Stop and think about going mobile
Mobile is hot right now.
It’s not exactly breaking news, we know. But just in case you haven’t considered integrating mobile into your communications strategies, here’s some recent facts and figures that might make you stop and think.
It’s everywhere you want to be: Apologies to Visa, but thanks to GPS technology, consumers’ favorite brands are literally everywhere they want to be. Mobile apps with geo-targeting technology allow consumers to interact with their favorite brands from anywhere in the world, whether it’s finding the nearest store or checking in at a local hot spot. In fact, companies will spend close to $4 billion on location-based mobile technologies by 2015.
It’s one-stop shopping: It’s not all ringtones and horoscopes. Consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with using their mobile phones to make non phone-related purchases, too. Ten percent of Americans use their phones to receive coupons and discounts or buy goods and services. The numbers go up for smartphone users. Half of iPhone and BlackBerry owners use their phones for mobile commerce.
It’s better than sex: Is that text message really that important? Apparently it is. According to the Retrevo Gadgetology study, one-in-10 Internet users under the age of 25 claims he or she would answer a text message during sex. One-in-four would even do so while using the restroom. When you gotta text, you gotta text.
It’s memorable: Mobile may be the third screen, but it certainly doesn’t finish last when it comes to advertising recall. Research firm Insight Express found mobile ads to be more effective than online ads in consumer ad awareness and message association. And, not only did consumers remember mobile ads, it turns out mobile ads are more likely than online ads to lead to greater purchase intent and brand favorability.
It’s a nonprofit money-maker: In the wake of January’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, the American Red Cross raised $32 million through its text-to-give campaign – the most successful mobile philanthropy effort of all time. If there is anything good that can come out of the disaster, it’s that Americans have found a new means of donating to important causes. Almost one-in-five are more likely to text donations to their favorite nonprofits after hearing about Haiti's mobile fundraising success and 19 percent would prefer texting to alternative donation methods.
Tags: nonprofit advertising mobile research
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Traditional brand marketing makes the cause stand out
Where would Susan G. Komen For the Cure be without the month of October or a pink ribbon? Where would Livestrong be without Lance Armstrong and a yellow bracelet? When it comes to branding, it turns out nonprofits and for-profits aren’t so different – at least in the eyes of the consumer. Whether the dollar goes to the beneficiary or the bottom line, a recognizable brand image is a powerful tool in a marketer’s tool kit.
Our 2009 Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 demonstrated that nonprofits who take a for-profit approach to brand management can reap the benefits of additional awareness and increased revenue. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that six of the top 10 nonprofit brands were also top 10 revenue earners. And, our latest research proves nonprofits can use the same principles of branding their own organizations to brand their causes, too. According to our recently released 2010 Cone Nonprofit Marketing Trend Tracker, traditional marketing elements, such as an association with a special event or time period, a memorable color, logo or icon or the involvement of a celebrity or other notable spokesperson, help nonprofit causes stand out in the minds of American consumers.
What else can nonprofits do to ensure their causes break through? Check out our sister blog, “What Do You Stand For?” for more insights. In the meantime, we want to hear from you. What are your favorite examples of a nonprofit that has done a good job branding its cause? What were the marketing factors that left an impression?
Tags: celebrity bestpractices research branding cone nonprofitpowerbrand100 nonprofit cause marketing
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Do you know your girls?
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and every year shelves turn pink to remind us that one-in-eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer within her lifetime. Even though there are still no cures for this disease, there’s a lot we can do to help further the cause.
Raising awareness about early detection is key to conquering breast cancer. What is so important for women to understand is that when breast cancer is caught early (stage 0-1), the five-year relative survival rate is 98 percent. Different campaigns emerge every year encouraging women and men to take control of their breast health through early detection. Our client Yoplait’s Know Your Girls is one that truly captures our attention. It speaks to young women, who don’t know about breast cancer or think it’s not an issue for them. Unfortunately, statistics reveal that thousands of young women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the next year. Know Your Girls is a way to make young women aware they can, and do, get breast cancer and provide tools to help them educate themselves and their friends.
This fun, female-focused campaign asks young women to pledge to get to know their bodies by getting to know their "girls,"or breasts.For every pledge received by October 31, 2009, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $100,000. Money will go to breast cancer research specifically related to young women. The campaign is all Facebook-based – and it has almost 40,000 fans, proving that young women do care about breast cancer and are committed to doing something about it.
Knowing the appeal celebrities have among young women, Yoplait also worked with Audrina Patridge, from MTV’s “The Hills,” to promote the campaign with a one-of-a-kind Know Your Girls T-shirt. Audrina’s photo has appeared on TMZ.con, Perezhilton.com and OK! Magazine Online, helping spread the word about the importance of early detection.
If you do one thing this October, make sure you get to know your “girls.” Not all breasts are the same – you need to know what is normal for you.
-- Irma Koopersmith, Senior Account Supervisor
Tags: Facebook nonprofit celebrity cause clients campaigns
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Know Your Girls
Over the past 11 years our Yoplait client has donated more than $22 million to the breast cancer cause through programs such as Save Lids to Save Lives, and today launched a targeted campaign designed to raise awareness for Gen Y women. Many people are unaware that young women are also affected by breast cancer. Five percent of diagnoses in the United States occur in women under age 40. The new initiative is called Know Your Girls, aimed at encouraging these women to understand what is “normal” for their own breasts, or their “girls,” and recognize important changes.
By visiting Facebook.com/YoplaitPledge, young women can pledge to take an active role in their breast health. Take the pledge yourself or simply help spread the word by encouraging your friends and family to sign up. For every pledge received by October 31, 2009, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $100,000. Money raised through Know Your Girls will help fund a new research study led by breast cancer survivor and researcher, Dr. Kristi Egland.
Tags: socialmedia cause clients nonprofit
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Covert Cause: Keeping cause promotions secret
I recently stopped by a local sporting goods chain, which shall remain nameless, to shop for some workout clothes. While wandering around the store, I saw a sign on top of a T-shirt display advertising a cause promotion. “Buy any recycled T-shirt and $2 will be donated to the Charles River Conservatory,” a Massachusetts nonprofit advocacy group that is involved in the renewal and restoration of the Charles River Parklands.
My interest piqued, I quickly selected three shirts and headed for the checkout. To be sure I selected the right items, I asked the cashier if my Ts qualified for the donation. She gave me a blank look, and said, “Uh, I don’t know.” Despite my annoyance, I purchased the shirts anyway, but as soon as I got back to my computer I visited the store’s Web site for more information about the promotion. (What can I say? I work at Cone. I care about causes.) There was nothing on the homepage, nothing on the “Our History” page and nothing on the “Press” page. Only after I searched for the specific item did I see a small-print mention about the $2 donation.
A cause promotion activated at retail can provide a sales lift and traffic boost, but only if it’s done right. Companies, if you’re going to invest in a cause, you must also invest in the cause marketing. After all, what’s the point of a cause promotion if no one knows about it? A program that’s this hidden may even be detrimental, giving your consumers the impression it’s an inauthentic, one-off promotion that you don’t care about. Marketing, on the other hand, leads to increased foot traffic and sales, which lead to more money for the nonprofit, which lead to greater social and bottom-line benefits. Don’t worry that your customers will think poorly of your marketing efforts; 85 percent find it acceptable for companies to involve a cause or issue in their marketing.
But, marketing is more than a small advertising display and a buried mention on the Web site. It involves advertising, media relations and especially engaging your employees. Employees should be your biggest advocates. If they are unaware of the program or aren’t involved, they can’t help you promote and execute it. Help motivate employees by creating store-level incentives to locations that collect the most donations or sell the most products associated with your cause. Create toolkits and message guides so they know how to speak to the program and answer customers’ questions. Employees are your ambassadors, and you need to rally them around the program and the cause to drive results.
You can bet the next time I visit said sporting goods store, I’m going to ask about the promotion. So you better be ready for me.
For more tips on how to properly activate a cause promotion at retail, visit our Web site to read director Marc Berliner’s article, “Cash-Register Cause.”
-- Andrea List, Insights Associate
Tags: bestpractices promotion cause nonprofit
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The Re-branding of Science
It’s been said that in a down economy, the need to innovate is more important than ever. But, how do we engage the next generation of innovators and empower them to follow their passion in science and technology? How do we “re-brand” and transform education into a “cool” experience – particularly in science, math and technology, the foundation of innovation and invention?
Science education is evolving from science fairs and test tubes bubbling with chemicals to real-world problem solving with a greater purpose. Teens are increasingly inspired by the sentiment of improving society through invention and discovery.
There are a number of organizations dedicated to supporting this new outlook and re-branding science through engagement with teens. One such organization is the Lemelson-MIT Program, focused on changing the perception of science and invention and the old stereotypes of the mad scientist, encouraging kids to explore their interests in these areas and make science fun.
Through Cone’s work with the Lemelson-MIT Program, we’re witnessing a promising perception shift first-hand. This year’s annual Invention Index survey found that only five percent of teens described scientists as “nerdy.” More than half described men and women in the sciences as “intelligent.” Further, we found that teens are driven by altruism and a desire to improve society and our environment. Yet, they still need the encouragement of mentors and role models in related fields to further instill change—that’s where the Lemelson-MIT Program strives to make a difference.
As Laura Vanderkam of Scientific American explains, "If people don’t think of scientists as working alone, locked in their tower, but as eco-heroes saving the planet, that’s a lot more exciting."
-- Chrissy Redmond, Account Supervisor
Witness the inspiring next generation of innovators in action next month at Eureka Fest.
Tags: branding clients nonprofit
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