Proud show dog owners primp and preen their prized pooches to bring home new blue ribbons; you should be doing the same when creating and implementing new campaigns for your organization.
During a recent session at the Bridge to Integrated Marketing Conference in National Harbor, Md., M + R Creative Director Madeline Stanionis presented a session titled “Best in Show! Counting Down the Best Online Fundraising, Engagement, and List-Building Campaigns of the Year.”
Stanionis presented examples of effective ad campaigns from nonprofits across the board, all with different yet effective approaches.
One of the organizations highlighted as a “best in show” campaign was Planned Parenthood’s #PinkOut campaign. This campaign engaged donors of all ages by utilizing social media. The timing of the campaign was also highly effective in conveying their message, as the campaign occurred as members of congress attempted to stop federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
Another successful campaign highlighted by Stanionis was the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s kickstarter campaign to buy back Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit. By creating the right project for their audience and having the willingness to commit to all the intricate aspects of crowdfunding, this campaign surpassed its initial goal of $500,000 in five days and earned $713,554 by the end of the 30-day campaign.
The #HarlemNoHate campaign, created by the Ali Forney Center, was also noted as a “Best in Show” campaign. The goal was to turn Atlah Church, notorious for its Anti-LGBT rhetoric and up for auction due to unpaid bills, into a 24-hour drop-in site for homeless LGBT youth. This campaign not only created strong community engagement, but attracted attention from celebrities as well. This campaign had clear beginning and end goals and toted the idea of poetic justice, creating a perfect recipe for success.
