filter by tag: bestpractices

February 24, 2011 at 8:57 AM by Sarah Kerkian

Cone launched its new agency speaker series last week with a presentation by filmmaker and activist Socheata Poeuv whose award-winning documentary, “New Year Baby,” resonated deeply with many of our staff.  New Year Baby, a film about the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, begins with a stunning revelation about Poeuv’s family, survivors of the genocide, and takes us through a highly personal and poignant story as she visits Cambodia to learn more about her parents’ past. 


When Poeuv spoke to us after the screening, she focused less on the plot of the movie and her animated family and more on the storytelling techniques she employed, which made for a riveting film that both educated and inspired its viewers.  A few of the lessons she shared struck me as universal truths for any cause-related video, whether a 30-second spot or a full-length documentary:

1. Showcase the “at stake.” This is the heavy, consequential implication of the issue you are facing.  It may innately be personal – in Poeuv’s case, the role of the Khmer Rouge in redrawing her family tree – but it should be told in a way that’s universal, to ensure it resonates with every viewer.
   
   
2. Ensure an ebb and flow of tension and relief. A moment of humor or a change in perspective is a courtesy to viewers to make sure they don’t drown in the heavy moments of your video. The issues at stake are grave, but the seriousness of the message won’t necessarily be lost with a moment of levity.  In fact, audiences need, and often respond to, lighthearted moments, too.  Releasing built-up tension can help your audience better absorb the gravity of the situation without being overwhelmed.
   
   
3. Provide a resolution. In “New Year Baby,” the resolution was Poeuv and her family’s return to their home in the United States. It signaled they learned something deeply unsettling about the past, but still have hope for the future. No matter the issue, what a critical, uplifting and persuasive message to leave with an audience:  there is hope for the future, and by the way, here’s how you can get involved.

Has your organization told a compelling story about your cause using video? Consider entering it into the DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards taking place now on YouTube.


- Sarah Kerkian, Insights Supervisor, @sarahkerkian



Tags: cone causebranding children parents bestpractices activism global entertainment

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July 2, 2010 at 11:38 AM by Research & Insights

• 1 jacket = 11 minutes of career counseling
• 1 working computer = 8.1 hours of on-the-job training

No, social math such as this won’t be found on the SATs, but you can find the answers to several social-impact conversions by using Goodwill’s (Cone client) Donation Impact Calculator. The online tool is part of Goodwill’s Donate Movement and is designed to help users better understand the positive effects of their good deeds by calculating the real-world impact donations have on people within local communities. The movement, which launched this week, “aims to increase conscious donating by raising consumer awareness of the power their donated goods can have in strengthening their communities.”
Goodwill, which appeared as a leading nonprofit in the The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100, has put several success factors into play with the new campaign. Here are a few best practices the campaign demonstrates, which others can look to for inspiration:

Demonstrate Tangible Impact: By using social math, the Donation Impact Calculator makes it easy for donors to understand the social impact of their donations. The site also keeps a running tally of how many pounds of usable goods Goodwill has diverted from landfills for the year (note: at the time of this post, the tally was at nearly 1 billion pounds).

Align with Meaningful Partners: Levi Strauss & Co. launched “A Care Tag for Our Planet” in partnership with Goodwill, which includes messaging on product care tags encouraging people to wash their clothes in cold water, line dry and donate to Goodwill. In addition, Goodwill partnered with Lorie Marrero, best-selling author of The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life, to show people that cleaning out their closets and donating is one way to live simply, live green and have community impact.

Provide A Visual Cue: Goodwill drew inspiration from the iconic recycle triangle-and-arrows symbol in creating its “D” for Donate logo. Soon to appear on everyday products, it serves as a universal reminder to “recycle” through responsible donation, helping provide opportunities for others while diverting usable items from landfills.

Activate Consumers: Goodwill is encouraging donors to flaunt badges of honor for their good deeds by providing Donate flair for Facebook, Twitter and personal blogs – showing their networks that they support donating responsibly and making an impact on the community and the environment.

Issue a Rallying Cry: The campaign issued The Donate Challenge, encouraging people to visit the site, use the calculator and learn more about how to donate with purpose. The effort looks to educate and inspire people and shift their perceptions about the effects their contributions can have within local communities and on the environment.

Goodwill is already a household name for many Americans. Through its creative use of online tools and strategic partnerships, the nonprofit is sure to help re-energize support for donating and ensure it will stay a household name for generations to come.


This week, Cone is pleased to announce the formal launch of its Nonprofit Marketing discipline, with services designed to help nonprofit organizations strengthen their brands and raise funds. This is Cone’s fifth discipline; the agency also helps organizations build trusted brands through the execution of Cause Branding, Brand Marketing, Corporate Responsibility and Crisis Prevention and Management. For more information, visit www.coneinc.com/nonprofit-marketing.



Tags: nonprofitcausebranding corporatepartnerships campaigns newmedia bestpractices nonprofitpowerbrand100

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June 11, 2010 at 1:25 PM by Research & Insights

Is the sustainability message sustainable? This is the question posed for a session Cone will lead today for The Conference Board, and as many of us in this space know, the answer is an unabashed “yes.” For those still unconvinced, here are a few supporting points:

• Investment in CR Steady: 86 percent of companies say investments in green products and green product development will be the same or higher in 2010 than 2009. (GreenBiz.com)

• Consumer Expectations Remain High: 85 percent said their expectations of companies to make and sell environmentally responsible products and services during the economic downturn was the same or higher. (Cone)

• Reporting on the Rise: Nearly 40 percent of firms on the Standard & Poor’s 500 index filed non-financial reports last year, a one-third jump over 2008. (Corporate Register)

• Experts Agree Sustainability Works: 88 percent of global thought leaders agree that improving sustainability performance improves overall brand image. (GlobeScan)

There are many telling examples that showcase how sustainability is not just holding steady, but actually gaining steam, but yesterday’s Environmental Leader highlighted a particularly compelling case. U.K.-based Marks & Spencer launched Plan A in 2007, with 100 sustainability-focused commitments to achieve in 5 years. The program has effectively weathered the economic turmoil to stay on point to meet its 2012 goal. In fact, the company has achieved 62 of its original targets and is slated to achieve all except seven by 2010 – two years ahead of its original schedule.



The company this year ALSO added 80 new or extended commitments with a goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015. The icing on the sustainability cake is that not only is the company meeting or exceeding its original goals, Plan A became cost positive in 2009. This year, Plan A generated a $73 million dollar profit that was reinvested in the company. And if there's one thing that makes a corporate initiative sustainable, it's a financial return.
 
See Marks & Spencer’s “How We Do Business Report 2010” for complete details about its commitments, including candid stakeholder feedback about the activities – and, yes, responses from the company on how it’s addressing these concerns.


Tags: corporateresponsibility cone economy sustainability conferences bestpractices campaigns research

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June 4, 2010 at 1:28 PM by Research & Insights

Consumers demand it. Cause marketers extol it. Yet some of even the best-known programs fail to live up to it. It’s time to fess up- lack of transparency is the cause marketing industry’s dirty little secret.

 

It is by no means a new issue, but it’s coming to a head as cause programs multiply in the marketplace and consumers and the media expect answers (fewer than half of consumers think companies and nonprofitsare providing enough details about their partnerships). For this reason, transparency in cause marketing was the focus of a keynote presentation Cone’s Chief Reputation Officer, Mike Lawrence, shared yesterday at the Cause Marketing Forum in Chicago. The landscape is replete with state commercial co-venture regulations and advertising disclosure laws, but these can vary by location and are rarely enforced. To better navigate this tricky terrain, Mike suggested marketers, nonprofits and agencies should remember to think like a consumer and ask a simple question to ensure clarity in their cause marketing promotions: “What is supposed to happen when I buy this – and how do I know it did?”

 

 

Language such as “proud supporter of” (Does this insinuate a flat donation? Does the consumer still believe his or her purchase will contribute to this donation?) or “X percent of gross profits” (Will any consumer know what this translates to?) leaves much room for misinterpretation. Instead, strive to provide the program details up front (Who does this benefit? How much of my individual purchase will go to the cause? How long does the program run?) and confirm the total investment in the issue over time so consumers are confident their participation made a difference.

“What is supposed to happen when I buy this – and how do I know it did?” It’s a seemingly simple question – but are you asking it?

Tags: campaigns transparency bestpractices causemarketing causepromotions

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