Newsletter: Why You Should Include Pets in Your Nonprofit Marketing🐱; T-Mobile, Burlington Team Up to Pay Off Holiday Layaways 😇 ; 2021 Has Not Been a Good Year for Corporate Giving 📉
Last week it was the secret formula for storytelling success according to Marvel Comics. This week it's why you should use pets in your nonprofit marketing.🤷♂️
I'm not sure why, but a publisher recently sent me a new book called Pet Nation: The Inside Story of How Companion Animals are Transforming Our Homes, Culture, and Economy. It's a fascinating read. The overall message is that pets are more beloved and more omnipresent in our lives than just about any other time in history.
I know this is true for me. I absolutely love my dog Charlie.❤️🐶
I have a wife and two kids, but my phone screensaver - and my wife's! - is a picture of Charlie. 🥰
It's not surprising that Charlie is my screensaver. If you looked through my camera roll it's all pictures of him (and plants, of course)!
I just gave away Charlie's Christmas stocking....so I could buy him a bigger one!
Folks, I'm not alone on this. People go gaga over their pets. Maybe you're one of these people. And even if you're not, I bet a lot of your nonprofit's supporters are. The point is that if persuasion occurs with identification - which I believe it does - you can build a stronger connection with donors by featuring pets in your marketing.
I'm advising this REGARDLESS OF WHAT TYPE OF NONPROFIT YOU ARE. As a matter of fact, the more "brainy" your nonprofit is the more need there probably is to build a human dog connection with your supporters.
Here are a few ideas:
Talk about your pets in your weekly newsletter and share pictures. Build a connection with people based on your ❤️of animals.
On the staff section of your website, don't just use boring headshots. Take pictures of your staff with their pets!
Invite donors to bring their pets to your office, or encourage supporters to bring them to your pet-friendly events.
The bottom-line is that this new book confirms what a lot of marketers have practiced for some time: Including pets in anything - regardless of context or purpose - ALMOST ALWAYS leads to higher stakeholder engagement. Period.
Frankly, I could talk about pet marketing all day. But I have things to do! I need to iron Charlie's Christmas party outfit. It's getting cold and I need to find his Patagonia winter coat. And I really need to get busy and join the ten million other dog owners in this country who have created Instagram accounts for their dogs!
✍️ Partnership Notes
1. According to one study, 2021 has not been a good year for corporate giving.
2. As trade shows come back, there is an opportunity for cause marketing.
3. The NFL's My Cleats My Cause is back. What cause is your team wearing? Find out here. Patriots Quarterback Mac Jones is wearing cleats for Boston's Children's Hospital. Next week all of the cleats will be available to buy through NFL Auction with all proceeds going to the respective non-profits.
4. T-Mobile, Burlington Stores team up with nonprofit Pay Away the Layaway for a robust cause marketing program that has a nice employment component to it.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
1. One more plug for pet-related content. UPS has an Instagram account called UPS Dogs that has 677,000 followers.😳
2. Marketing helps nonprofits reach people and raise more money. Why do grant makers refuse to fund it? My answer: They mistakenly view marketing as a cost instead of an investment.
3. Want to build a strong connection with supporters? Build a digital campfire 🏕🔥that you can all gather around.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
1. Corporate Relations Director, The Salvation Army, Phoenix
2. Director of Corporate Community Engagement, March of Dimes Foundation, Remote
3. Corporate Alliances Manager, Make-A-Wish, Remote
4. Director, Enterprise Client Services, EVERFI, Washington, DC or Remote
5. Manager, Corporate Partnerships, ALS Association, Arlington, VA
Do you have a partnership position you are trying to fill? Hit reply and share the job posting with me! I'm happy to post it here for FREE.
🧠🍌 Brain Food
1. Why malls and retailers still believe in Santa. It's about returning to normalcy and in-person experiences. How can your nonprofit feed donor desire for normalcy and human connection?
2. Five reasons why donor generosity is still so high after nearly two years of Covid-19. #1: People saved a lot when they were at home.
3. What would you choose for Christmas? A beer infused gingerbread house that looks like a dive bar OR a stay in the Grinch’s very own Mt. Crumpit Cave.🤔💭Tough one, right?
