If Politics Makes for Strange Bedfellows …

(Then Maybe Marketers Shouldn’t Be Shy!)

How to tap the “bed” of Advocacy Lists  

While we have always used terms like “out-of-market” and “under-the-radar” opportunities when touting our skills, we as brokers and managers are truly pressed to find new sources of names for our clients or new sources of revenue for our list owners.   Mailers that were understandably cautious in 2003 are today list owners with much smaller universes and much smaller hotlines.  

Many years ago, I worked at a list company with advocacy and veteran donor files.  I had cut my teeth in the list business with newsletters.  I knew seniors were “information-hungry”, direct mail responsive, and I wanted to put numbers up quickly.  So, I called the brokers I knew for newsletters, catalogs and magazines and they listened. What did I know?  I unwittingly set myself on a course of “out-of market” list rental sales and it is a bailiwick that has proven challenging, exciting and profitable.  

So - you KNOW there is this huge untapped market of “political” names out there with universes that exceed 100M, usage that might mean nothing to you - yet there is no way around this simple fact:  THEY ARE OPENING UP THE MAIL, RESPONDING AND PULLING OUT THEIR WALLETS.   

Generally speaking, the “advocacy” donor is a senior citizen responding to messages they trust, issues they emotionally believe in, and ones that play an important part in their life.  If you have a product that they can believe in, a product they can feel good about and one that could play an important part in their life, think about it - Is it really such a stretch that the well-made product(s) you market, with your well-written invitation to buy, delivered to them in the convenience of their own home might prompt them to open their wallets for you?   

Navigating the world of advocacy fundraising lists:

WHO is the political donor?  The “issue” mailers really know their base and quite a bit about loyalty.   They have reached out to, empowered, informed and enlisted the support of their donor base in a way that is unique only to issue fundraising. They mail these folks “house mailings”, often two times a month, and get a response and a gift!  They give these folks opportunity and a voice and impress upon them that it is heard, valued and appreciated.   

WHAT are they responding to?  If you are completely a-political or only relying on the unseasoned clerk to navigate through the list choices of advocacy fundraisers, you might need to surf a bit, or actually pick up the phone to get up to speed yourself.   Ask the list manager directly “would this work for my offer?  They should know and give you the insight you need to minimize the risk to your mailer.  For example: If they have responded to offers that discuss healthcare, they probably have some reason to be concerned.  Can your newsletter feed their need for health information?  Enhance their life? 

WHY should you test them?    Why not?  Many of these groups will be unrecognizable by name, or even named something “ambiguous”. Don’t discount lists that have statements for titles.  Things like “Citizens for…”, “ Compassionate This" or “Fighters for That”.   The list owners often have a heightened sense of privacy.  If you don’t know ASK.  A routine faxed sample and count request isn’t going to cut it here.   

It is what it is; they are what they are - now why should you mail them?  In many cases this simple fact is enough:  It’s a veritable bed of untapped responsive names, a captured audience at your fingertips.  It then becomes more a matter of volume and pricing.  In their own market the advocacy donor name is priced at $130/M on average.  But a completely non-competitive mailer should get a much better price, (the revenue is welcome to a 501C4) and the test becomes worthwhile to all.

(Never forget, these folks are opening up their wallets– repeatedly- without any write off, immediate gratification or product being shipped.  There is no tax deduction, generally no labels or greeting cards, in fact potentially more work is requested – surveys to be filled out, ballots to be cast, and responses to be voiced and tallied – a real interaction with their mail).

HOW to test the “issue” donor?  First off - Skip the natural tendency towards a hotline mentality.  Remember they didn’t just buy something.  They gave.  And chances are they gave a month ago and the month before that, and the month before that.  These donors, as I mentioned, are getting mail all the time.  Asking for the donor who just gave this month may mean you are:  1.) Minimizing your performance potential and 2.) Minimizing your rollout potential. 

Here's how you need to look at it:  You would be much better served to send your health offer, product catalog, investment newsletter, etc. to Mr. John Q. Sample (who has given $10 to $15 every month for the last year to have his voice heard about economic concerns, education reform, tax cuts, senior rights, etc.) than to Mrs. Betty B. Sample, who has only given ONCE in the last three months and may not be committed to the organization as a whole.   The “recency hotline” in the advocacy world does not necessarily mean “new-to-file.  It means only “recent” gift and that might only give you Betty the one-time donor, not John.  Tightening your recency does not guarantee better response and does not identify multiple transactions, in fact potentially removes them from the output. 

John Q., our first donor, is truly a “multi” donor with an accumulated transaction history in the last 9 months that totals $150 and HE IS LOYAL.  Every time he’s asked he responds favorably with his heart, mind and checkbook.  If your offer is solid and satisfactory, he’ll be loyal to you too.  

Use your head.  If the group appears more traditional or conservative don’t suggest they rub crystals to cure cancer. It isn’t going to happen.  BUT, send them a piece of history (a coin or a book), send them a well-built product (a blender, vacuum, lawnmower) or send them information they can practically use in their lives (education, health advice, news, investment) and they will respond.  Send them something they can feel good about, that will enhance their lives, that is a good solid product, a long term investment, something that they read about, heard good things about, something they will want more of, and they will make those choices with the same sense of dedication and commitment that you are expecting. 

Rita O’Neill is president of O’Neill Marketing Company in  Fairfax, VA, providing list management and list brokerages services since 1999. Her client base is diverse and encompasses fundraising, consumer and B2B. She can be reached at rita@oneillmarketing.com or at 703-934-0272.