The evolution of nonprofit marketing: From 2020 to today

Welcome to the latest edition of Moving Forward, a newsletter designed to help nonprofits exchange ideas and learn from one another to unlock the full potential of the sector. This week, we’re excited to welcome Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council, to discuss how nonprofit marketing has evolved throughout the pandemic, and what the coming months hold.

In your eyes, what are some of the biggest shifts that have taken place in nonprofit marketing since the start of the pandemic, and do you expect these changes to stick?

In the early days of the pandemic, there was no room for messaging about anything else. Of course, as everyone started to realize that COVID-19 was going to be a much longer and more difficult ordeal than anyone initially could’ve imagined, two things happened.?

First, the discussion broadened beyond urgent response messaging to include real, thoughtful examinations of the systemic issues that have been intertwined with and exacerbated by COVID-19, like racial inequity and mental health. Not only was it finally acceptable to be talking about these things, it was required—and it wasn’t just conversation that was required, it was real, measurable action. That’s here to stay.?

Second, over time, there became this sense that the pandemic would be part of our world for the foreseeable future. Work that seemed to exist in a pre-COVID bubble risked being perceived as tone deaf, but there was also this sense, over time, that all the work that did acknowledge the hardships of COVID started to look the same, didn’t always feel authentic, and people were sort of glazing over and not responding anymore. As the narrative has changed, the work has had to evolve, and that will be true for some time.?

Do you anticipate that nonprofit marketers will have to contend with donor fatigue in the months ahead??

The pandemic has created all sorts of unprecedented challenges for nonprofits, and I would never want to minimize that. But as corporations and organizations of all kinds continue to become more purpose-driven and more vocal about communicating that purpose to their stakeholders, I believe that can only benefit the potential nonprofit partners that can help them execute on the causes that align with their values.

We have more than 300 partners on our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, including brands, corporations, media, tech, health experts, sports leagues, faith-based organizations, influencers, pharmacies, various corporate alliances and community organizations, and more. Not all of them are donating dollars—many are donating resources, time, and effort. Some days it seems like the more people we work with, the more people want to get involved, because they see what we’re accomplishing by working together.??

In other words, I’m optimistic that if nonprofit marketers keep doing what they’ve always done, if they keep leading on the causes they’re founded upon, if they keep innovating, then donors will see that.?

What can nonprofits do to ensure their messaging remains aligned with rapidly changing circumstances and donor expectations?

Recognize that there may be no one-size-fits-all approach. The platform for our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative is “It’s Up To You”—as in, it’s up to you to get the facts about vaccination and also do your part, because vaccination is the best way for all of us to work together to combat the pandemic. And obviously, the questions people have about the vaccines have evolved along with the rollout, so it’s been important to stay on top of what people need to know and how we can help them get the answers.

But this isn’t a single-message campaign, and it never has been. We like to say we have an air game and a ground game—we have big, broad messaging efforts that have included four ex-presidents and the pope, but we also have work from Black-owned agencies that connects with the Black community, work from Latine partners that reaches that community, work from health experts to empower doctors and nurses, and so on. We’re not just going big and broad: we’re going deep into these communities. Of course, no community is a monolith, and every person can have different reasons for hesitancy. And that’s true whether we’re talking about vaccine hesitancy or any other issue.?

What advice do you have for nonprofits unsure how to make their message stand out?

At the Ad Council, we always talk about how we have to meet people where they are. Sometimes the aggressive message might feel good in the moment, but then you test it and you realize it has turned people off because they feel it’s too preachy or it feels like a lecture. So it’s not going to change anyone’s mind.

We were founded during WWII, and over the decades we’ve learned this lesson over and over again—the messenger is just as important as the message. And that’s never been more true than in our current climate, which has become so polarized and so full of misinformation. So it’s more important than ever to consider not just the message, but how it’s being delivered and how it’s being received. It’s less about standing out and more about doing the hard work to connect authentically with the communities you’re trying to reach.?

How has your nonprofit adapted its messaging over the course of the pandemic, and what changes do you anticipate on the horizon? Join the conversation by using the hashtag #MovingForward or sharing your thoughts in the comment section.

Mary Zhu, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Develop for Good, was featured on Forbes. She discussed how the organization is helping accelerate the digital transformation of the nonprofit sector.

Richard Di Pilla, Chairman at Global Goodwill Ambassadors, shared a heartwarming video of a little boy receiving a prosthetic arm, to show the advances of medicine.

Nicholas Merriam, CEO and Co-Founder of sea.citi, highlighted the importance of competitive salaries for retaining talent in the nonprofit sector.??

• Post-Pandemic Considerations for Your Nonprofit’s Marketing Strategy: While it’s difficult to say when the pandemic will be behind us, these ideas from NonProfit PRO can help you evolve your strategy over time.
• 7 Proven Marketing Strategies for Nonprofits: If you’re looking to fine-tune your nonprofit’s marketing efforts for the holiday season, these tips are a good place to start.?
• 5 Clever Marketing Strategies that Helped Nonprofits Flourish During the Pandemic: Learn from what worked for others in this handy roundup of clever nonprofit marketing strategies compiled by Newsweek.

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