I had the honour of speaking about peer to peer marketing at The Association of Fundraising Professionals Congress in Toronto yesterday. It is the largest non-profit conference in Canada and was incredibly well produced.
Had a great time, met some interesting people, all in all, a real worthwhile experience.
I was particularly impressed by what AFP did to thank speakers. Usually, if you present, you get a mug, pen or some other implement.
On behalf of AFP, after I spoke, the host of my session gave me this:
Yeah, a card.
But the card said something way cooler than a mug could have:
The fourth paragraph is the neat part. AFP makes a donation to a charity of MY choice (and offers a default option). I love the choice part and am really impressed by the brand appropriateness of the whole thing.
Great events get the details right. AFP Congress is a sterling example of this.
Great idea, and thanks for sharing.
Can you elaborate on what you meant by “the brand appropriateness of the whole thing”?
For sure. Forgive my unclarity 🙂
I just meant that the AFP – a brand in the philanthropy game – really walks the philanthropic walk by giving this gift to its speakers. Much smarter than say giving presenters a pen or mug.
Take care, Sarah!
Ah yes of course. I must have been sleepy when I first read it!
I am relatively new to the field of marketing and yet have been given a unique marketing position with a lot of opportunity in Beijing (Chinese company targeting foreign companies). Somewhat deviating from the exact topic of this post, and at the risk of sounding too calculating, I realize that I need to recommend my company develop some charitable project (other than pro bono work, perhaps). I really have no idea where to start yet. The example you provided is of course unique, as my company is not a non-profit nor an association related to philanthropy, but I think a lesson can be learned here about carefully considering one’s specific (target) audience and then finding a uniquely relevant way to grab their attention.
You take care as well!
Sarah