American Cancer Society Rethinks Legacy Direct Mail Acquisition, Conversion Efforts
And it goes without saying, the Society is committed to monitoring the impact and always considering whether to add highly targeted mail back into the portfolio as a part of its future plan as it continues to test and optimize its marketing and fundraising.
The Society has been gracious to let me have a front-row seat to transparently study this bold decision. Over the next 18 months, there will be additional installments to this story as the organization monitors the data and starts implementing new strategies to deal with this community of donors. While direct mail revenue (acquisition, renewal and conversion) represents only 6 percent of all of the Society's revenue, this is still a major decision for the organization. I have felt that in every meeting and conversation at every level.
Final thoughts ... for now
There are so many challenges facing today's nonprofits. FACT
Leaders are making tough decisions every day across their organizations. FACT
The marketplace is more demanding, competition is tighter and expenses are increasing. FACT
But, what is not a fact is that organizations have to just stay the course. Peter Drucker once said, "The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence — it is to act with yesterday's logic." The American Cancer Society has stepped out and has made a bold decision which, at minimum, has caught the industry's attention.
Can anyone really predict what will happen? NO.
Agree with American Cancer Society or disagree — that is your individual prerogative — but one thing is for sure: Our industry can learn from this. The real impact of this decision will be talked about in terms of years, not months — but that also means the organization has time to create new, innovative ideas on how to reach audiences and communicate messages differently than last year.
- Companies:
- American Cancer Society
- Campbell Rinker
Vice President, Strategy & Development
Eleventy Marketing Group
Angie is ridiculously passionate about EVERYTHING she’s involved in — including the future and success of our nonprofit industry.
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Angie is a senior exec with 25 years of experience in direct and relationship marketing. She is a C-suite consultant with experience over the years at both nonprofits and agencies. She currently leads strategy and development for marketing intelligence agency Eleventy Marketing Group. Previously she has worked at the innovative startup DonorVoice and as general manager of Merkle’s Nonprofit Group, as well as serving as that firm’s CRM officer charged with driving change within the industry. She also spent more 14 years leading the marketing, fundraising and CRM areas for two nationwide charities, The Arthritis Foundation and the American Cancer Society. Angie is a thought leader in the industry and is frequent speaker at events, and author of articles and whitepapers on the nonprofit industry. She also has received recognition for innovation and influence over the years.
