Newark, NJ Parking Lot Wins Tagline Award

Exciting news!

A parking lot in Newark, NJ wins the 2009 Tagline Award with it's funny, pithy tagline -- Unparalleled Parking.

Just kidding, since the 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Award program is for nonprofit organizations. But I do love this tagline! It's accurate and humorous. That equals memorable and easily repeatable.

But since you work with a nonprofit organization, or grantmaker, enter your unparalleled tagline today in our award program. Deadline coming up July 31st!

P.S. Thanks to Getting Attention reader Carla Harman for passing on the Unparalled Parking siting!

Less is More (Again!) -- Newark Museum Tagline Success in Just 4 Words

 The Newark Museum is a marketing star, and I'm continually impressed with its creativity in engaging its diverse base.  2009 is the Museum's centennial and its marketing team has done a stellar job in making the most of that with special programming and a new tagline -- 100 years. always new.

This tagline is a star, in just 4 words. Here's how the tagline meets (or beats) the "tagline musts" outlined in the Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report (subscribe to the Getting Attention e-update here to get the 2009 report update when published this winter):

• Conveys value (always new -- always the opportunity to learn something new, be surprised).
• Broadly and easily accessible and memorable.
• Makes an emotional connection. We all respect age and tradition (think grandmother) and adore what's new. The Museum promises the best of both worlds.
  
• 8 words or less! -- Less is more in taglines and most marketing copywriting. That's really all your base can remember, recognize and repeat. Make it easy for them.
  
• Highly visible and integrated into all communications. Check mark -- it's everywhere Newark Museum is.
• Captures the spirit and promise of the Museum. Embracing its history and tradition while pushing forward to explore new worlds.

Newark Museum staff members, I hope you're reading and will enter your tagline in the 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Award program.

You too, readers! Deadline is looming (July 31st) so enter today, please!

Lending for Change -- 700th Entry in 2009 Tagline Awards -- Enter Your Tagline Today

I love this tagline from The Loan Fund, an alternative lender in New Mexico. It's as short as you can get, but informative and memorable. The staff there has done a terrific job in shaping a pithy message that showcases not just what they do, but the impact of the organization's work (which clearly differentiates it from other lenders).

But when I jumped to The Fund's Web site, I saw that it's using a different tagline all over the site -- "Building Communities Since 1989."  Yikes,  that's a cardinal sin of tagline use. Here's the 7th "don't" from the 2008 Nonprofit Tagline Report:

7. Don’t put two or more taglines to work. If you do, you’re doing everything you
can to undermine your organization’s brand. As a result, your audiences won’t get to
know or pass the word on your organization. Instead, they’ll be annoyed and confused.

Nonetheless, Lending for Change is a strong example of how powerful a tagline can be. It's one of your most effective marketing tools. But the 2008 GettingAttention.org tagline survey showed that 72% of orgs don't have a tagline, or rate theirs as performing poorly. GettingAttention.org is trying to change that!

Take 3 minutes to ENTER your tagline today! When you do, you'll automatically get a free copy of the fully-updated 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Report.

P.S. If you don't want to enter your tagline, but want to ensure you get a copy of the 2009 report, subscribe here to the free twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.

Wanted: Powerful Nonprofit Taglines -- Enter 2009 Tagline Awards Today

Your nonprofit could be a 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winner! Take 3 minutes now to enter today.  More information here.

Answers to Your ? on 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards

 Yahoo! Just hit 300 entries (after just 1 day) in the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards.

Enter here right now, while it's on your mind. Deadline is July 31st. And please spread the word to your peers, grantees and other networks!

I received several great questions (thanks all) yesterday when I launched this year's awards, and wanted to share the answers with you:

• We use two taglines, or we use three taglines (one for our org, and one for each main program) . Can I enter both/all of them?
  • Yes, you can, each as a separate entry. If you enter a program tagline, add (program) at the end of it when you enter it in the form. You will have to have a colleague enter the second tagline, or clear your browser cookies, to enter a second tagline. BTW, I recommend against using two organizational taglines. It's confusing!

• We haven't launched out tagline formally yet, but still want to enter it. Is that ok?
  • Yes, do it!

• What's the timeline for the awards?
  • Deadline for entry: July 31st
  • Open poll for winners (among selected finalists) September
  • Winners announced: October
  • Release, fully-updated 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Report: December 

• Who were last year's winners?
  • Here's the list of last year's winners. Great models if you're working on your tagline now!

• What are the prizes?
  • Winners get great recognition, lots of attention/publicity. But, the value of entering is best said by two of last year’s winners:
  • “We were very pleased to have our tagline recognized by our colleagues in the industry.  Our award has given the U.S. Fund extra visibility for its marketing and brand work!“       --> Kim Pucci,  Marketing Director, US Fund for UNICEF
  • "We were thrilled to be selected as the tagline award winner in the Human Services category. We leveraged the award as we rolled out our new brand and kicked off the public phase of our $5M capital campaign.  It was highlighted as an achievement in all of our capital campaign foundation grant requests and spotlighted in our agency newsletter and in the local media.  And, the media buzz that this award created helped JFCS maximize its marketing efforts without the need for allocating additional dollars in this difficult economy.”   Rose Chapman, LCSW, President/CEO of Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee, Inc. (That's Rose at top left!)
    

But most importantly, please enter your nonprofit or foundation tagline today.

P. S. Follow the tagline award news on Twitter at @orgtaglines.

What Environmental Org Does Most? Rate it -- GreatNonprofits 2009 Green Choice Awards

In celebration of Earth Day (April 22nd), GreatNonprofits is holding a contest to ID the best environmental nonprofits out there, as rated by volunteers, donors and others in the know.

The winning orgs will be featured in national media coverage and all voters are entered to win prizes such as earth-friendly wines from Fetzer, a stay at Joie De Vivre hotels and more!   

So environmental nonprofits -- here's your call to action: Email those who know your impact (everyone, be creative) and ask them weigh in here, today.

Crowdsourcing in the most useful and positive way. Love it!

P.S. GreatNonprofits solicits ratings from folks who know what orgs work, and which don't! Not only is this info used by prospective donors, volunteers, program participants, etc. -- it's valuable audience feedback at no effort or cost to you. Make sure you use what's there on your org.

Enter DoGooderTV Nonprofit Video Awards -- Great Motivation to Push Your Org to Produce a First-Time Video or Get to the Next Level

Listen up! The 2009 DoGooderTV Nonprofit Video Awards are now open for submissions of all shapes and sizes -- from organizational vlogs, to staff-produced web clips and high-end, professionally produced videos.

I see this contest like I see the triathlon I'm starting to train for -- a compelling motivation to get myself to the next level. So whether your org hasn't ventured into video channel yet, or is working on getting to the next level, use the DoGooder Awards as a reason to focus on it now. Video is powerful and here to stay. The more practiced your are, the more impact your videos will have.

Just do it! Video submissions will be accepted until March 26, when a panel of judges will select the finalists in each category.  The public voting period will open on April 7 and end on April 26. 

BTW, Flip, the marvelously inexpensive and easy-to-use video camera, (our 5 year old uses ours with great success) offers nonprofits a way in with the Flip Video Spotlight program. Just complete the short application and you'll hear back within 30 days on your eligibility. Once you're eligible, you can purchase heavily discounted Flip kits - a kit containing two Flip Ultra camcorders, instructions, tutorials, and training materials.  Go for it! It's a no lose proposition.

P.S. The right messaging is critical to the success of every nonprofit video! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Be the 2,000th Voter for the Nonprofit Tagline Awards...

Place your vote for the Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winners and you'll ensure me a great weekend.

More seriously, the response to the poll is fantastic with 1,999 votes to date. Polling closes in just a week so c'mon, VOTE RIGHT NOW.

Make my weekend, please. You have a great one too.

Strengthen your nonprofit brand with the Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report. Subscribe to the Getting Attention e-newsletter (in-depth articles and case studies on nonprofit marketing) to get the free report on publication in mid-September 2008. 

Vote for the Best Nonprofit Taglines -- 2008 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards

Place your vote today for the first Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards. These tagline finalists have been carefully culled from the more than 1,050 taglines submitted to our recent Tagline Survey. They're all fantastic, but they all can't be the best.

The organizations behind these taglines have done a fantastic job in putting eight words or less to work to build their brands. Now it's your turn to select which are the best in class.

Vote today -- I want to know what you think. It'll take you 7minutes or less; polls close Friday, June 20th.

Strengthen your tagline with the Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report. You'll get a free copy (due in July), when you subscribe to the Getting Attention e-newsletter (featuring in-depth articles and case studies on nonprofit marketing).

8 Hard-Hitting, Exciting, Moving Nonprofit Videos -- Vote for the Best

Camera. Lights. Action.

Eight incredible videos have been selected as finalists for the 2008 DoGooderTV Nonprofit Video Awards.

There are two compelling reasons for you to watch these productions:

1. Learn what your org can do. These are models of what your organization can do; representing various production values (and so cost points), issue focus and style. Contact the orgs who've produced the videos you like for more guidances on the what works and what doesn't.
2. Hone your understanding of what works best in online video. Voting requires evaluation of these videos; and your evaluation will strengthen your own understanding of the impact and challenges of the video medium. Don't run away. Online video is a must-have arrow in your nonprofit's marketing quiver.

Vote today.

Missing out on the Getting Attention e-newsletter? Subscribe now for in-depth articles and case studies on nonprofit marketing.You'll get first access to research like this, plus other coverage to ensure marketing impact.