When it comes to “building buzz,” it’s important to consider that creating a brand people believe in carries as much weight as any marketing strategy you might develop to promote it. Knowing your brand is the first step (definitely easier said than done). Then carrying it through in every single thing you do – not just your communications initiatives – connects you to your customers and builds loyalty.
Every once in a while, we see an example of a brand that totally gets it. At the end of 2008, Rose Communications decided to make its annual contributions through DonorsChoose.org. We learned about the group through the tremendous media coverage it had received. This relatively young non-profit addresses the scarcity and inequitable distribution of learning materials in public schools. That teachers are spending their own money to buy supplies for their students is a well known fact. This concept, the brainchild of a public school teacher in the Bronx, addresses that very real need in a meaningful, accessible way.
Through the organization’s web site, donors can easily search thousands of requests made by individual teachers and support their projects with a contribution of any size. As we searched to fulfill requests in our clients’ cities, we found and selected projects that addressed needs that are truly fundamental to the learning experience: writing implements, dictionaries and books for a lending library, for example. Each project includes the name of the teacher and a description of the class making the request, giving the donor a real sense of the lives they are touching. Not only was the site incredibly easy to use, but the organization continued to communicate with us so we knew the status of the projects as they evolved.
Our exceptional experience culminated this week with the arrival of hand-written thank you notes from the students in the classes we supported. DonorsChoose.org is a perfect example of a stand-out concept married with flawless communication. No publicity stunt, “out of box” idea or “viral” campaign can beat that combination. It’s what inspires passion and turns customers into brand advocates.
thank you note from Eli in Baltimore