I’m Ticked Off!

But, as we look at the details, it is true that our efforts focused on getting new Tide customers, which have lower, direct ROI than some of our efforts geared at our current customers. Some of the channels we use are even more expensive than others. But, as good marketers we understand that this is normal, expected and OK. As long as the marketing plans are thorough and the channels are measurable for the short term and the long term, it is truly all about having a balanced marketing approach. And success is measured by the bottom line.

This all makes perfect sense to me. I'm betting it makes perfect sense to you, too.

So, why on Earth is a single campaign being used as a measure of success — or even worse — a measure of stewardship and impact?

The article uses an average of 35 percent as net income to the organizations from the campaigns that were reviewed. Let's put this in perspective: Even if St. Jude was exactly that average for that particular campaign and it really did spend 65 percent of a dollar — that is not its bottom line. So what is its bottom line? Well, its annual report shows that the organization spends only 13 percent of every dollar on fundraising, only 6 percent on management, and a whopping 81 percent of every dollar on research and treatment. Boy, if you didn't know this organization or how to access this information, that article could give a terrible impression of its efficiency.

And, for all you seasoned marketers and fundraisers out there, I'm sure you immediately came to the same conclusion that I did. I bet the campaign being referenced was probably focused on recruiting new volunteers or acquiring new donors. And we all know that when you do that, you spend more up front because the real value comes when that donor or volunteer becomes loyal to the brand and stays engaged over the years.