Lots to Learn from Presidential Hopeful Communications Strategies

I've been following the candidates' communications campaigns, and communications about them, and finding some very interesting strategies applicable to your nonprofit.

One powerful model I've seen is serial communications which enable the focus and message to germinate in your audience's mind and ear.  More is more (usually, if it's not annoying), particularly in this age of content overload.

John Edwards released a series of emails two weeks ago, each building on those previous to get a message across via telling the story of his favorite pie -- his mom's recipe for pecan pie (what else for a good southern boy). Here's how the campaign rolled out --

• Edwards' birthday was Sunday, June 10th
• Beginning a week prior, the campaign generated a series of emails from Elizabeth Edwards, hooking readers in with the pie story
• And asking supporters to step forward to give, urging them to contribute to make John's birthday a very happy birthday (and reach his goal of 10,000 supporters)
• How not to Bake a Pie -- A near-the-end email included a link to a very funny video of two campaign aides trying to make the pie, which segued into Elizabeth's call for giving, and a link to the recipe (for donors only).
• No better way to get to the wallet than through the stomach.

Try a serial campaign for your organization. The ADL (Anti-Defamation League) is running a very powerful series of newspaper print ads condemning British academics for abandoning their Israeli colleagues as a critique of Israeli policy on the Palestinian conflict.

They built their case simply and powerfully via a series of seven or so boldly- yet simply-designed ads in the first section of the New York Times -- on several days last week. Each ad featured the achievement of an Israeli academic (many of them were researchers who have found or refined life-saving medications). I can't forget them.

Try a series for your nonprofit's most urgent communications goal -- email's the easiest and least expensive way to experiment. And report back to me and your fellow Getting Attention readers.

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