Can you imagine the conversations when this brief came into the agency! Love this creativity
(originally posted this on Pinterest)
The Irish Charities Expo 2012 will be a one day first of its kind exhibition to be held in Ireland.
The Exhibition will get charities and businesses, along with members of the public, together in the same venue so that they can network, develop partnerships and learn from each other.
The Irish Charities Expo is FREE to attend and over 5,000 company representatives will be invited to attend the event to engage and communicate with up to 100 charities that will be showcasing and promoting themselves to the key charity related personnel in Irish businesses.
Its great when brands listen. Its a shame when its exclusive though (this wouldnt have happened if it wasnt a celebrity tweet). Surely there is a bigger idea in this for Kellogg’s
Info below is from AdWeek:
Totes Amazeballs might seem like an un-Kellogg-like name for a breakfast cereal. But the company has created it anyway over in the U.K., following a Twitter request from Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess.
Explains Burgess: “I heard someone use the expression Totes Amazeballs, and it sounded like something from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I sent a cheeky tweet saying I’d invented a new cereal and that Kellogg’s were interested. But within an hour they’d got in touch.”
A Kellogg’s spokeswoman adds: “It all came about a few weeks ago when Tim tweeted his fans about wanting to create a super cereal called Totes Amazeballs. We really try to make the most of Twitter here at Kellogg’s, and when we saw the tweet, we knew we had to make something special for him.”
Alas, they only made one box—for Burgess. (It’s a mix of Rocky Road cake, Coco Pops Rocks, marshmallows, shortbread pieces and raisins—apparently a Burgess favorite.) But with fans clamoring for more boxes, we likely haven’t heard the end of this story.
There is a serious amount of chugger bashing going on at the minute. I have never seen or heard such negative sentiment around this form of fundraising. I have never worked for a charity that had chuggers, so I have no strong ‘pro’ chugger agenda. I do however know lots of charities that do use them, both in house and contracted, and I know the value they provide to the organisations (financially).
What frustrates me about the whole “debate” is that its not a real debate with any proper understanding of this revenue stream.
What happens instead is people make comments when they haven’t taken the time to research the issue. So for example we see comments like these from Senator Catherine Noone (clearly seeking column inches), where she says that Chuggers have:
“started to turn charity from an act of giving into an industry, with volunteers being replaced by people who are paid per hour”.
What planet is the Senator on!? Charity is an industry. Charity is a business. She clearly hasn’t taken the time to talk to anyone in the sector…but sure why should she, she is
“…. somebody who gives a decent amount every year to charity”.
Similarly this morning Ian Dempsey on TodayFM said that
“charities need to find another way to raise the money”.
Again, an off the cuff remark made by someone who hasnt taken the time to understand how charities work. If he is going to use his airtime you would really like him to at least be informed (or take the time to be informed).
I am not saying there are no issues with Chuggers. I am not saying it is the greatest way to fundraise. Like I said I have never worked for an organisation that uses them (maybe that says something, I dont know). But the mis-information that is being bandied about by people is frustrating. This revenue stream works for charities. That’s why they do it. Next people will say they are fed up with Direct Mail, because charities are spending money on postage!
If there is going to be a debate about chuggers, firstly there needs to be a better understanding of the business of charity. There also needs to be an understanding that there is a code of practice that all charities sign up to (Senator, maybe you should have checked that one out!?). Also people have choices. Every day I walk past a chugger, and I can see them trying to make eye contact, I just say no thanks and walk on. It doesnt really ruin my day!
NOTE: I have asked two people, one from either side of the debate to do guest posts on this blog….hopefully they agree. I will keep you posted
I like the idea of this. I love the concept of networked giving. There is a clear ask (5 euros/pounds/dollars). I like that it is international…so it kind of feels like you are part of a big movement.
There doesn’t seem to be any information about who is behind it, or how much money the charities get. This video actually over complicates the explanation of it too.
What do you think?
(edit: I have seen that Colliers International are the people behind it)
So many new social networks pop up and its really hard to keep up…really hard. I tend to download the apps when I hear of something new and interesting . So often though I find its just not for me.
But Pinterest has really kept me engaged. I have set up a few boards and am starting to follow people, I’m still getting started, but enjoying it. I enjoy seeing what other people pin, and yes some pins are totally irrelvant to me…so its great that I can just unfollow the pin, but still follow the person.What I find interesting is that the majority of pins I see are about Food, Fashion and Homes. It seems to be quite an aspirational place.
I am still coming to terms with it (sounds like hard work right!). I am especially wondering where brands fit in. I see that brands like Whole Foods and Martha Stewart are really popular…and I can see how that makes sense. They can post things that are useful (recipes) or things they are interested in (like homewares) and these are things that people will re-pin.
I wonder where other brands fit in? I guess there is a place and its about finding that place. Like any social network its about being relevant.
Yesterday on twitter a few of us were having a conversation about it. I said that I really liked what the National Wildlife Ferderation were doing in the US. Sarah Hughes came back and said that she thought there was greater potential for causes to use Pinterest. She suggested that they dedicate a whole pin board to telling a story and how the charity impacted on the issue. So her example for the NWF was that they could have a “pinboard dedicated to the world’s smallest chameleon (3cms!) and the Foundation’s work to protect it”
I thought this was fantastic, (I had an old lightbulb moment!!). How do you think you could or will use Pinterest…or will you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you’d like to follow me on Pinterest…here I am
If you are looking for some more information on Pinterest, here is a link to the Ultimate guide to Pinterest!
I saw yesterday that the Ireland Funds have opened their Grants rounds. One of the categories that they will accept requests under is “Promoting Philanthropy in Ireland”. A few years ago, working with Niall O’Sullivan, we got a group of fundraisers in Ireland to attend a meeting that talked about promoting Philanthropy. We pulled together a “thoughts” document and shared it with the Board of Philanthropy Ireland. I believe that there is more movement in this space again, which is great to hear.
But there was one line of thinking from that day that I have been keen to progress. My belief is that one of the ways (and not the only one) of creating a culture of Philanthropy in Ireland is to think long term and about the next generation. I had heard about a campaign in the US that encouraged children to not just save their pocket money but to also spend some of it and share (donate) another portion.
I don’t know who runs it, or even if it is run by anyone, but I want to adapt it and bring it to life in Ireland.
I sincerely believe that a “Spend, Save, Share” movement, targeted at children in junior school (with a plan to grow with them as they develop) would be a massive step in promoting philanthropy in Ireland. Imagine, if, from a young age children think about money differently. They think about saving (that’s good right) but they also know that its ok to spend some too. Just as importantly though, they start to think about what some of that money could do for others? So they would start to think about sharing. I firmly believe that this would be the start of a mindset change, which would need to be supported by a full programme that, as I said, develops as the child develops, which could be incredibly powerful and game changing for the future of philanthropy.
This isn’t about the amount, so fundraisers should put the calculators away. This is about the action. It’s about creating a movement that changes how we think about philanthropy. It’s a step towards the idea of planned giving. Ireland is a generous nation, we all know that. But we aren’t a nation that really plans or thinks about its giving. I believe that a programme like this would create a culture where we start to think in a planned way.
So why am I telling you this?
Well I want charities to get on board with me. I would love to take this on, but I need charities to buy into it. Maybe organisations like Fundraising Ireland, Philanthropy Ireland, ICTRG, The Wheel could row in behind it too? Maybe even some financial institutions too!
We could apply to the Ireland Funds for seed funding and then look at where else we could get support. This is clearly in the ideas stage. But there is an idea here.
If you think it’s a good one and think your organisation would like to get behind something like this, let me know, drop me an email, tweet me, call me, whatever, just get in touch. We will then set something up with everyone who thinks it’s a good idea and do something about it.
I believe in this and would love to bring it to life. But I need you.
Now in its 6th year the DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards is now taking submissions. Winning organizations will get their video on YouTube’s homepage on April 5th, receive generous prizes provided by Cisco and the Case Foundation and more. It’s a great opportunity for organizations to shine a light on their great work.
The awards are free to enter and open to any eligible nonprofit organization in the U.S., U.K, Canada and Australia that created video in 2011. The submission phase goes until February 29th, after which the public will have a chance to vote for the winning videos.
I was sent this yesterday and thought it was a clever idea. Not sure the issue of portion size is as problematic here, but its a good idea. (via TBD)
You’re massively hungry and make the impulse order, but before you know it, you’re just halfway through the bigger-than-your-face guacamole bacon burger and already stuffed. What if there was a way to channel that over-ordering toward the fight against hunger?
Enter Halfsies, a social initiative that’s helping restaurant-goers eat better, reduce food waste, and feed those in need. Patrons at participating restaurants elect to “Go Halfsies” on a menu item and receive a smaller, healthier portion of the meal. The remainder of the cost is then donated to one of Halfsies’ nonprofit partners. So, not only does your Halfsies meal save a bit of your waistline, it also helps get food on the table for those in need.
Ask your favorite food joint to jump on the Halfsies train, treat yourself, and help fill the plates of those that need it most. Mmm… now doesn’t that sound good
The best site I have seen in a long time. The Girl Store
Hendricks is a fantastic brand…not only do they have a really nice product (at a premium price, which may help me think its even nicer!) they have an incredible brand personality and tone of voice.
They look out for the unusal and then create a space and own it. So while you can never be sure what to expect from them, you can expect it to be a bit unusual.
I signed up to their site and a few weeks later was sent out a note book (to keep note of my curious ideas) and a recipe book (how to serve cucumber in different ways and cocktails). It was so unintrusive, it was appropriate, it was unepxected, it made me feel great about the brand, like I was one of the gang (although they wouldnt use that language).
They extend their tone of voice across all their channels. They are a brand well worth watching.This is their campaign for February.. The unusual month of reverse courtship
I was researching great customer care today and came across this brilliant story from Peter Shankman. He was a Mortons fan before this happened…but now he’s a Raving Fan for life. He posted this joke tweet:
and then this happened
And of course Twitter got hold of it…and loved it!
Maybe you can’t deliver steaks to the airport (hopefully the only reason for that is that you dont sell steaks!), but what can you do to create Raving Fans for your organisation.
The problems at Susan G. Komen for the Cure are well documented at this stage. In this great article Ad Age asks, can they recover?
(Source: Ad Age, Alexandra Bruell, Feb 6th, 2012)
In a case for the marketing textbooks, Susan G. Komen for the Cure showed how a brand can boomerang from one of the most loved into one of the most reviled in a head-snapping two days.
The story of how Komen got consumers seeing red, rather than pink, says a lot about how social-media wildfire can singe even the most fireproof of brands. But it also demonstrates how inconsistent communications can fan the flames, and illustrates how quickly sponsors can become engulfed in controversy. On its website, Komen, which has raised billions of dollars for breast-cancer research, lists more than 200 corporate partners. The question now is how much collateral damage those partners have sustained, and whether Komen can persuade them to stick around in the aftermath.
AP broke the story Jan. 31 that the charity was withdrawing funding from Planned Parenthood. Komen quickly became the New Coke of nonprofits last week when within 48 hours it confirmed that it was pulling funding, contradicted itself in explaining its motive, and then backtracked on the decision following a groundswell of protest. It initially cited a new policy requiring it not to fund organizations under government investigation. The move prompted Planned Parenthood to berate the organization for letting right-wing, pro-life politics influence its decision, and critics quickly took up the cudgel on Facebook and Twitter.
The first public response, a video of founder and CEO Nancy Brinker via YouTube, didn’t help. PR executives said the background — a stuffy library — and Ms. Brinker’s seemingly calculated statement was counterproductive. “Nancy Brinker is coming across not like the woman who made the promise to her sister,” said Carol Cone, vice chairman of the business and social-purpose group at Edelman. “Unfortunately, she’s coming across so hard.”
A day later, Ms. Brinker told the Washington Post that the real reason for the funding cut “…has to do with the fact that [Planned Parenthood does] not provide mammograms to women, but only provides mammogram referrals.” That same day, a Komen board member flip-flopped the message again. Lobbyist John D. Raffaelli told The New York Times that Komen “had become increasingly worried that an investigation of Planned Parenthood by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R.-Fla., would damage Komen’s credibility with donors.”
But Komen was doing a fine job of damaging that credibility on its own. What started as a communications crisis quickly flamed into a brand crisis as the organization went more than 24 hours without a tweet, during which time consumers besieged the Facebook pages of Komen’s corporate partners and voiced concerns on Twitter. As of Feb. 3, there were 18,645 likes on the “Defund the Komen Foundation” Facebook page. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave Planned Parenthood $250,000 out of his own pocket, indirectly admonishing the organization’s decision.
“If they had quickly come out and communicated and said, ‘Oops, we blew it,’ that’s one thing. But 48 hours is an eternity today with social media,” said Kivi Leroux Miller, author and blogger at the website Nonprofit Marketing Guide.
Now its reputation — in a Harris poll last year Komen ranked second among nonprofits in terms of trust and tops in brand equity — and the stability of its relationships with corporate sponsors hangs in the balance. While it’s said the organization has not lost any official corporate sponsors at this point, it will have its work cut out for it in the coming weeks in reaching out to sponsors, partners and affiliates.
When asked how a sponsor should react, Ms. Cone said, “I’d follow it and wait it out first. Komen has to stay true to what it does, [which is] help to build a sisterhood, continue to create awareness and help those who need to get preventative [care].” Some sponsors may have time to think it over; Breast Cancer Awareness Month is October.
General Mills, which is one of the marketers most publicly allied with Komen via its Yoplait brand, said: “We are committed to the fight against breast cancer, and we will continue to partner with organizations that will have the greatest impact in that fight.” And Pepperidge Farm told Ad Age that it “concluded its sponsorship of Susan G. Komen for the Cure at the end of 2011 for business reasons.” Related or not, that timing coincided with when Komen told Planned Parenthood of its decision.
Komen declined to comment. But an executive close to the charity said that former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, who had previously been brought in by Komen as an advisor, initially helmed the communications effort. Ogilvy, Komen’s corporate and issues firm on retainer, was asked to take over that role Feb. 3.
“It’s surprising that such an established organization didn’t take a pulse check on different stakeholders,” said Tara Greco, senior VP-corporate responsibility at APCO, a public-affairs firm.
“Did they not learn, especially at the highest level, about the power of social and of their own community?” asked Ms. Cone, citing the outcry over its earlier gaffe of painting pink ribbons on buckets of KFC.
All that said, it’s likely the brand will be forgiven. “There’s still awareness to be made and funding for search and access to services that are critically needed,” Ms. Cone said. “I don’t think [Komen] will go away.”
I have seen this a few times, obviously the trend kicked off with Barcelona, and I have seen it a few times in the UK. O2 did it last year for Headstrong last year, the charity logo appeared on the Shannon Rugby jersey.
I really like this link between Sponsorship and charity. I think charity often sits in the wrong place within organisations so it is great to see if as part of the marketing mix. Vodafone are going to put the SOS (suicide or survive) logo on the Dublin GAA jerseys for the two games in the Spring Series football leaguegame against Kerry and hurling league meeting with Galway.
As well as using the jersey space Vodafone are going to ask people to text donate ‘SOS’ to 50300 and give 2euros to the charity. They say all the proceeds will go to the cause, not sure what that means in terms of costs?
Im sure this wasnt easy to pull off, as Vodafone had to talk to the GAA and Dublin county board to get them on board and those things aren’t always as easy as they seem. I know that organisations sponsor teams for a reason and logos on jerseys don’t come cheap, so Vodafone should be applauded for the move.
This works for everyone, Vodafone, the GAA and the Dublin team get to align themselves to a good cause doing great work. The payback is they get kudos and lots of PR out of it. Im sure jersey sponsors may suffer from logo blindness in a way, so its another nice way to activate the sponsorship and remind people of Vodafones involvement.
What are your thoughts?
The Fundraising Ireland conference gets better each year. The line up this year includes speakers like:
There will be usual evening before masterclasses. A day that is really worth attending for everyone involved in the not for profit sector, directly or indirectly.
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