It's the relevance, not the medium

Who else is looking for a new, more effective medium for your fundraising or marketing? Direct mail, the bread and butter for most nonprofits, is getting tougher -- rising costs, more crowded competitive space, and maxed-out list universes -- the squeeze is on. Finding an effective new medium (or two) would sure help, right?

Just remember, a new medium is not a magic bullet. As brilliantly riffed by Roy Williams in his MondayMorningMemo: The Media Is Not the Message, the real issue is what you say, not where you say it:

Relevance is what determines whether an ad works or not. Every medium fails when it delivers a message no one cares about.

He then enlarges on the importance of the message in something you should make part of your fundraising catechism:

• Ads that fail in one medium would usually have failed in any other.
  
• The medium is not the message.
  
• The message is the message.
  
• And the message is what matters most.
  

Yep, Marshall McLuhan was wrong.

There's no way around it. You have to have a relevant message, or you're sunk. Get that part right, and then you can start looking for media that take you forward.

Technorati Tags: philanthropy, relevance

Comments

[Nancy E. Schwartz]

Jeff, I couldn't have said it better. I'd add that the message should focus first on the issues of interest to your org (of course) and your audiences. That's the point of connection, followed by why your org does it best.

Interested in your thoughts on this post on that topic:
http://www.gettingattention.org/my_weblog/2007/05/heres_your_poin.html

Best,
Nancy

[Brian in Vancouver]

I can agree with everything in this post, both your views and those of Roy Williams, except the statement: "Yep, Marshall McLuhan was wrong". You might want to take another look at what he wrote (and said). I'm not the one to decide if he was right or not, but the man is regarded by lots of smart people as one of the most original thinkers of the late 20th century, and I suspect he will still be ranked that way when you and I are long gone.

[Richard in Chicago]

Jeff,
Right on the money. Relevance and clarity rule. As a copy writer for more than two decades, I can't tell you how many times I've told clients and client services folks that in this business, grammar is often sacrificed on the alter of vernacular. And I can tell you that the customer and donor gods are usually appeased.
Thanks!
Richard