Having judged the charity category for the Direct Marketing Association last month, I was disappointed but not surprised to see that there was little evidence of risk taking, even among the more creative entries.
Charities are more dominated by the fear of what could go wrong than by positive thinking and the opportunity gained. Several years ago a charity, that I won’t name, was presented with a massive money-making opportunity with ASDA. With no outgoing costs it was a sure earner, but risqué. The board of trustees was so paranoid that it might lead to a few letters of complaint that potentially thousands of pounds of income was rejected just because of fear – hardly ethical.
Charities have never been at the edge of change. Being brave and different is low on the agenda. The prevailing view is that it’s safer to resort to tried and trusted formulaic approaches with no imagination or experimenting with new approaches.
Even if you are brave, the chances are that you will be restricted by internal politics and a board of retired professionals that tends to be over cautious, and sees problems rather than opportunities.
Fortunately, there are exceptions to the rule. In 2002 Traidcraft announced its "fair share" deal offering members of the public the chance to buy shares in its trading arm, Traidcraft Plc. The launch took place in the City under the slogan, "Instead of making a killing, help someone make a living.” It was high-risk approach, but itt worked and generated £3.25m for the charity.
Oxfam, fpa and Shelter are just a few of the charities that have also benefited from not being afraid of rewriting the rules. Shelter hijacked the Ideal Home show in 2004, by using a powerful poster campaign to turn the spotlight back on to poor housing conditions in the UK. fpa gave the chalk-drawn Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset a mock condom in an effort to promote safe sex, while Oxfam, herded goats through London. They all know how to stand out and be counted. And in a highly competitive market that matters more.
In a time when the rules are just not working you have to change. Be challenged and challenge conventional thinking – unless you want to be conventional and there’s little value in that anymore.
The consumer is a different animal and marketing is a different beast. Charities have to rise to the challenge and be more imaginative with their contact strategy, more creative in their approach and more emotionally engaging (but not just via the begging bowl). They need to start measuring what’s really important, not making the measurable important. To start to shake up their thinking as much as shaking the tin.
If you aren’t changing in a changing world you’ll get left behind. It’s time to be brave, to experiment and explore. If you stick you neck out you actually are more likely to get it caste in bronze than cut off.
Chris Arnold - executive creative director, BLAC
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