By cdelprincipe@hubspot.com (Curt del Principe)

Before this week’s master found her path to the nonprofit sector, she worked with big brands like Pepsi, Frito-Lay, and FedEx. And even founded her own small business clothing line.

Now, she leads communications and partner engagement for state development initiatives for Best Buddies International, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

And her rare marriage of small business, agency, enterprise, and nonprofit experience has led to some of the best advice on brand presence that I’ve encountered yet.

Lise Lozelle

Sr. Director of State Communications & Engagement, Best Buddies International

• Fun fact: Fly fishing is her reset button. When everything slows down, the best ideas show up. She even launched her own fly fishing clothing line, Maven Fly.

• Claim to fame: Lise’s personal startup brand launched a fashion-inspired made-in-the-USA women’s fishing shirt for $125. People said it would never sell at that price. A year later, the big brands raised prices and elevated their style, proving that small brands can create a ripple effect.

Lesson 1: You don’t marry someone on the first date.

What’s the first tactic that comes to mind when you imagine nonprofit marketing?

My first thought was, “Oh no, they’re going to ask me for money.” That’s not only wrong but, ironically, not very charitable.

Lise Lozelle shuts that myth down in no uncertain terms. And pay attention, you for-profit marketers; this advice is for you, too.

“You don’t marry someone on the first date,” Lozelle laughs. “If you want someone to give money to you, you need to make them feel good about it first.”

In practice, that means the majority of Best Buddies’ marketing efforts focus on brand building, not solicitation.

“Let’s build a relationship with people and give them bite-size pieces of how they can learn about your organization.”

Even here at Masters in Marketing, we make sure that you get a certain number of educational emails before you ever see a marketing blast.

So slow it down. Wine and dine ’em first. Make your prospects fall in love with your brand before you pop the question: “Will you make me the happiest marketer in the world and click this CTA?”

Lesson 2: Stand for something. (But do it authentically.)

“What brands can learn from nonprofits is that you have to stand for something. Especially with this next generation,” Lozelle says. “Your consumers want to know what your company does to make the world better.”

And the data proves her point. HubSpot research shows that 82% of consumers want to buy from brands that share their values — and that number climbs still higher for Gen Z.

“Brands that don’t understand that are going to feel some pain from this next generation.”

As a marketer, …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron