Inflight Briefing: 005

5 min read

Nov 1, 2022 4:00:00 PM

Delivered weekly, the Inflight Briefing is designed as a blueprint for the builder and inspiration for the curious. It's for the purposeful (that's you!) doing marketing for good.

005: The holidays are upon us

Hurry up and wait! This is a pretty common feature of life if you work with people. But knowing when to wait and when to pounce is at the heart of successful leadership, marketing, fundraising… I think I just meant to say life.

Essential to the decision making process is gathering actionable data. If you measure what really matters to your organization, you’re going to be better able to realize the potential of each moment.

One of those pivotal moments is the end-of-year season. The average nonprofit spends 44% of their ad spend in two months: November and December. Are you measuring and optimizing these ad campaigns to maximize your organization’s growth?

And one of the key dates that kicks off this hectic and wonderful season is Giving Tuesday. Do you have plans in place to knock it out of the park this year?

Snackable snippets

Does what you measure matter?

Goals are critical to success — for individuals as well as for organizations. This is why it’s so important to decide on the right goals. Instead of nodding along to the first suggestion, ask yourself hard questions about the value those metrics afford your organization.

How much of your end-of-year budget is going toward digital advertising?

End of year is game time for nonprofits as so much of the yearly budget lands during this small window in time. Raisely is leading a webinar Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. EST to help nonprofits more effectively advertise online during this critical season.

Are patience and speed incompatible?

In this podcast, Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, interviews Tory Burch, who built a fashion brand in order to fund her foundation supporting women’s issues. Tory took risks and seized opportunities, but she also said no and waited for the right thing to come her way.

How to make the most of this year’s Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday only comes once a year. What began as a fundraising event for a New York City Y has become an international movement encouraging philanthropic giving. Donors are giving more and more every year — from $1.97 billion in 2019 to $2.7 billion in 2021!

In the news

Halloween has come to a wrap, but retailers are still counting up frightening amounts of cash from the scary decorations they sold — $10 billion to be exact.

Apple is planning to expand its ad revenue. After shutting out a lot of competitors from personal iPhone data, Apple now holds all the cards. Advertising currently accounts for $4 billion of their annual revenue, but the company plans on moving that number into the double digits soon.

Something for your inspiration folder

The Humane Society’s anti-animal testing short film, “Save Ralph,” won two Webby Awards for its emotionally powerful storytelling. Ads don’t always have to be about profit — they have the power to change minds. Just watch “Save Ralph” for proof.

Disclaimer: This is one of the hardest videos I’ve ever watched. But it also refined my thinking very quickly. So watch at your own risk — sometimes sadness can be inspiring.

Trick or treat? This is a genius ad from McDonald's from way back in 2014.