Download - Good Bites on Christmas Appeals, July 2013
ZSL
Prepared by <name><date>
Christmas in July
Today
• The context – how much extra do we spend at Christmas, and how much extra do our supporters spend?
• Proposition basics – the propositions and techniques that apply across causes and sectors
• Making it right for you – developing a unique and targeted proposition for your Christmas appeal
The context
What charities are spending, and how. What donors are giving, and how.
Christmas is the most recognised
gift-giving occasion in the world.
It seems obvious but let’s remind ourselves.
EVERY charity tries to capitalise on this
What charities are spending, and how.
An annual peak in spend
Source: Royal Mail Centre spend
TV, outdoor & doordrops are growing
Source: Royal Mail Centre spend
Christmas is dominated by big charity brands
Source: Royal Mail Centre spend
What our donors are spending, and how
Only a tiny proportion of extra spend at Christmas
• 50.1% of UK households make a donation to charity in any month.
• This proportion rises to 52.6%in December.
• This represents just a 5% increase in giving.
• Older households have a higher propensity to give than younger ones, but both groups are more likely to give to charity in December.
Source: CPAG report – Charitable giving by UK household
Who are you competing with?
• Average UK household spending rises by about 13% (£64) a week in December.
• 7% is given away e.g. presents/gifts
• Extra donations contribute to less than 1% of this increase (0.6%)
A sobering statistic
In December people spend 17 times more on alcohol than extra donations to charity.
How do we unlock more of this discretionary spend?
More people say they donate through a charitable product purchase at Christmas than any other way
“Thinking about charities at Christmas, do any of the following apply to you?”
Base: 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.Source CAM Dec 2011, nfpSynergy
1 in 5 report giving more to charity at Christmas, but a similar proportion say they find it harder to give
“Thinking about charities at Christmas, do any of the following apply to you?”
Base: 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.Source CAM Dec 2011, nfpSynergy
What works for everyone
Give because it’s our Christmas Appeal
Give the gift of…
New beginnings
Parallel lives
The need doesn’t stop at Christmas
Grant a Christmas wish
Baubles, diaries etc
What you should also look for…
• Urgency – it’s a busy time and easy to be forgotten so is there a deadline around Christmas you can use?
• Engagement – how can you make the gift more meaningful?
• Integration – can you be part of a bigger campaign, or benefit from communications in other channels?
just use the lyrics of Band Aid’s 1984 hit ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
Or,
It's Christmas time, and there's no need to be afraidAt Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade
In our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time
But say a prayer, to pray for the other onesAt Christmas time, it's hard, but when you're having funThere's a world outside your windowAnd it's a world of dread and fear
Well, tonight, thank God it's them instead of you
There won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
BUT: what will work for you?
Why be different?
• Cut through
• Increased relevance
• Build case for support year-round (we’re not just for Christmas)
• Make the case for a bigger gift – this matters
• Get up the list
• Acquisition opportunity
An added layer to your proposition
What people care about
What you do
CHRISTMAS
Do you have to have relevance built in?
What Christmas means to adults and young people
39 39Base: 1,000 11-25 year-olds, 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.
Source YEM Nov 2011, CAM Dec 2011, nfpSynergy
“Christmas is coming soon; which of the following most closely describes what Christmas means for you?”
Gift giving
Christmas is about stories
Traditional story telling
- Bringing ‘the true meaning of Christmas’ to the fore
Modern story telling
- Product based ask- Links to existing behaviour
Create a positive giving experience
• People don’t want to feel guilty for enjoying themselves at Christmas
• Their spending patterns show they prioritise having a good time
• Make giving at Christmas a positive experience
• Both/and not either/or
Some examples
Some examples
Christmas 2011
Xmas 2012
In short
• It’s hard work – competing for attention & spend
• You need to stand out
• Lead with audience insight
• A unique proposition is vital – inspiration
• Then add the elements that work – optimisation
• To go further: integrate