Emotional Marketing: Did They Really Just Call It 'Sadvertising'?

Relative to "sadness" (or sadvertising, as this article calls it), I would argue that this is also something fundraising colleagues have known for a while. But, it is very important for nonprofit marketing and fundraising to not only be about sadness.

There are many forms of emotions that are needed to build a relationship with someone around your mission. Showing the harsh realities of how lives are affected by a particular issue is critical, and yes, sometimes these are very sad stories. What nonprofit marketers and fundraisers know is that hiding from the pain, challenges or sadness related to their missions is not something that should happen. For people to truly understand the mission and make a decision about being involved (financially, as a volunteer, as an advocate, etc.), nonprofits must not sugarcoat the problem. Is there a limit to how much sadness and "fear" to use in your communication? Yes, because the biggest error you can make is to come across as "creating fear" or "creating sadness" when it is not warranted. It's important to stay honest, but creating an emotional reaction to your communication is absolutely necessary.

Using emotion within your marketing plan can come through in multiple ways. Yes, fear and sadness are common factors due to the nature of nonprofits and the challenges they represent across the globe in social issues, health issues, the environment, poverty, animals, etc. But don't forget about the fact that donors want to be a part of something grand and important (emotions: donor self-gratification, idealism) and donors want to feel appreciated and needed (emotions: recognition, importance).

The key is to strike the right combination of chords with your donor's emotions and drive the behavior and commitment you need to be successful with your mission. But before I close this post, let me also address the "concern" I had when I read this article.