# Innovation in legacy marketing

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/03/07/innovation-legacy-marketing/
- Published: 2015-03-07T12:12:10+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

It is well known that many charities receive a large proportion of legacies from
people they have no relationship with (often 50%). What drives this and how to reach
these people are always key issues when developing a legacy strategy. It is after
all easy to reach those on the database, but how do you take the legacy message 
out cost-effectively from the warm circle of supporters to the wider public?

Some charities do this via their media work, events, press ads and – more recently–
via social media. One great example I saw this week is to be found in Bristol, where
St Peter’s Hospice has taken out bus advertising in support of its legacy campaign.

As part of its wider brand building and awareness raising, which also includes local
radio ads and press work, this bus ad has been running for a year now and is seen
every day by the people of Bristol.

## Advertisement

![St Peter's Hospice legacy advert on a bus](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/
uploads/2015/03/st-peters-hospice-bus-will-advert.jpg)

**St Peter’s Hospice advertises legacy giving on a bus**

Obviously, it is impossible to measure the financial return on this ad spend, especially
in the short term, but my bet is that in the longer term it will prove to be a powerful
investment to drive legacy income, especially from non-core supporters.

In taking out these ads, the hospice has shown a refreshing willingness to invest
in brand building, which I believe will repay itself many times over in future legacies.
By using such media the hospice is taking its message outside the pool of core supporters
and expanding its reach, not just for legacies but in support of all areas of donor
acquisition and development.

St Peter’s is not the only example of innovative legacy promotion or the use of 
outdoor advertising (Amnesty International is currently using bus shelter ads for
the same purpose), but the bus ad is a good example of testing something different.
I would be interested to hear of other such examples.

Finally, fundraising at [St Peter’s Hospice](http://www.stpetershospice.org.uk/)
is led by the able Jo Gibbons.

 * **[Disinheritance ruling: daughter successfully challenges charitable legacies](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/07/28/disinheritance-ruling-daughter-successfully-challenges-charitable-legacies/)**(
   28 July 2015)
 * **[Charities win high court legacy case](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/01/28/charities-win-high-court-legacy-case-2/)**(
   28 January 2016)
 * **[How Peter Rogers ‘Carry On’ films leave a charitable legacy for the British film industry that it once helped to define](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/03/11/how-peter-rogers-carry-on-films-leave-a-charitable-legacy-for-the-british-film-industry-that-it/)**(
   11 March 2016)