communication with donors in order to help our partners retain the highest long-term value of their donors.

Building loyalty is all about donor perception and expectation. An individual’s attitude toward your organization is based on their perception of how your group works, responds to community needs, and treats constituents.

Perception is strongly infl uenced by the emotional connection felt in the donor’s relationship with your nonprofi t. Emotions outweigh almost every other factor when donors make a decision on where to place their resources.

There is a level of expectation that needs to be met in order for a donor to continue giving gifts and support. When a donor sees that the group they support actually meets their expectations and delivers on the promises made to help the community, they will be more likely to give again.

Loyalty is a strong feeling and can inspire others to take action and become a part of your cause. In order to be successful with this concept, you must truly care about your supporters, volunteers, and donors of all giving levels.

Put yourself in their shoes and take a critical look at what you are doing. Treat your donors how you would like another organization to treat you after volunteering or donating. Your impact in the community is directly related to the level of your donors’ loyalty and trust.

If you are able to inspire devotion from your constituents, it will save you money and time. It’s so important you think beyond fundraising to embrace “friend-raising”. A one-time donor is just that; but a trusted friend? Now that’s someone who will become an ongoing supporter for your agency and someone you can count on through good and bad. Gaining donor loyalty translates into sustainable long-term revenue.

The only way

to have a friend

is to be one.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

CONT

ACT

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FREE LIVE WEBINAR: HOW TO QC MAIL FILESWHEN: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 10:00 - 11:00 am CST

TOPIC: Join Alpha Dog Marketing and Analytical Ones for a free live webinar covering quality control practices for data, the work fl ow process of direct mail, and a terminology overview. Our goal is to provide webinar attendees with a better understanding of the direct mail process and terminology in order to save time, money, and avoid confusion for the upcoming holiday season.

REGISTER: Go to alphadogmktg.com/education and click on the Register Now button to sign up. You won’t want to miss this valuable FREE webinar!