Be Relevant

“So how can an organization start to ‘break-through’ the clutter?”

That was the question Marc Sirkin asked in a blog post last week in which he addressed the challenge marketers have these days with compelling people to take action in “the noisiest marketplace in the history of humans.” Add all the other “noise” that’s going on for most Americans -- family issues, money problems, environmental concerns, war, terrorism, the price of gas, mowing the lawn, etc. -- and the challenge becomes clear.

Sirkin says the solution hinges on relevancy, but being relevant is no easy task.

“The art of being relevant starts with understanding your audience. But even understanding your audience is a new ball game — with the proliferation of new technologies and the Internet, your donors can hide in a gazillion places burying their heads from you, closing their eyes and insulating themselves in a bubble of their own choosing.”

Sirkin, chief marketing officer for the International Rescue Committee, talked about some of the things his organization is doing to create relevant and compelling messages that will result in new donors.

“We’re doing an online study that will result in some new ‘personas’ that will help us target our messaging. We’re opening up dialogues with existing donors to find out why they became donors in the first place and we’re listening intently to the marketplace by constantly asking ourselves if our messages are relevant and compelling. I don’t think we’re there yet, but we’re closing the gap and trying hard to be relevant with messaging that at least gives us a shot of ‘breaking-through’ the clutter.”

— May 30, “Compelling + Relevant = Action” www.sirkin.com/nonprofit_emarketing