The Integrated Campaign Approach: Tools to Increase the Effectiveness of your Direct Mail Program

The integrated campaign approach:

How to use communications tools to increase the effectiveness of your direct mail program

Lois EphraimCreative DirectorRuss Reid

Jann ShultzDirector of Donor RelationsOperation Smile

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“We need a new word for over.”-Carrie Bradshaw

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“Gone are the days when nonprofits could just shine the spotlight on themselves and hold out their hands. That lazy, ineffectual approach of talking at donors is so over that we need a new word for how over it is. The word ‘donor’ itself even seems one-dimensional these days because it simply doesn't speak to the depth of the relationships supporters are looking to build with their organizations of choice….

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…Relationships with donors are very much like those with friends, family members and spouses, etc. Neglect, arrogance, abuse and other negatives are just as damaging; respect, nurturing and communication are just as beneficial. As in the best interpersonal relationships, it pays to be honest, to be genuine, to be vulnerable, to be the best ‘you’ you can possibly be and go from there.”

Fundraising Success

August 2011

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Integration:The intentional coordination in timing and messaging of multiple media vehicles, response channels, or engagement devices.

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Integration is using every channel possible toengage donors

Mail

Phone

E-mail

Website

Social Media

Video

Personal reps

Teleconferences

Pay particular attention to importance/value of the donors

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The philosophy of integration

• The cliché is true: the total is greater than the sum of its parts

• Donors don’t behave as linearly as we would like them to

• More touch points lead to more effective campaigns

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The heart and soul of integration: Look at it from the donor’s perspective, not yours!

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Listen carefully.

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Honor your donor’s preferences.

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Make them an offer they can’t refuse.

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Communicate the problem+ solution + success in all channels, in all messages

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Report on the success.

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Thank them over and over again.

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Measure success &invest appropriately.

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Repeat.

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Truth: Direct Mail is still king

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Direct mail

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Truth: E-mail boosts response

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Direct mail donors with email addresses are as much as 150% more valuable

• Effective use of integration shortens time to 2nd gift

• Increases retention —more than double one-time first year givers

• Not only higher retention

•  50% more gifts

•  Average gift that is 65%+ higher

Source: Amergent. www.amergent.com

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Mail versus online? Or mail and online?

41% 44%

57%

77%71%

61%54%

38%

25%

11%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

18-24 25-39 40-54 55-69 70+

Mail

Online

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Truth: Speaking to a living, breathing person is good.

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Are you using telemarketing?

14%17%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Refused phone donation Pledged phone donation (excludes phone gift)

Lift in income per donor, post-call

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How a live phone call affects subsequent giving

• Giving behavior was monitored for 5 months after donors received a live phone call.

• Even when the donor refused to donate by phone, subsequent giving was 14% greater than for donors who weren’t reached by phone.

Both panels were compared to like donors who were not reached by phone.

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More truths from Jann

• Partner with the right telemarketing vendor

• Train the staff yourself

• Operation Smile Donor First Philosophy

• Welcome to “my” team

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Operation Smile Bolivia

Case study: Spring Middle Donor Campaign

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How to approach donors giving at mid-levels

• Invest carefully in donors who represent a disproportionate amount of your revenue.

• Develop customized offers that let donors achieve measurable impact.

• Create a cultivation environment that is dynamic and flexible.

• Measure success at both the program, campaign and donor levels.

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Challenges

• Healthy donor file of donors who had given the gift of a $240 surgery

• Previous cultivation approach: minimal versioning and customized dollar handle asks

• Wanted them to give again AND upgrade

• Needed to raise net income!

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Strategy:

Upgrade our donors with a urgent, compelling offer

communicated through an integrated real-time

campaign?

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Capturing the compelling story & offer

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Rwanda 2010

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First mission – huge crowds

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Children were turned away

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Offer: Your donation today will help us provide surgeries to waiting children in countries like Rwanda. Because of a generous matching donation, your gift will double in impact

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Audience selection of high-value donors: 0-12 month recency with a gift of $240 or greater

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Integrated Touchpoint strategy: Voicemail blast (Date)Direct mail

main drop (Date)chaser (Date)

Two emails (Date) (Date)Telefundraising call (Date range)

plus pledge acknowledgement VM message

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Phone Blast from the Co-founder

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Main Package

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Outer envelope

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Letter

4343

Propectus

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Response form

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Lift note with photo paperclipped

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Bounceback involvement piece (with mirror stickers)

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Follow up package

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Letter of Eugenie with her photo

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Email 1

5050

Email 2

5151

Integrated Telefundraising Call

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Personal Representative

5353

Follow up report

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Follow up email with Habimana’s story

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Campaign results – the impact of integration

• The high-value audience selected for this campaign had a 383% higher response rate and 86% higher average gift than what is typical for other campaigns.

383%

86%

0%

100%

200%

300%

400%

Response rate Average gift

Middle donor campaign lift

Campaign metrics were compared to year-long average metrics for this audience.

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Campaign results – the impact of integration

• Exceeded campaign projections raising twice the gross revenue forecast and 3x the net revenue compared to prior campaigns.

Tele-fundraising impact

• The phone channel generated 30% of total revenue

• Phone pledges fulfilled at an astounding 85% rate.

• Raised $9 for every $1 invested in tele-fundraising at a cost of just 11 cents per dollar raised.

Case study: Holiday Giving Catalog campaign

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Could Operation Smile—known for its surgery offer—create a Holiday Giving Catalog filled with offers and products that would inspire donors to give life-changing gifts in the names of family and loved ones? Especially during an economic downturn?

Our challenge

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Operation Smile decided to plunge ahead and test. We created the first Holiday “mini-catalog” in 2008, and launched full-size catalogs, an e-commerce website and digital campaigns in the following two years.

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The integrated Holiday Giving Catalog Campaign included:

• Print catalogs: creatively position an array of products (giving opportunities) that would drive both low-end and high-end donors to respond online, as well as through mail and phone.

• Online catalog: employed best e-commerce strategies.

• E-mails: targeted various audience segments during the holiday shopping season.

• New media opportunities: including search and banner ads to create an integrated digital campaign.

• Phone Blast: reminded donors to shop

• Videos: demonstrated the impact of the gifts!

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The primary creative messaging was to “Give smiles this season” with a selection of surgery related products—ranging from $25 to $6000—that would inspire donors to shop for gifts to give in the name of a loved one.

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Operation Smile Gift Catalog – Inside Cover

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To promote our #1 product—the $240 surgery—we included emotional stories, compelling before and after photos, and call outs to watch online videos—all to demonstrate the impact of this exceptional product.

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Key Product Placement

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An online e-commerce catalog was developed using products and visuals from the print catalog—plus exclusive online offers.

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Gift cards and a selection of e-cards announcing the donation made in honor of a friend or family member were also available.

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Incentives were tested to increase average donations—providing donors with tangible gifts to present to friends and family during the holidays.

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A series of e-mails was sent to targeted audiences over a 10-week period

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Email 1

7171

Email 2

7272

Last chance email

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Results included:

• 250% increase in revenue generated through integrated campaigns.

• 22% increase in online average gift and a 34% increase in conversion rate.

• Online catalog sales increased 97% from 2008 to 2010.

• Through increased e-mail contacts, more focused direct mail, and an enhanced online store, the catalog campaign revenue grew 44% with a 20% increase in average gift from 2008 to 2010.

• Overall, the campaign generated an average gift of $176.

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How to measure response for your campaign?

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Truth: Integrated campaigns inherently create discomfort

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What no one wants to talk about

• Donors don’t behave as linearly as we’d like them to

• They are often inspired by one channel, but respond to another

• Channel interaction directly impacts results of all media

• Sometimes it takes multiple interactions before donors give

• Simplest - the last channel receives the “credit”

• In an integrated environment, this “fuzzy” relationship is common

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Truth: Don’t sabotage your efforts by cancelling “non-performing” channels

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Be Creative

• Measure each channel on it’s own

AND

• Use bottom line measurement to quantify success

Tolerate results that may not be directly attributable

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If you do nothing else, do this!

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Basic integration

• Same message delivered across multiple channels increases impact of message

• Identify your primary fundraising channels and complement with other channel opportunities – if not email, try the phone!

Why?

Donors engaged through multiple channels have higher response rates, retention and lifetime value.

Thank YouJann ShultzDirector of Donor RelationsOperation Smilejschultz@operationsmile.org+1 757.593.6560+1 757.321.7645Twitter: @jannschultzLinkedIn: Jann Schultz

Lois EphraimCreative DirectorRuss Reidlephraim@russreid.com