Search for Stickiness
by Michael HoffmanMonday, July 10th, 2006
There was an article in the Wall Street Journal today about new advertising formats. Basically, the article said that the traditional 30-second spot was created when there was much less competition for the minds of the viewer. Today, with marketing messages everywhere, and massive amounts of content (from 500 channels of TV, to the web, video games, etc.) marketers are looking for a new approach.
One trend mentioned in this piece is that ads need to be more like content to get people’s attention. Some big companies are running sets of ads that tell a story throughout the commercial breaks. Some advertisers are developing their own shows altogether.
Nonprofits needs to pay attention and experiment with their own new approaches. The big trends of too much content and too much advertising also keeps people from focusing on nonprofit messages. Nonprofits also have to find what will stick. One thing is for sure, that printed annual report and brochure won’t cut it.
What we think works is powerful storytelling. Whether a piece about prisoners of conscience or about literacy, we know that people respond to stories about people. At See3 we are encouraging our clients to do some experimenting of their own, by re-using and re-purposing video in ways they have never tried. For example, we hope to soon see some direct response video integrated onto online donation pages.
Nonprofits have to engage in this new world and not think that business as usual will continue to get those donations in the door.
