Millennial Specific Techniques for Nonprofit Marketing Communications: A Messaging Study for World Relief - SMBHC Thesis Repository

Day of Service” at the World Relief Anne Arundel office just a few miles outside of Baltimore. In an interview, Brittany Guy, Marketing Manager of World Relief, shared insight into the organization's recent advancements in marketing communications.

FOUNDATION

On another individualistic front, 29 percent of millennials are not religiously affiliated, compared to 21 percent of Gen Xers and just 16 percent of Baby Boomers. About two-thirds of millennials "report using social media to address or 47 engage with companies about social and environmental issues," compared to 51 percent of the general population.

METHOD AND METHODOLOGY

Again it was stated that 'stand with us' did not match the person in the photo: "Since he looks so down at number 4, I think it should say 'stand for us' instead of 'with us.'" The terms “civil war,” “treat,” “war” and “torture” stood out to millennials. One participant said, “The image of them standing in that empty airport is quite powerful, as you need.”

Figure 1: Program Most Likely to Support

IMPLEMENTATION

So I’m kind of sensing ones that you work with or that you have personal contact with or ones in your local community

I think

This one is strictly donating monetarily

Cool. So do you then get the money back for that loan?

Cool

Yeah, that stuff is of monetary value

Yeah, to get it out of your car

Do y’all think that donating monetarily is definitely something that more our parents age do? Once we have a steady income? Do you plan on donating once

Ok, so moving on from monetary, I know some of you have already talking about volunteering, but what are some other non-profits that you’ve volunteered

So you work with patients?

What are some other places that you volunteer?

Okay, has anyone ever advocated for a non-profit? Like taken the initiative to spread the word about a certain cause and in what way?

You weren’t a millennial then, or maybe you were…

Does anyone ever change their profile picture or cover photo to some cause?

CD: I think it depends on the reason behind the change, because if it's necessary for a student association, it's not really a plea, but because you don't want to get fined. GHM: Well, there is, and there are also some reasons why people are trying to raise awareness because they've become so mainstream that sometimes it's a thoughtless jump on the bandwagon to put on as a profile picture. I know I had a profile picture for Stop Kony in 2012 [laughter] and I didn't do anything other than change my profile picture before that, so.

I still don’t really know what that is

I think it depends on the reason behind the change, because if it's required for a fraternity or sorority, it's not really advocacy, it's because you don't want to get fined. JS: Just to add to what she said, it's kind of like one of those things, like she said an emotional trigger. Instead of just trying to get us to understand what the reason is, it's like "do it because we're out here in need".

Nonprofits are like I want…”give me your money”…but we don't know the cause.

So, can you elaborate on that?

GHM: I think many people's negative attitudes toward nonprofits stem from a fundamental lack of understanding of what nonprofit necessarily means. They tend to think, “Oh well, they're not supposed to make money,” or something like that. They are a non-profit organization that has both international and US programs and this is a list of their programs... I'll give you all a few seconds to look at this list.

But are there any program titles that immediately resonate with you or that you know you're passionate about.

I know, Mary Kristen, you talked about that, too

So, specifically, I'm working with World Relief on my thesis and I actually interned for them this work with World Relief on my thesis and I actually interned for them this summer.

Collin, why did you say you were passionate about that?

Are there any other ones that jump out at you?

It's like a... they have free therapy, whether it's speech, occupational therapy, music, dance, all these things, and they've never charged a patient. I live in a very rural area and people don't have the money to travel to get that kind of help. Or you don't get what... if you were to support this program, what your money would actually be.

Ok, are there any on this list that you don’t really understand? Or you don’t get what…if you supported this program what your money would actually be

AB: I feel like I'm not as educated about human trafficking as I should be, so I wouldn't be as inclined to donate to it. CD: I feel like human trafficking and refugee resettlement is kind of removed from American society for the most part. So it would be harder for more people to be more willing to donate unless they had friends, family or some connection to these programs.

Would you rather support programs in the United States or international ones?

AB: Number 1 [the Indonesia problem] is the one that jumps out at me the most, just because 10 million is a really big number, so I automatically read what was written under it. KA: I saw number 4 [Indonesia asks] and it was clear to me, just that there's only one thing in bold and it's all in caps. MK: I agree that the number 1 [Indonesia problem] just stands out because 10 million is bold or stands out and it's like a quick fact.

AB: Also, for number 1 [Indonesia problem], 10 million is the first word, so you don't have to read through the whole paragraph to see what the bolded word means.

Going past initial reaction and actually reading the messaging on each piece, are there any words that you can pinpoint that make you want to support the

CC: And I think number 1 [Indonesia problem] stands out because people are looking to see how people are affected by it, you know.

Hmm, because it doesn’t have to be happening

Are there any words that push you away from supporting the cause of Maternal & Child Health?

But it's a lot of commitment with number 4 [requests Indonesia]…doing something or going out and doing something now. KA: Not that it would stop me from helping, because I like what it says, but number 2 [the Indonesia solution] doesn't mean anything to me. Indonesia asks] not even but give me a website that's like go look at this if you want to know what we're doing.

For some reason it doesn't cause the reaction that the others do for me.

So are y’all on the same page that when you see “preventable causes” maybe if this was a larger marketing piece to have more explanation of what those

CD: I almost feel that number 1 [Indonesia problem] and 3 [Indonesia's benefit statement] could be kind of combined, just because they are preventable, and then it shows the things that...need to be done to prevent them. You all know the drill by now...So tell me which one stands out to you first. AB: I think number 4 [South Sudan asks] is the best out of all of these because "stand with us" looks like it applies to the actual picture because they are standing and she looks like she probably just had to go for a walk. really long ways.

So you perceive that as stand with that woman and her child?

Ok. What words resonate with you guys from 1 through 3?

Alright, are there any words that are off-putting?

AB: Number 2 [solution for South Sudan] the title “we are responding to the famine in South Sudan” just doesn't… it seems to me that the person is saying that and it doesn't match.

So, if we take the logic from number 4 [South Sudan ask], it doesn’t really work

Ok, we have two more…So, on these which one jumps out at you first?

MKF: Since he looks so down about number 4 [Syria asks], I think it should say “come for us” instead of “with us”.

Are there any words in the copy that resonate with you on these?

Ok, last one…so, which one pops out to you on this?

Ok, so an actual specific of what you want us to stand with

So, you like the name?

Yeah, what are you guys doing about it? Ok

Yeah, I can see that

Mhmm. They have just gotten off the plane and that’s all they have and they are now living in the United States and not going back to their nation

MKF: I like the first one [South Sudan] because I don't know if you've read that book A Long Way Home about the child soldiers or whatever that reminds me of the cover of that book. It's just a very sad and heartbreaking story, so it reminds me of that. CD: I also think that in the first photo [South Sudan], the bright colors of the background of the photo and the words are very contrasting, so it's a lot easier to understand the message.

But something about this emptiness of the airport behind them gives a kind of depressed feeling.

So, without the words, would this [US] be your favorite photo?

Huntington?

Karsen, what’s your favorite one?

Okay, the next few things are just words…If you were being asked to donate monetarily to World Relief, which word would you like best?

CC: I feel like the first two [Donate and Give] feel like they're obligations.

If you were being asked to volunteer at World Relief, like actually spending your time doing something, which one would you like to see?

What problem do you have? Do you not like vulnerable?

If you were asked to advocate for World Aid, as we discussed at the beginning, which would you rather see?

Do you think that gets across the message of advocate?

It doesn't feel as forced as the first two. volunteer' is by no means a forced verb, but I feel like if you ask me to volunteer or join you, I'd be more likely to join you because I know that's probably the better option. If you were asked to advocate for World Relief, as we talked about at the beginning, which one would you rather see. as we said at the beginning, which one would you rather see. CD: I think that would also be a good area to use "join us" because it makes you feel more like a community.

Do y’all agree with that? “Join us” for advocating? (head nods)

Especially if they ask you to do something, you kind of want to avoid it and say, “I don't even want to talk to you. AB: Especially in college, because a lot of times they try to target students and they're like, "oh, we just need $5 or $10, whatever you can give." And it's like I literally have nothing now.

What about between social media and webpage?

So, it's considered something your friend tells you about, then maybe it's more like "oh!".

Casual?

Okay, why?

But you're not going to get people to go to a website without something else, I think. CD: I think a lot of organizations have moved away from religious names and moved more towards a sense of community like "we are all one people" instead of having something like "salvation" in the name.

So, would you guys be more or less likely to support a non-profit when it was associated with the church? Or does that have an effect?

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Project Title: Millennial Specific Techniques for Non- Profit Marketing Communications: A Messaging Study for World Relief

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