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Marketing Giving

11/29/2019

34 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday . . . the biggest shopping season of the year can excite even the most apathetic shopper.  Some, however, would have us believe that we should do something different with our money, instead of buying things for ourselves or others.  But, isn’t shopping a key to holiday happiness?
 
Over the last few years, you’ve probably heard of an initiative that seems contrary to the capitalism often associated with holiday shopping.  In contrast to the plethora of promotion persuading us to buy more, “GivingTuesday” boldly encourages people to give to others.  The day targeted for philanthropy is typically the Tuesday after Thanksgiving; this year it’s December 3.
 
GivingTuesday’s website describes the initiative, which began in 2012, as “a global generosity movement” that “inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity,” “unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”
 
Those are admirable and far-reaching claims, but is it really possible to market giving?
 
For many people, marketing is inextricably linked to buying and selling products, so much so that ‘marketing giving’ seems like an oxymoron, along the lines of jumbo shrimp and civil war.  If people give their money, they’re not spending it, which may seem antithetical to marketing.
 
However, marketing concepts can be applied to virtually any endeavor.  Besides marketing physical goods, like food, and intangible services, like haircuts, organizations and individuals can market ideas like “Don’t drink and drive” and mindsets like “Do well in school.”
 
So, there’s no reason that giving can’t be marketed, but effective marketing must include more than just a simple message like “give!”  Most of us have seen similar appeals in social media and elsewhere.  GivingTuesday, however, has created what many would consider to be a full-fledged marketing plan, incorporating each of the iconic Four Ps:

- Product: Unlike receiving something tangible in return when one shops, GivingTuesday promises intrinsic rewards like satisfaction from providing greater dignity and opportunity for others and helping to build “a more just and generous world.”

- Price:  The cost of GivingTuesday is up to the organization and individual.  While some might give millions, the average online gift is $105.55, but money isn’t the only thing that can be given.  Participants also can donate goods or volunteer their time to serve others.

- Place:  As the previous P implied, GivingTuesday can occur virtually anywhere in the physical world or in the virtual realm in a variety of ways.  Meanwhile, having a specific date, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, helps build consistency, as well as create some sense of urgency, which is often needed in order to encourage consumers to act.

- Promotion: “GivingTuesday” is a memorable moniker that likely builds brand recognition and supports understanding of the initiative through paid and earned media.  GivingTuesday’s website also offers a variety of helpful resources for organizations and individuals inclined to participate, e.g., “Ideas and Case Studies” and a “GivingTuesday Toolkit.”
 

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Those are strong inputs, but what matters ultimately for marketing are outcomes, and
at least one person believes GivingTuesday isn’t effective for many organizations.
 
In an article in the Fundraising Authority, Joe Garecht praises GivingTuesday as “a noble effort,” yet he discourages nonprofits from participating in the initiative, particularly small and mid-sized ones.  His rationale includes reasons such as an overabundance of organizations asking for gifts at the same time and the encouragement of one-time “spot giving” versus building long-term donor relationships.
 
Garecht raises some valid concerns, particularly related to potential return on investment; however, if his two arguments mentioned above were applied to organizations marketing traditional products, companies wouldn’t participate in the holiday shopping season because: 1) their promotions would be lost among those of other companies advertising at the same time, and 2) first-time transactions wouldn’t lead to future purchases.  Clearly that rationale doesn’t apply to most for-profit firms during the holidays, and it probably isn’t relevant for many nonprofits either.
 
Instead, GivingTuesday appears to be an initiative that keeps gaining momentum.  Among nonprofit participants  who seem to find the program productive are World Vision, the American Red Cross, and St. Jude.  All together, GivingTuesday saw 3.6 million gifts given in 2018, including $400 million online.  In the U.S. alone, GivingTuesday has raised over $1 billion since 2012.
 
In his 1789 sermon titled “The Use of Money,” English cleric and theologian John Wesley famously urged listeners to “earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.”  In a 21st century sense, Wesley was ‘marketing’ giving.  Marketers today have many more tools at their disposal, yet any tactics that encourage organizations or individuals to give of their money or time to help others in need can be considered “Mindful Marketing.”


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Pay to Pray

11/16/2019

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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

“The best things in life are free,” for instance, an evening with family, a walk on a sunny morning, a conversation with a friend.  For many people, going to God is another 'free'dom they cherish.  Why, then, does one religion appear to be putting a paywall between its people and God?
 
The Catholic Church recently surprised many of its parishioners and others by introducing an eRosary, “a wearable device connected to a mobile app that's activated by making the sign of the cross.”  While paying homage to traditional rosary bracelets, the new product’s black agate and hematite beads, paired with a “carefully finished” gunmetal-color cross, make the modern version appear very ‘apple-esque.’
 
Many have heard of people praying with rosary beads, but if you’re not familiar with Catholicism, here’s a quick primer.  The Holy Rosary, or Dominican Rosary, is a very important prayer for Catholics that is arranged in sets of prayers called decades.  Holding a rosary bracelet or chain in one’s hand and feeling each individual bead helps followers recite the prayer’s Hail Marys and other specific petitions in the proper sequence.
 
The Rosary is a central part of many Catholics’ spiritual lives, as praying it guards against trials and temptations and serves as a buffer against all types of evil.  Pope John Paul II declared that the Rosary was “among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation.”
 
The Vatican’s eRosary offers much more functionality than just feeling beads with one’s fingers.  Working with an app, the digitally-designed bracelet lets users choose the specific rosary they would like to recite (e.g., standard or thematic), then charts the devotee’s prayer progress and tracks completion with “the guide of special audiovisual contents.”
 
The Vatican suggests the device serves as “a meeting point between technology and spirituality” that “unites daily life and prayer,” helps one “pray deeply,” and unites people around the challenges that confront humanity and the mission of the Church.
 

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The eRosary also touches the physical realm, acting as a “personal health assistant” by recording fitness data and providing wellness information.  In doing so, the device encourages people to live healthier lives.
 
However, wearable technology can’t just do things; it also needs to look good on those wearing it.  Fortunately, the eRosary marries form and function.  The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network suggests that the device lies where “simplicity meets elegance” thanks to its stylish black and silver colors and its “simple lines and curves.”
 
So, why is the Vatican marketing a ‘faith-based fashionable Fitbit’?  Engadget suggests the Catholic Church is “hoping to attract tech-savvy youngsters.” It’s true that Gen Zs increasing expect digitally connected experiences.  Also, any organization that wants to stay in existence must remain relevant to the next generation of ‘consumers.’    

Still, we’re talking about the Church and faith.  Doesn’t technology distract from meaningful spiritual experiences?  Or, perhaps even more important, is it right for the Catholic Church, which has about 1.28 billion adherents, many in countries with low per capita income, to sell a product that costs 99€ (about $110) on Amazon?
 
First, it’s helpful to remember that technology influencing faith isn’t just a recent phenomenon; it’s interface dates back as least many hundreds of years.  In 1452, Johannes Gutenberg printed 180 copies of the now famous Gutenberg Bible. In many ways, the use of moveable type technology to mass print the Bible and other religious books democratized Christianity and formed the foundation for a revolution in the Church.

Over the years, other new technologies also have impacted people’s spiritual lives in, often in positive ways.  For instance, radio and television have allowed people to share religious information with others thousands of miles away.  Advances in construction have enabled the building of larger and more functional places of worship.  And, automobiles are what many people use to travel to those worship centers.
 
However, when one arrives at a church, synagogue, or mosque, there’s usually not a fee at the door.  The notion is that religion should be free to all.  ‘Growing closer to God shouldn’t be based on one’s ability to pay.’
 
Fortunately, there’s nothing to stop even the poorest person from offering prayers of petition and gratitude to the Divine.  And, if people are mobile, they might walk or share a ride with other believers to a place of worship where they can venerate God and learn together for free.
 
Some religions also make copies of their key texts available to others for free.  For instance, Wycliffe Bible Translators, a nonprofit mission organization, has translated the Bible into hundreds of different languages since its founding in 1942.  Likewise, the Gideons International gives away thousands of Bibles a year in most of the world’s countries.
 
Then, how do eRosaries, iPhones with Bible apps, and other faith-related merchandise fit with the notion that religion should be free?  All of the items that cost money to aid reverence are optional.  They may be helpful to those who can afford them, but they’re not essential for a relationship with God.
 
A useful metaphor might be a social medium like LinkedIn.  Some people who have needs for more advanced features pay for LinkedIn Premium.  In contrast, for many years I’ve used the free version of the platform, which meets all of my professional networking needs and more.  Just as I’m not precluded from enjoying LinkedIn because I don’t pay, people who don’t buy eRosaries or similar religious products are not prevented from relationships with God.
 
It is possible to live without digital devices.  Also, sometimes when we have them, we let them get in the way of fruitful living.  Used properly, however, it’s not hard to see how technology can benefit religious practice, much as it enhances other areas of life.  It’s great to be able to share prayer requests via email, send text messages of encouragement to others, study the Bible on an iPad, and listen to podcasts of sermons online.
 
Because I’m not Catholic, I’ve never experienced confirmation, gone to confession, or prayed the Rosary.  It appears, though, that an eRosary can help those participating in one of Catholicism’s central religious practices.  For people of faith, digital devices that enrich their spiritual lives and bring them into closer relationship with God and others, seem to be “Mindful Marketing.”


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Promotion in Disguise?

11/3/2019

35 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

Halloween was here and gone, but its effects live on.  For kids, that may mean ongoing sugar rushes from a huge candy haul.  For adults, it could be as serious as a DUI arrest after too much partying.  However, one company you probably wouldn’t expect, stepped in to deter Halloween-related drunkenness.
 
It may come as a shock that the “King of Beers” created a unique Halloween-themed advertising campaign to discourage drinking.  Budweiser, flagship brand of the iconic American beer company Anheuser-Busch, which is now a subsidiary of Belgium-based ABInBev, used the marketing firm David-Miami to develop some edgy Halloween-inspired ads to decrease drinking.
 
Budweiser’s promotion featured photos of several real people wearing Halloween costumes and funny looks on their faces.  While there’s nothing unusual about pictures like that, especially around Halloween, what made these shots different was that they were mugshots.  One of the photos, for instance, had a woman in a cat costume with black and white face-paint.  Below her was the caption “Don’t let Halloween haunt you forever,” the Budweiser logo, and the tagline “Drink Wiser.”
 
In many ways, what Budweiser did was great.  While alcohol is an important part of many people’s lives when socializing and celebrating, it’s also an addictive substance that when used in excess can wreak havoc on those using it and those who cross paths with them (e.g., physical and verbal abuse, drunk driving).  Some call alcohol a drug and describe its use in the U.S. as an epidemic.
 
Still, it’s reasonable to ask the question:  Does a company whose livelihood depends on beer sales really want people to drink less?  There just aren’t many examples of organizations trying to decrease demand for their own products.  The only two I can think of off-the-top are power companies asking residents to use less electricity during peak consumption times and casinos providing 800 numbers for those with gambling problems.  I’m not sure the second example even qualifies.
 
Budweiser does, however, have a history of prodding people to ‘drink responsibly.’ Over 100 years ago, the company used the tagline “Budweiser Means Moderation,” and about 35 years ago the firm’s ads challenged consumers to “Know When to Say When.”  The current “Drink Wiser” campaign, which kicked-off last year, urges customers to “hydrate between Buds.”  Also, beers bought in certain locations between October 21 and November 1 on Drizly entitled drinkers to a $5 Lyft gift card “for a safe ride home.”
 
So, Budweiser has taken some steps to mitigate overindulgence, but do these measures really make a difference?  In a 2008 study, Atkin, McCardle, and Newell found that consumers tended to perceive alcohol moderation advertisements as ambiguous and self-serving.  Jones, Hall, and Kypril’s 2017 research produced similar findings:  Consumers had difficulty interpreting many of the alcohol industry’s moderation messages.
 
The results of these studies and similar ones don’t bode well for alcohol moderation messages overall, but perhaps Budweiser’s “Drink Wiser” Halloween photo campaign was an exception.  In lieu of research specific to the campaign, it may be helpful to dissect the ads and predict consumers’ likely response.  So, here’s this marketer’s assessment of the campaign using communication's well-known AIDA model (attention, interest, desire, action):


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  • The ads’ colorful and unusual photos of costumed people, probably grabbed viewers’ attention.
  • The curious-looking pictures likely also kept viewers’ interest, as they wondered why the bizarre subjects were posing for the camera and what they had to do with Budweiser, whose large logo was prominently displayed with the ad copy, i.e., more than just a small tag at the bottom.
  • The use of a humor appeal probably impacted viewer’s interpretations of the ads and ultimately their desire to accept the ads’ supposed call for drinking in moderation.  The funny looking photos likely acted as “dissonant visuals,” serving to counteract the ads’ serious message.  One might even say the comical pics made light of drunk driving. 
  • What’s more, with the tagline “Drink Wiser” appearing just inches below the large Budweiser logo, it’s conceivable that consumers interpreted the ads’ call-to-action not to ‘drink smarter’ but simply to ‘drink Budweiser.’  In other words, people may have seen “Wiser” simply as an abbreviation for Budweiser, in the same way Pizza Hut is sometimes call “the Hut.”
 
So, were Budweiser’s Halloween-themed mugshot ads effective in deterring irresponsible drinking?  I don’t know, but to the Gen Ys and Gen Zs to whom to the campaign most likely appealed, the ads probably just seemed like another application of the irreverent humor brands often try to use to attract young consumers to their products.  In other words, the supposed deterrent actually may have acted more as a purchase stimulant.
 

It’s hard to judge motives—Did Budweiser really want to keep people from irresponsible alcohol consumption, or was it secretly banking on higher Halloween-holiday beer sales?  We don’t know, but analysis of the ads makes it seem improbable that people were inspired to “drink wiser” as much as they were reminded to ‘drink Budweiser.’  As a result, the company’s likely misinterpreted mugshots are a snapshot of “Single-Minded Marketing.”


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    David Hagenbuch,
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    Mindful Marketing    & author of Honorable Influence

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