What can Cath Kidston teach fundraisers?
Howard Lake | 14 December 2015 | Blogs
Like most people, I’m not a fan of junk mail – whether it’s a takeaway menu on a Monday night when I’m trying to be healthy, or a gas company looking to sell me their wares, it usually goes straight into the recycling. With one important exception.
I always look forward to receiving mail from Cath Kidston; it’s elegant, it’s classy, and most importantly, it adds value and feels personal to me.
Suffice to say, when I recently received the company’s Christmas campaign mailing, I was thrilled. Had it not been for the typed address, I would honestly have thought it was from a particularly attentive friend.
Inside a spotted and colourful envelope awaited a really well made Christmas card and preview of their spring collection. The card thanked me for being a loyal customer, the reward for which was a 20% discount inside a pullable paper cracker.
Cath Kidston at Christmas
I loved the exclusivity of this card, which felt like it was from an old friend, rather than a multi-million pound business, as well as the interactive cracker, inside which lay a lucrative discount just for me.
So, what do I think fundraisers could take away from this?
• Ensure your supporters feel appreciated. Charities can’t give people money off their favourite brand; instead, they can add value by demonstrating the difference that their donation has and, and will continue to, make.
• Personalise your mail – even better, handwrite it if resources allow. Edinburgh based charity Bethany Christian Trust, for example, handwrite every single Christmas card they send out to their supporters.
• If you’re able to, include something interactive in your mailings. Be creative about this – it doesn’t have to break the bank; but it should be something memorable that recipients can associate with your organisation.
Rebecca Curtis-Moss is an experienced fundraiser with a love of all things digital and social. Having previously worked as a sole fundraiser for both hyper local and UK-wide charities, she now works at the Institute of Fundraising Scotland, where she is responsible for marketing and communications in the Scotland office, and ensuring that Scottish fundraisers have access to the very best networking, training and support opportunities. Follow her at @rebecca_curtis.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.