Tainted Love - Why the Hard Sell doesn't work for Charities.

Step away from the leopard skin lycra, put the studded dog collar down, pop the cap back on the eye liner - fear not. We aren't writing a homage to seminal 80's group Soft Cell here, but we're glad we got your attention. Rather building on a conversation we had in the studio the other day about the nature of charity appeals.

Wodehouse are out there, we can find the line through a campaign and effectively produce returns, but we leave drama for other agencies, let us explain why...

We're bold, certainly with branding and not afraid to tell a charity client to overhaul its logo and assets to be more direct, or more in tune with a cause. This is certainly nothing to do with any financial consideration on our own part.

If a charity is small, shouldn't it have an over arching ambition and a passion to be bigger in the interests of the people that it serves? Looking bigger than a client actually is, is something we've always had as a mantra. When we brand a client or assess an existing brand we look at the market, we ask about the ambitions of the brand and the intended audience.

It really is all about you.

In a sea of registered charities all vying for public donations, confidence is everything. It's the tallest guy in the crowd, or the woman in the brightly coloured floral dress against all the grey suits that people will see first. Subliminally when one looks at a brand like Macmillan tells the viewer they are strident, vibrant and open to new ideas, before even opening the letter.

A refined brand that details not only use of the logo but corporate fonts and supporting colour palette demonstrates the professionalism of the organisation before a donor has even picked up the phone or put a coin in the slot.

We've sometimes reached impasses with brand, including one client that said they'd had the brand since 1968, which resembled clip art even before clip art even existed - quite an achievement. We aren't massaging our ego's when we make suggestions and have always said if it isn't broke don't fix it, but treating a logo akin to some religious relic like a monks finger in a gilded box, can be somewhat counter intuitive - since change is inevitable in any society, be it the financial climate or the intended audience. We're prepared to part with history and preconceptions, if it makes something better.

Most of the charities we work with are proactive rather than reactive in the sense that their work is throughout the calendar year rather than simply in response to an emergency appeal. We've had long relationships and have grown with the charity, they value our approach and realise its for the greater good based on our twenty plus years of experience.

Say Hello - Wave Goodbye...

Which... brings us to the point of the article. There's nothing wrong with a strong brand identity. Its contribution towards a campaign should not be underestimated. But the message, how shall we say, or rather - Shock tactics, is something we are never keen to do. Akin to a street charity mugger or less favorable term “chugger” in your face with a clip board the message is just as blatant. It has a limited life span for one thing, let us expand on this...

What is known as "the take away clause" with the corporate conferencing world is briefly along the lines of "well I cannot guarantee this sponsorship place will be open, and your competition have expressed an interest." This works often as the thought of a rival company taking an exhibition stand over the guy on the phone at a prominent event is enough to raise hackles and cuts the decision time by some margin. That’s the nature of the high pressure sell, and fine within it’s arena we suppose.

Take the same thing into a charity context and say “without donations your charity may not be there in the future”, or “there might not be people to champion a cause whether anti-famine or pro-specialist care” to us, smacks of desperation, we would always rather play to the strengths of a cause rather than perceived weaknesses or chinks in the armour. It can be perceived as drowning not waving, as there are certain expectations of a charity being solid and able to serve its cause. If people suspect you are floundering donors could actually question your ability to provide for those under your charge. Being loved and part of the community with this tactic is not enough. Given media scrutiny this can be fuel to the fire.

Remember we’re on your side...

As an agency we hope clients trust us, with charity work we embody warmth, the common bonds of humanity, accessibility, the spirit of building something long term for a greater good in an often ugly world. You probably guessed we like the charity sector and love what we get to make. If we suggest something it's because we are on side rather than spending your hard earned funds on our own indulgent exercise.

A hard blunt message in a culture where an audience has become desensitised with ever more graphic news and films just makes people switch off. We need to be cleverer than this and find an angle that is unique to your charity. That way we build longevity and push the creative to keep giving, along (all being well) with your audience.

Wodehouse work across all market sectors and are specialists in charity - if you think you have a project that requires creative thinking and efficient delivery to your audience - do get in touch. We also rather like Soft Cell.