Introducing Fresh Takes -- Coming to you when they come my way

Welcome to Fresh Takes, my as-available picks of great resources, fresh ideas and inspiring models. I promise you this read will be as nourishing and satisfying as that delicious salad you had last summer.

Here goes --
1) Marketing adventurer Katya Andresen shares two nonprofit case studies on the value of ad hoc, informal focus groups (she calls it "conversational marketing"). With a modest effort and minimal cost, your organization can build a one-time or (even better) ongoing audience advisory group (or two, or three), and get their vital perspective as needed. They've volunteered so it'll reinforce their loyalty, while you get immediate insights from the field. Win, win, score.

I just executed an online survey for members of a client organization, and asked participants to share their contact info if they were interested in serving on an informal advisory board. More than 40% of participants (a self-selected group, of course) said yes!

2) Boston cause marketer Joe Waters gives his take on how to refresh tired marketing and programming, like MS' Jerry Lewis Telethon. Joe's recommendations:

• Intermingle the new with the old -- build from the brand equity (aka bread and butter) of what your audiences know, but innovate from there.
• Go beyond cutting edge to cut to the bone -- show audiences that your vision and passion goes beyond your marketing, and is core to your organization's work. Here's Joe's hard-hitting example:
• "At my own job, I often combine talk about cause marketing with education on some of the the unique, creative things the hospital does to live up to its mission of delivering "exceptional care without exception.Things like a new cancer care facility that consolidates our cancer services in one building so patients have access to the best care without a three-block hike from radiology to their doctor's office.  Things like we're the only hospital in the country to have an on-site food pantry because we found that being sick is only one of the problems affecting our patients."

BTW, I'd love to hear your fresh takes. Email them to me and I'll share them with Getting Attention readers.

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