It seems that my sporadic reading schedule is perpetually at least one edition behind in my attempt to keep pace with the magazines and periodicals to which I subscribe. So, with that disclaimer out of the way, let me share an important, thought-provoking article that appeared in the December 2009 edition of Outside Magazine.

The article, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, is titled How to Save the World & Influence People. How can you pass over a title like that?

Kristof examines the typical ways that aid organizations and philanthropic nonprofits share their messages, recent psychology findings regarding how those messages are perceived, and some key elements found among those messages that are effective at eliciting public reaction. In a realm where the ability for an organization’s message to resonate with the public can, in some cases,  literally mean the difference between life and death for those who would be served by the organization’s work, any such insights should be considered carefully.

Kristoff tells us that one important finding revealed by recent research is that “We intervene not because of stories of desperate circumstances but when can be cheered up with positive stories of success and transformation. For example:

One experiment found that people are quite willing to pay for a water-treatment facility to save 4,500 lives in a refugee camp with 11,000 people in it, but they are much less willing to pay for the same facility to save 4,500 lives when the refugee camp is said to have 250,000 inhabitants. In effect, what matters is saving a high proportion of people, not just a large number of lives.

According to Paul Slovic, psychology professor and researcher at the University of Oregon, saving a large proportion of group is seen as a success, and is therefore satisfying, while saving a small proportion is viewed as a failure -even if it’s a large number. While I find this quit intriguing, I also find it a bit unsettling.

Regardless of what the finding says about human nature, it certainly seems like something that nonprofits everywhere would be well-served to take note of, and to keep in mind as they craft their outreach and marketing messages. In fact, perhaps the central lessons here apply to all socially and environmentally responsible organizations, nonprofit or otherwise.

The research findings outlined in this article suggest that such groups will have significantly more success in connecting with their target audiences if they use a benefit-focused approach, rather than a need-focused approach. Help your readers to become the hero. For example, rather than sharing stories of the dismal social or environmental conditions that your organization is working to address, or even what you’re specifically doing to address those conditions, share stories of success -stories in which your supporters’ involvement has directly contributed to significant change. In doing so, you’ll not only highlight your organization’s proven ability to enact change, but more importantly, you’ll enable your audience to see a path by which they can be a part of that change. By incorporating such success-oriented messaging across your marketing materials, you’ll improve your success at transforming your audience from sympathetic to engaged -from bystanding to upstanding.

Speaking of marketing…One aspect of this otherwise wonderful article that I found to be unfortunate is the language that Kristof uses at times to describe the marketing industry. The article leads with the question, “What would happen if aid organizations and other philanthropists embraced the dark arts of marketing spin and psychological persuasion used on Madison Avenue?” By referring to the marketing industry in this way, he does little to dispel the belief that the profession of marketing and its goals are inherently at odds with the goals of altruistic organizations. To the contrary, it’s been my experience that too many good people doing good work either fail to realize the power of marketing, or carry a mistaken notion that marketing must be manipulative, and is therefore beneath the purity of their cause. It’s also been my experience that they do so at their own detriment. As Kristoff states, “Like Pepsi, humanitarian causes need savvy marketing. Indeed, they need it far more than a soft drink company.”

Ditto for graphic design, needless to say ; )

Check it out: Read the complete article. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Word of mouth, and the concept of marketing it, is certainly not a new idea. Yet, in this age of instant communication, mass media, and more media paths than ever before, the simple concept holds as much power as ever, if not more. In fact, as new forms of communication arise, marketers are discovering new ways of harnessing its power.

Word of mouth, the simple act of consumers sharing information with other consumers, is perhaps the purest, most honest form of advertising in existence. At its core is people’s natural desire to share their experiences with others. Word of mouth cannot be faked or manipulated, and its purity should be respected and protected. The Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s (WOMMA) Code of Ethics provides a wonderful framework for preserving the integrity of word of mouth.

There are many things that businesses can do to build on positive word of mouth and make the most of it -the core goal of word of mouth marketing. Successful (and ethical) word of mouth marketing techniques are based on the principles of customer satisfaction, open & honest dialog, and transparent operations & communications.

WOMMA describes the basic elements as:

• Educating people about your products and services
• Identifying people most likely to share their opinions
• Providing tools that make it easier to share information
• Studying how, where, and when opinions are being shared
• Listening and responding to supporters, detractors, and neutrals

Within these basic elements, WOMMA provides 8 strategies, all of which involve “finding ways to support satisfied customers and making it easier for them to talk with their friends.”

1. Encouraging communications
2. Giving people something to talk about
3. Creating communities and connecting people
4. Working with influential communities
5. Creating evangelist or advocate programs
6. Researching and listening to customer feedback
7. Engaging in transparent conversation
8. Co-creation and information sharing

These are not one-size-fits-all strategies. When considering incorporating any of these elements into your larger marketing plan, it is best to view them through the lens of your brand and your specific audience. What method fits the message and voice of your business/brand? What are the specific needs of your audience and how do its members talk to each other? Where there is overlap between the answers to these two questions, there lies the most potential for marketing word of mouth.

- Rob