Question

Topic: Strategy

Effective Charity Tagline Focus

Posted by Anonymous on 7/11/2011 at 12:45 PM ET 250 Points
Thank you in advance for your time and help. I'm an MBA student with a specialization in marketing. I volunteer promotional design help to a non-profit. The nonprofit is launching its second year of its successful duck race fundraiser; half of the money goes to help another non-profit, a homeless shelter (internationally-studied) that transforms the homeless into contributing citizens as opposed to just providing meals and necessities and sending them back on the streets. Last year's tagline on the promotional posters was "Adopt a Duck, Provide Hope to the Homeless". This year, the non-profit wants to change it to: "Adopt a Duck, $5 can win you a BRAND NEW CAR". I just feel that, in a way, this cheapens the fundamental purpose of the fundraiser. I understand and somewhat agree with the thinking that they're trying to appeal to "lottery players", but it stills feels like this change would remove meaningful focus from the actual purpose of the fundraiser. My question is, can anyone help me with proven examples or research of which focus resonates more with the end-users, a prize-focus or a cause-focus? Please let me know if I need to supply additional background information. Thank you again.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 7/11/2011 at 4:06 PM Accepted
    I applaud your asking a question like this. It shows you're thinking about the long-term positioning and not just following a short-term [potential] payoff.

    That said, if "$5 can win you a brand new car" will generate a lot more money to help more folks, maybe it's not so terrible. The question might really be, "Which approach is likely to be more valuable to the non-profit organization both short-term and long-term."

    This is an easily tested hypothesis. You can create two different ads and conduct a simple A/B test using Google Adwords. You'll soon know whether there's a short-term difference and, if so, whether it's a big enough difference in the right direction to be worth risking a long-term deterioration in the organization's image.

    If you structure the test right, you can probably get the answer in just a few days. Then apply the learning to the decision for this year's duck race.

    Good luck with this.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 7/11/2011 at 4:27 PM Accepted
    Michael's split test is a great measurable solution.
    It also depends on your goal: awareness of the nonprofit, the community connection, or fundraising. And perhaps there's a way to have it all - using cause marketing to strengthen the messages (depending on the "brand new car" sponsor).
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 7/12/2011 at 1:19 AM Accepted
    As a tagline it is booooorrrrring. The only good thing I can say about it --is it's accurate. $5 to win a car-- how will that stick in my head over all the other raffles any other charity is doing?

    Add something to make it more memorable. Maybe a play on "Lucky Duck" -- $5 got him a new family, his family a new car and other families a new outlook (or hope or??) (I repeated the word family on purpose)

    Then you have accomplished both. You've told people the benefit of $5, its not cheapening the message and it's a lot more memorable than "$5 for a car raffle " It gives you something you can really play with-- and carry forward in years to come.

  • Posted on 7/14/2011 at 3:23 PM Author
    I want to thank everyone for their time and help. I am working with a few ideas for taglines that will incorporate both both the profit marketing and cause marketing aspects. I appreciate and respect your input. Thanks Michael for altering me to the uses of the A/B test. This will prove useful for me in the future. Anne
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