From Donor Power blog;

What if Starbucks marketed like the church? A parable

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I]

This is obviously meant to be a humourous  way for churches to look at their presentation, but it has huge lessons for rescuers as we’re often so impassioned by our ‘calling’ that we forget entirely that the people we’re dealing with aren’t just like us.

What if Starbucks marketed like a nonprofit? It would probably be similar to this: Speaking their own idiom, having trumpeting their own goals, blithely unaware how weird they look and sound — and annoyed with their customers who don’t “get it.”

Combative messages dissing people who don’t share the same knowledge or beliefs, an environment that supports ‘the regulars’ rather than making visitors feel welcome, a lack of helpful signage leaving people to wander about lost and the real cracker; demanding people to commit their personal information to you long before you’ve built a relationship or any kind of trust.

Marketing isn’t just a nice website and an advert in the newspaper; it’s about the way you treat the people that visit your organisation. Interactions that begin from the moment people drive into your carpark – how they’re greeted, if they’re treated like they’re an important part of what you do and how you deliver you messages to them, all matter.

People don’t visit you to be converted – they’re just looking for more information. Hold the sermon and the judgement and recognise the gem you have in front of you; a person considering a rescue!

Our impact is not measured by how successful, knowledgeable and impassioned we are, it’s about how we engage and inspire our communities. And we’ll only engage others if we reach out to them on their terms, in their language and in a way that doesn’t make them feel eerily uncomfortable.

Latte anyone?

Phoning around to rescues today I’ve been privy to some absolutely fantastic tales of success and very, very good news.

For example;

- A rescue that has had such a successful two months, that their local pounds are empty for the first time ever.

We have to kill pets. We can’t adopt them all.

- A group director that has been so inspired by new, positive sheltering techniques from the US, that it’s rekindled her passion for rescue and connected their group with adopters and the public in a new and profound way.

We have years of experience and know everything. We don’t need to visit other countries.

- A rescue group so capable, that they’ve expanded beyond their own backyard and are now profiling and temperament testing dogs in pounds all over, helping improve death row pet adoptions.

We’re under resourced. We can’t help you.

- A group who’s first effort at a fundraising event inspired their community so profoundly, that they needed a much, much, much bigger venue.

This economy means no one will support us.

And many, many other examples of how when inspired, creative and dedicated, and with the community engaged, that there is absolutely nothing a group can’t achieve.

If you’re struggling and whining and hate your public – then know that there are groups having huge success and are not struggling, whining. And they love their public

And that they are the future and you’re not.

So much energy in rescue is spent sniping and criticising and defending the status quo that could be used to come up with ways to improve our rescues. So much time is spent tearing down the efforts of others, that could be used to celebrate and promote our successes.

I myself am guilty – we all have been at some stage. But today is a new day and I’m going to make an effort to associate with the groups that totally ‘get it’. And rather try and change the sniping and venomous – we’re just going to leave them in our dust.

For restoring my faith; to all of you – thankyou.

Christie Keith’s interview with Nathan Winograd: Why not celebrate dogs? (mp3)

“activating the love that most people feel for animals”

See more:

Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a shelter dog

Boycotting the Chi Movie

Good reasons to bring in a law;

It’ll work.
It doesn’t disadvantage poor people.
It’ll work.

Bad reasons to bring in a law;

You’re angry at your community.
There is easily manipulated hatred of animals to fuel your campaign.
It’s easy to slide by the people in power who don’t know any better.

Bad law city; WA’s Premier Colin Barnett backs mandatory desexing

Kalcathunter Says:
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
To be frank, all cats should be nutured and microchipped like dogs and it should be COMPULSORY! Here is Kalgoorlie, the cats are a bloody nusiance and owners couldn’t careless!
In our street, some of the moronic bogans have a cat which is untrained and completely feral, this swine gets up on roofs in the night waking people up, plus it fights with other more ‘homely’ cats and causes serious damage to them!

It’s time this government sort the issue of cats out once and for all, before I get my air rifle! lol