Every day, “Branding” becomes more important for Pregnancy Help Clinics and Resource Centers. Consistently, we must ask, “What is our most effective first impression for potential clients? How do we best tell them who we are, what we do and why we are the best option to address their needs?”
If we’re not asking this question on a regular basis, we fall behind. And once we answer this question, we must put our financial resources behind the answer. We must do more than place a sign on our door or create a Facebook page. We need the best in marketing; no doubt about it.
As a thought, let’s go at this from another direction. Let’s say we are a marketing director for a Fire Department. Through extensive research and studies, we’ve found one powerful safety tip which, if heeded, will eliminate 20 fires in our community. And, if our data is correct, this tip will save 5 lives in the coming year.
Five lives. This means if we can get the word out about one safety tip, five people enjoying life today will be doing the same next year. Five families will not mourn. Five businesses will not gather employees one morning to tell them the bad news. Perhaps five churches will still have Sunday school teachers, greeters, or even pew sitters at least showing up each week.
Just five. To families, friends, co-workers, those they see at coffee shops, banks and all over town, these five individuals add something to the community. They will still be with us to celebrate Thanksgivings, Christmases, birthdays and more.
Five.
One tip. Five lives.
What is this worth? If we have this information, we want everyone to know. Let’s raise money. Let’s make sure our campaign reaches everyone. My goal would be, “Not one in our community will miss out on this life-saving idea. Not one.”
Tweet This: My goal - “Not one in our community will miss out on this life-saving idea.”
If I’m the Fire Department’s liaison I’ll go door-to-door, asking for funding so we can share our safety tip in a memorable way. I’m all over social media. I’m advertising a web site where anyone can receive this tip. I’m on TV and radio. The tip is on buses and billboards, at movie theaters and sports venues.
And if someone on the Fire Department’s “Board of Directors” tells me, “We don’t have the money for this,” I would calmly respond . . .
“Let’s think of these five as including one of your family members; perhaps a grandchild. Does the need become more urgent now? If so, will you help us find the money?”
Taking a wild guess, I believe our board member would then think differently. Not only would this board member write a check, he or she would be out beating the drum for more funding for our fire department.
The analogy isn’t perfect, I’m sure. But until we understand the “why” of effective marketing—as our fictional fire department does--we won’t commit to raising our game in this area. And if we don’t truly believe our work at our centers and clinics saves lives, we won’t commit, either.
If we look at the opposition, Planned Parenthood is so committed to effective branding that a significant percentage of our society still--after all the videos, the racist history and so much more—believes this group is a champion of women’s health.
No matter what it takes, we should do better. And, we can.
Tweet This: Lives hang in the balance, and we have the answers! @kirkwalden
Wherever we stand on the marketing spectrum, let’s kick it up a notch. Lives hang in the balance, and we have the answers.
