Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend -- not for what they get done.
Scooped by Martin (Marty) Smith |
Esther Turón Perez 's comment,
June 28, 2013 3:33 PM
Very good post, thanks for share.
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Cure Cancer Starter's Lessons
We are working with leading cancer researchers such as Duke and UNC to create a cool crowdfunding platform for cancer reearch called CureCancerStarter.org (http://www.curecancerstarter.org).
This experience alternates between soaring highs and crushing lows. Many of the crushing lows come as I try to convince SaaS vendors to partner with us and make more on the backend than they could ever make on the frontend.
I get it and I don't. When I approach a Bazaar Voice or a Bronto to work with us I'm not asking for a handout. We are looking for visionary partners who can work with us to cure cancer AND crack new markets.
Social marketing works because people buy with LOVE. When all needs are met we buy from those we trust and we want to help and who have helped us. When I speak to vendors about how connection to something as magical as curing cancer CHANGES their brand they look at me like my cat when he is hungry.
If I try to play with Lucian the cat when he is hungry he looks at me exasperated. If I feed him when he wants to play he will eat but not with his usual gusto. Clearly I've done a LOUSY job of matching Cure Cancer Starter's positioning for the capitalists we need to help.
MESSAGE TO ALL CAPITALISTS - LIFE IS DIFFERENT NOW.
The problem is life is different but not so different it can't be denied, avoided or otherwise obstructed. My poor attempts to convince SaaS vedors that the best "advertising" is to help a cool project work on curing cancer flopped.
The problem is in context. They see Cure Cancer Starter and hear I am funding with my 401K and the patronizing starts (all except for Brett Hurt at Bazaar Voice who gave us a fair hearing and who is a generous, brilliant man still said NO but did so nicely and with grace). The idea that THEIR BIG DESTINY is controlled by a series of little ideas like mine has escaped my capitalists brothers and sisters.
MESSAGE TO ALL CAPITALISTS - LIFE IS DIFFERENT NOW.
Doing the right thing is increasingly the right thing to do, the most profitable thing, the most rewarding thing. Bazaar Voice is a great tool, but let's face it reviews come in pulgins now so they aren't as special as when BV could charge $35K a year for their SaaS.
Ecom is bursting out all over, but Bazaar Voice remains an "enterprise" option. If you read that last lie as EXPENSIVE you are correct. Why isn't there a Bazaar Voice tool set for content marketers? Why isn't their a boutique offering for SMBs (to compete with the plugins)?
BV's founder is working for a leading Austin VC firm and they've brought in some excellent senior talent (former big hitter from BlackBaud and Convio is now their President). It takes COURAGE and VISION to see into the future, but any marketer should be in touch with a few truths including:
* Social Media Changes Everything.
* The Most Important presentation is now the content on your website.
* Most website SaaS and B2B content lacks emotional resonance.
* Many B2B marketers talk to themselves about themselves to infinity.
* Money goes to the disruptors, to the brave.
* Money goes to those who WIN Hearts AND Minds.
* Most B2B marketing seeks to win MIND over Heart (good luck).
I failed with Bazaar Voice and jury is still out with my favoirte dinosaur (Bronto). I may fail there too. I will get better and it will be easier to pitch something that exists in the world.
Pitching a "will be launcing soon" is like asking people to play chess in their head. Some can, but most can't play chess in their head. In the meantime I only have one message for every B2B marketer out there:
LIFE IS DIFFERENT NOW.