Consumer-marketing practices have a place in fundraising. You just need to know how to translate them.

By Debbie Merlino

Advertisers in the commercial sector refer to this as benefit-oriented messaging. Instead of touting that their laundry detergents now include color-safe bleach, our crafty commercial advertisers will say that their products have been reformulated to now get your whites whiter. They’re selling the “sizzle,” not the “steak.”