Happy Holidays!

 

Have a wonderful holiday season from everyone at DMI! 

We look forward to a new year filled with prosperity and success. 

--L

Giving Back!

On Tuesday a group from DMI went to Second Harvest Food Bank to volunteer!

It was exciting to see how many other companies and individuals were there to volunteer their time. We were part of the group that was tasked with the job of food sorting. We went through barrels of food that was donated, sorted them, and then boxed them for distribution.

 














 

 
















 

Everyone had a great time and we can't wait to go back next year to help out again!


We are always looking for volunteer opportunities at local Non Profits, so please let us know if we can help.

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - Thanksgiving Edition!

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love spending time with family and eating a huge feast!

If you are looking for an activity to help prepare your appetite for the huge feast there is still time to register for the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot! With registration you get a cool shirt and the proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank, Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, and the Santa Clara County Children's Health Initiative.

Or if you want an activity after your Thanksgiving feast to burn off some calories, check out Christmas in the Park! They are having their opening ceremony this Friday, 11/25/11, at 5:30pm. I absolutely adore Christmas in the Park and everyone should go as many times as possible.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend! Gobble gobble!

--L

Happy Veterans Day!

Thank you to all the men and women who have served or currently serve our country. We are truly grateful.

--L

Imprint Indicia Advertising?

I can't believe how cold it has gotten over the past few days! Hope everyone is staying bundled up.

In the most recent MailPro magazine, there was an interesting article that caught everyone's attention at DMI, titled "Pilot makes perfect: USPS test indicia concept."

This article talked about a new initiative called Picture Perfect Imprint Indicia. This allows businesses to advertise on the imprint of the outer envelope as displayed in the sample picture below:

"Chrysler's test already has been used on an estimated 1 million mailpieces. Now USPS is interested in marketing this new enhancement to other current and potential permit holders as a way to add value to the mail and generate incremental revnue."





The USPS hopes this will appeal to businesses because it will "attract more attention and potentially improve the reading rate of their mailpieces."

I think this type of marketing has a lot of potential and can make direct mail much more personable.

What are your thoughts on this? Would a graphic on the indicia give you more of an incentive to open the mailpiece?

--L

Do we need to give up on QR codes?

I have been interested in QR codes since I started seeing them pop up all over the place. However, many people believe that QR codes are not useful as a marketing tool. I believe that if they are used correctly, they can be a powerful resource in a multichannel marketing campaign.

A recent article in AdAge agrees. The article highlights several successful QR code campaigns and also lists reasons why some QR code campaigns may fail. The main reason being:

•  No instructions. Not everyone knows what a QR code is and how to scan it. So it's necessary to include clear and concise instructions that include the benefits of bothering to make the scan. 

"Barcode usage in North America continues to expand in Q3 with 42.1% growth in the USA...compared to Q2." This means that people are now just starting to get the hang of these codes. When used effectively in direct mail, these barcodes can provide quick and easy access to your donation page, website, etc.

Has your company or organization given up on QR codes? If so, why?

--L

DMI's Pet Corner!

It seems like everyone at DMI has a pet so I thought it would be fun to feature them in today's post.

Meet Louis! He's ready to attack at any moment!

Gio loves his paperwork! What a hard worker!

Jacoby is a squirrel in training! Either that or he's meditating!

K Dog's tongue is larger than life! So is his personality!

Sheba is already preparing for the cold winter!

Stinky is not so stinky after her bath! So cozy!

Owen loves his pet chicken! Looks like we have a future farmer!

I hope everyone enjoyed getting to know us by meeting our adorable pets. Have a wonderful weekend!

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - Habitat Edition!

TGIF!

I have a wonderful weekend event for those who have no plans this Saturday.

Habitat for Humanity Silicon Valley is having a Habitat Walk Home event to kick off their "Cupertino housing development with a walk to [their] construction site to raise funding and awareness for low-income housing."

The event will start at 12:30pm with a wonderful BBQ lunch and raffle. Then the walk will start at 1:30pm with a marching band send off! All walkers will receive a t-shirt, wrist band, and a raffle ticket. All this only costs $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for students and children. Or you can sign up your whole family (2 adults and 2 children) for $60.00. What a bargain!

To buy tickets just click here:  http://habitatwalkhome.eventbrite.com/

Enjoy the wonderful weather this weekend!

--L

Fundraising Survey Results

The Nonprofit Research Collaborative has conducted a survey of nonprofits to identify trends in fundraising. The results were recently published and offered some good insights such as:

• "44 percent of responding charities reported increases in funds raised."
• "Almost all methods of fundraising saw increased results at about 30 to 36 percent of responding charities."
• "Just over half (54%) of responding charities investing in direct mail or in major gifts reported increased revenue from the method in the first half of 2011."

Even though it has been a rough economic year, it seems that a lot of nonprofits are reporting increases in fundraising. This survey provides an optimistic view of the rest of 2011, especially as we enter the holiday season.

DMI is also conducting a survey regarding charitable giving in conjunction with The Survey and Policy Research Institute at San Jose State University. You can view the reports from 2009 and 2010 in DMI Links (toolbar on the right hand side).

If you are interested in receiving more information about our current or previous surveys, please let me know and we will be happy to discuss them with you.

--L

P.S. Stay dry everyone!

DMI's Community Weekend - Oktoberfest Edition!

Happy Oktoberfest! But before you go out to have beer and sausages, there is another Oktoberfest event that I wanted to share.

The Humane Society Silicon Valley is having a Barktoberfest Dog Adoption Event on Saturday (10/01/11) from 11am-4pm.

"This dog adoption extravaganza features a wide variety of breeds and sizes such as Beagles, Poodles, Golden Retrievers, Terriers, Rottweilers, Chihuahuas, Pit Bulls, and more!" So check out the website and find the right dog for you.

After you adopt a wonderful new puppy, click on the links below for more traditional Oktoberfest events around the Bay Area:

http://www.examiner.com/restaurant-news-in-san-jose/updated-san-jose-oktoberfest-2011-events

http://www.mercurynews.com/dining-scene/ci_18965129?source=rss

--L

Direct Mail to the rescue!

It feels like I've been away from the blog for too long. I was on vacation last week but I'm back and ready to blog!

As many people know, the Post Office is in financial trouble and on the brink of default, per a recent article in Advertising Age Magazine. So what is the Post Office doing? They are developing programs to make direct mailing "friendlier in hopes of luring more revenue by reaching out to new users." Currently only "about 22% of businesses use direct mail." These programs will be part of a large TV campaign that is planned to air next year and is the first time the Post Office has "aggressively marketed" these types of programs.

One of the new programs is called "Every Door Direct Mail" which allows a company or an organization to "send out mailings that don't require specific addresses or names." You can drop off the pieces at your local Post Office and only pay 14.2 cents per piece for postage.

These new programs will allow direct mail to be much more cost effective and efficient. Direct mail is a large part of what we do here at DMI and we are constantly in talks with the Post Office to make sure we are informed and knowledgeable about these up and coming programs.

If you would like to learn more, please contact me!

--L

Direct mail's impact on the brain

I was recently given an article from Deliver Magazine that discusses the impact of direct mail on your brain from a recent study.

"A recent neuroscience study conducted jointly by research firm Millward Brown, Bangor University and the United Kingdom's Royal Mail shows direct mail makes a deeper and longer-lasting impression on people's brains than digital advertising."

"Three main areas of difference were uncovered between how study participants’ brains processed direct mail and digital messaging: The first area of difference was the degree to which the emotional centers of the brain were activated, with direct mail generating more or deeper emotional processing than the digital messaging. Second, the brain saw the physical material as more real than the digital messaging. Third, there was more activity in the areas of the brain that are connected to introspection when people viewed the direct mail."

So what does this mean?

• Direct mail is still essential in a marketing strategy. 
• "Companies that want to communicate and differentiate their brand over a long period of time... might want to consider using direct mail to deliver the message."
• Direct mail pieces should be engaging and be of substance in order to convey the message effectively. 

With the rise of digital media people are quick to dismiss direct mail, however, there is value in having a multichannel approach in marketing. As this study showed, people process and react differently to various types of outreach.

Contact me if you want to learn more about DMI's multichannel approach!

--L

Dreamforce!

Yesterday, our Research Associate and I attended the Dreamforce Expo in San Francisco. It is an annual conference by salesforce.com. There were a lot of people and everyone seemed very excited to apply social media concepts to sales, marketing, and production. Here are a few pictures from our adventure:

Social media at its best!

The room was filled for the keynote speech. Must have been over 40k people!

Entering the exhibit hall.

The cloud was the main theme of the Expo.

The cloud allows you to expand your services without having to install any actual software.

There were a lot of cool booths with great giveaways like these Dippin Dots!

Dreamforce gave me a lot of insight in applying social media in order to market to potential prospects, and learn more about your current customers/clients. I also learned a lot about cloud computing and what is possible with the existing platforms that are out there. As I learn more, I can't wait to share the information with everyone.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

--L

Social Media Growth

I am a super fan of social media. I love being connected with people and getting up to date information quickly. Even if you are not an avid user of social media like me, you can't ignore the rapid growth.

Search Engine Journal recently produced a serious of infographics to show that social media is not "over-hyped" but is a rapidly growing industry. A couple of the infographics that resonated with me were (click on the graphs to enlarge them):

There is growth shown in every age group and every age group is using social media.

More and more companies are using social media for marketing.

There has already been significant growth in this industry and this trend will continue to grow. As more and more people use social media, companies need to recognize this channel and include it as part of their multichannel approach.

How do you personally use social media? How does your company use social media? 

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - Italian Festa Edition!

Happy Friday! One of the things I look forward to over the weekend is hanging out with family and friends and eating a great meal.

There is a perfect event that will fulfill both those requirements this weekend! It is the 31st Annual Italian Family Festa!

The event runs from 12pm-9pm on Saturday (08/27/11) and 12pm-6pm on Sunday (08/28/11) at the Guadalupe River Park in San Jose and admission is free! There will be live entertainment, wonderful Italian food, cooking demos, bocce ball, arts and crafts and much much more!

You can also feel good about enjoying this wonderful event because proceeds from this event will benefit the Italian American Heritage Foundation Scholarship Program and the various events held at the Italian American Heritage Foundation Cultural Center.

Enjoy the weekend. I hear the weather will be fantastic!

--L

Better Know a DMI Employee!

Who's ready for our 4th installment of Better Know a DMI Employee?

Today's interview is with our Operations Officer, W. Let's get to know W better!

L: How long have you been with DMI?

W: A little over 8 years.

L: What do you do when you're not at DMI?

W: I hang out with my family. 

L: Is there anything in particular that your family likes to do?

W: We play a lot of soccer. Even my 3 year old is going to start playing.

L: 3 year olds can play soccer too?

W: He's tired of sitting on the sidelines.

L: Wow! Is there anything else you do besides soccer?

W: I go to school which takes up a lot of time.

L: What are you studying in school?

W: I'm pursuing an MBA emphasizing in Finance and Entrepreneurship.

L: That sounds very interesting. Is it hard to balance work, family, and school?

W: Yes but I find a way to prioritize everything. Like most things you have to set your priorities.

L: Great advice! Thanks for your time. I know you're a very busy person.

I hope everyone enjoyed getting to know another DMI employee.

To read the previous interviews click on the links below:

http://datamarketinginc.blogspot.com/2011/03/better-know-dmi-employee.html

http://datamarketinginc.blogspot.com/2011/05/better-know-dmi-employee.html

http://datamarketinginc.blogspot.com/2011/06/better-know-dmi-employee.html

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - End of summer!

The summer is officially winding down. Kids are back in school and fall clothes are on the shelves of all the department stores.

We must celebrate the end of summer! Happy Hollow Park and Zoo is having an End of Summer BBQ with live music! The event is this Sunday (08/21/11) from 2-6pm.

Best of all, music and games are included with admission price (tickets to the park and zoo are only $12!). They will have BBQ, beer, and wine available for an additional charge.

So bring your family out and enjoy some good food and the nice weather while you still can!

Have a great weekend!

--L

Current Trends in Individual Giving

I came across a blog called The Non Profit Times while going through DMI's twitter feed (follow us @datamarketinc). The blog post offered 5 recent trends in giving that came from Margaret Holman at the 2011 Fundraising Day in New York.

The 2 trends that stuck out for me were:

• "Major donors continue to give, but they are narrowing their focus to fewer charities for bigger impact."

•  "Some trends are still true. For example: The most generous donors are likely to give by mail... and Giving still happens because donors are involved with organizations; 42% of donors volunteer with their organizations."

These 2 trends are important because it shows the importance of cultivating and growing your donor base. You want to make sure people know they are having a direct impact with their donation by communicating effectively and direct mail still is the effective method of communication. The organizations that show major donors what their donation will actually achieve, have a better chance in securing their donations. People are not able to give to as many charities as before.

Also donors want to be involved and engaged in the organizations that they support and that same principle works the other way around. Those who are already involved and engaged in organizations have a higher chance of becoming donors. 

For those involved in non profit organizations, do you feel that these trends are accurate in what you are seeing internally?  For those who are donors, do you feel that these trends are accurate in your personal giving patterns?

--L

Fun and creative QR Codes

QR codes are everywhere these days. I know I've mentioned them plenty of times on the blog.

I came across a post that showed off some very creative QR codes. I never realized you could alter the image to be more appropriate to your brand.

"'Designer QR codes are not only a way to make your 2D barcode stand out, but they also add a more human element to the otherwise cold and techie appearance.' says Patrick Donnelly, QR code designer and expert. 'This could be the difference between someone scanning your code or not.'"

My favorite one was:

This is a really interesting way to stand out in the crowd and also incorporate your logo or brand into the barcode.

Which ones did you guys like? Are designer QR codes something your company/organization would be interested in?

--L

Who is your audience?

Knowing your audience is to any marketing campaign. But what do we do when the audience is constantly changing?

A recent article titled Mosaic Marketing Takes a Fresh Look At Changing Society in the New York Times highlighted an agency that specializes in cross-cultural marketing. "As results from the 2010 census continue to be released, the changing demographic makeup of the American consumer market is increasingly a topic for discussion -- and action -- among advertisers and agencies. One trend to emerge is known as cross-cultural marketing, aimed at a general market that may be more of a mosaic than a melting pot."

This is a new approach to marketing because usually "traditional multicultural marketing is directed at specific demographics groups like Hispanics, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, women or gay and lesbian consumers."

Many large companies such as British Airways and Ikea are starting to use this new approach in their advertising campaigns and it seems that many other companies are signing on. Instead of singling out specific demographic groups, they are looking for agencies to find common ground between people so that the advertising appeals to all groups and is more cohesive. They are looking for "cross-cultural nuances that could work cross-culturally."

I think this type of approach can be useful in every aspect of marketing including direct mail. The data, creative, and copy should "appeal to consumer similarities rather than differences."

What do you think about this new approach?

--L

How do you reach your donors?

I'm still in shock that it's August already. The summer is moving so fast!

DMI attends and sponsors Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) lunches. These lunches provide a great opportunity to connect with other people in the fundraising field. They recently had a very interesting article on their website (which is a great resource) regarding how to reach donors in an integrated way.

"Integrated marketing incorporates multiple channels in a combination that works best for the message. The message is consistent across channels and is seamless to the recipient."

The report provided a "snapshot" of what other nonprofit organizations "are doing to integrate their messaging." The main takeaway from the report was that not enough organizations collect physical addresses for online donors and not enough people collect email addresses for those they mail to. Also, the two methods need to coincide and have the same look and feel.

This is great information not only for nonprofit organizations but also for any company or business. 

DMI knows how important it is to create an integrated direct marketing campaign. When we create project schedules we make sure to take into account all the other various outreach efforts and attempts to make sure the campaign flows smoothly.

How does your organization or company handle email and direct mail campaigns?

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - Wine Edition!

TGIF! You know what sounds good right now? A nice glass of wine! If you agree, then I have a wonderful event for you.

Surf City Vintners in Santa Cruz is hosting a Food & Wine Faire this Saturday (July 30th) from 5:30pm-9:00pm. The event benefits the Second Harvest Food Bank - Santa Cruz County and will help "fund 6,000 healthy meals for kids in Santa Cruz County."

Food and wine will be sold by each vendor so there is no entry fee and "in the interest of sustainable practices, please bring your own plates, utensils and wine glasses." There will also be live music!

So bring your friends and some wine glasses and enjoy this "urban picnic!"

Happy weekend everyone!

--L

Direct Mail Blunders

I can't believe July is almost over. Time sure flies when you're having fun!

I was browsing through Deliver Magazine and came across an article titled When Direct Mail Goes Wrong. It was a humorous take on direct mail mistakes that were submitted by marketers from around the world.

My favorite one was:

Wrong list was used and one personalization (my favorite) was “Dear Mrs. Mother Superior.” The magazine was not all that pleased.

We can laugh about it after the fact but we all know what a nightmare it is when a direct marketing vendor makes a data mistake.

DMI takes data very seriously (the word data is in our name after all!). We know the importance of having clean data and we go through proper quality control steps to ensure deliverability and maximize ROI.

For more information visit our Data Hygiene Solutions or contact me!

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - Community Celebration Edition!

Happy Friday! I really love the summer time and all the fun summer activities like the 3rd Annual Portera Common Community Celebration!

This is a great event that benefits not only 1 but 4 local non profits like the Second Harvest Food Bank!

The celebration is Wednesday 07/27/11 and is from 6pm-8:30pm at the Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell. There will be a Michael Jackson tribute band performing along with great food and drinks courtesy of Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery.

Admission is easy! All you need to bring are the following items:

1. "A nutritious, non-perishable food item (no glass containers) for Second Harvest"
2. "$5 or more (cash or check) to go directly to the Community Mammography Access Program at CHP"
3. "An item of clean, gently used career clothing or shoes for women or men for the Career Closet"
4. "School supplies for Sacred Heart"
5. "A friend, co-worker, neighbor or family member to enjoy this FUN event and contribute to the charities listed above"

Best of all, 100% of the proceeds benefit the charities listed!

For any additional information check out the links above or go directly to the event website: http://sites.google.com/site/porteraccc/

Have a wonderful weekend!

--L

Is Social Fundraising Right For Me?

I know I've mentioned social media in various posts throughout this blog but I believe this is an emerging channel in fundraising.

I listened to a podcast today from The Chronicle of Philanthropy that interviewed 2 people who have been actively using social media to fundraise.

The first person is Tracy Viselli who is "a community manager at Action Alexandria, [and] is working with a group of small, local nonprofits in Alexandria, Va., to build successful online fund-raising campaigns." The second person is Aaron Steinberg who is "the social media manager at SAR Academy, in Bronx, N.Y." His school is "participating in an online fund-raising contest designed to help it attract at least 1,000 online donors."

They raised several interesting points from their experiences that I think every organization who is thinking of launching social media campaigns need to consider:

• For Aaron, prior to beginning the school's contest, he had to evaluate if social media marketing was appropriate for his organization. He wasn't sure how responsive parents of the Academy would be. All organizations need to discuss this internally. What does social media mean to our organization and to our supporters? Wanting to be "social" and being "social" are 2 very different things.

•  For Tracy, her main takeaway was the importance of training. You must train the staff and everyone in the organization how to use social media. And not only how to use the platforms like Facebook or Twitter, but to be able to understand how to capitalize the impact. Another component is to be able to train your donors and potential donors. Both Tracy and Aaron urge people to hold events that incorporate a social media element. Have laptops, people, and literature available on how to participate in the social media campaign.

• Both agree that experimentation is key. Try different approaches. Aaron was able to have a local company match donations and turned it into a contest to see how many donors and dollars they could bring in. Tracy had various local non profits participate in an online giving challenge. They wanted to see which non profit would bring in the most online donations and had a leader board posted on their website. Because this is a new way of fundraising, you have to be able to test different approaches and find out what works for your organization.

Has your organization tried a social media campaign? If so, what were some of your takeaways?

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - Dog Edition!

Happy Friday!

As many of you know, I love my dog like he was my own child so I love finding dog friendly events.

This Saturday (July 16th) is the Niles Dog Show at Niles Community Park in Fremont. The event will run from 9am-3pm and will feature a dog adoption parade! There will be lots of other events such as a dog costume contest, most unusual dog mix competition, best in show, and much more.

Say hi to Jacoby!

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Ohlone Humane Society Spay Neuter program and the Niles Main Street Association. So take your dogs to this fun event and if you don't have a dog but always wanted one, this would be a great opportunity to adopt one!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

--L

Math Marketing aka Targeted Marketing

How was everyone's weekend? It always seems to go by way too fast!

I had never heard of the phrase Math Marketing until I read a recent article in Deliver Magazine called More Than Ever, Math Drives Marketing Decisions. The article discussed the role of math in marketing campaigns for many large companies.

Basically, math marketing is a lot like targeted direct marketing, which is something DMI practices. It is the idea of using analytics to match the right audience to the right piece of marketing. It is finding out that x customer segment will respond to y offer via e-mail; or y customer segment will respond to z offer via direct mail, etc.

"To survive in a marketplace where tech-empowered consumers have boundless choices, companies are harvesting numbers and tilling customer data, driven by a near-religious faith that the numbers contain crucial insights into customer’s tastes, preferences and shopping vulnerabilities."

I think this method of marketing mirrors exactly what is at the core of DMI. We don't want to mass mail everyone and hope for the best. We want to select a targeted group of people who are most likely to respond to your direct marketing appeal.

Email or leave a comment for more information to our approach on marketing!

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - Book Sale Edition

I know I say this every Friday but I have a great event this weekend for everyone to attend!

The Alviso Branch Library, which is located at 5050 N. 1st Street in San Jose, is having a book sale this Saturday, July 9th. All proceeds of the sale go directly to benefit library programs. It's the perfect opportunity to stock up on books and fill up your bookcase.

For more information check out their website:  http://www.sjpl.org/alviso


I know everyone is reading digitally these days but don't you still love being able to hold an actual book and flip through the pages? So check out the event!

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the great summer weather!

--L

Mobile Barcode Promotion

Hope everyone enjoyed the nice long holiday weekend!

Who doesn't love discounts? I know I do! The USPS is offering discounts on postage through the Mobile Barcode Promotion from July 1st to August 31st.

"The U.S. Postal Service is offering business mailers an upfront 3% discount on First-Class Mail and Standard Mail letters and flats that include a mobile barcode."

A mobile barcode is a QR (2-D) barcode that you see on everything from magazine articles to billboard ads. You use a smartphone application to scan the barcode. "When scanned, these mobile barcodes can motivate an otherwise passive consumer to take immediate action: make a purchase, register for an event, or download a coupon."

I am very excited for this promotion because the USPS is offering a great incentive to test out this new technology.

Contact me to learn more about this promotion and how we can help implement this program for you!

--L

Happy 4th of July!

I wanted to wish everyone a happy 4th of July weekend!

One of my favorite things about this weekend is watching the fireworks! So I've compiled a list of places you can watch them.

• San Jose Giants will be having a fireworks show on Monday (July 4th) and even on Tuesday (July 5th). Click here for more info: San Jose Giants Fireworks

• The Shoreline Amphitheater will be hosting a "Fireworks Spectacular presented by Live Nation and starring the San Francisco Symphony." Click here for more info: Shoreline Ampitheater

• Morgan Hill is not only having a fireworks show but will be having events all day on the 4th of July. There's a pancake breakfast, a 5k walk, a parade and much more. Click here for more info: Morgan Hill Freedomfest

• California's Great America will be having fireworks shows on July 2nd and 3rd and is the "largest fireworks display in the Bay Area." Click here for more info: Great America

  Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

--L

Using social media for fundraising!

I've mentioned many times on this blog about the necessity of social media in companies and organizations. I came across an article from http://www.blueavocado.org/ that showed a concrete example of what social media can do.

Nelson Layag was able to raise $1,000 on Facebook without breaking a sweat. He used the Facebook Causes Birthday Wish application to send out notifications to his friends to raise money for a local non profit, the Women's Cancer Resource Center. Instead of birthday gifts for his upcoming 40th birthday, he wanted a donation made to the non profit. In just 3 days he had raised $1,000!

Nelson reflected on a few things that he learned from his experience:

• A couple of his favorite non profits were not set up on the application so he could not select them
• He was surprised that no one from the Women's Cancer Resource Center had contacted him to acknowledge what he was doing
• Even people who he had not spoken to in years had donated to his cause

I realize that this method is not going to become the main source of donations for an organization but it is a great way to get people involved and "lets people hear about your organization from a trusted source." Even people Nelson did not directly interact with were willing to support him. It is an easy tool to utilize and every non profit should be set up on the application (it's free!).

This is a great example of how social media can give non profits the extra boost not only to raise more money but build an awareness and a sense of community. This is grassroots fundraising at its best!

Has anyone used the Facebook Causes application before? If so, what has been your experience with it? If your organization needs help setting this up, please contact me!

--L

DMI's Community Weekend - NF Walk Edition

Happy Friday! What are your weekend plans? If you don't have anything to do on Saturday, I have a great event for you to attend.

It is the Children's Tumor Foundation NF Walk!

It's a 5k walk that takes place at Vasona Park in Los Gatos. The event starts at 9:30am and you can register the day of the event on-site. Besides the walk "there will be a raffle, food, and fun for the entire family!"

The walk benefits the Children's Tumor Foundation who are researching to find a cure for Neurofibromatosis (NF). "NF is a lifelong disorder that encompasses a set of distinct genetic disorders that cause tumors to grow along nerves and can affect the development of bones and skin." This is a great organization and need your support!

So check out the websites and go out to Vasona Park on Saturday for a fun walk and enjoy the great weather!


--L

Guinness World Records!

Is everyone doing okay with all this heat? I'm starting to feel like I'm melting away.

To avoid thinking about the hot weather, I was browsing through a recent edition of Adweek, and came across an amusing article titled Record Makers. It was about companies setting Guinness World Records as a marketing ploy.

I started reading the article because I thought it was funny but then I realized that companies are actually benefiting from this type of marketing. They are gaining a lot of publicity and a lot of traffic especially through social media. Guinness spokesperson Jamie Panas says, "Record breaking is proving to be a unique promotional tool for companies looking to stand out. It's also a way to make a mark in actual history and be a part of something global."

Also I didn't know this but "brands holding official Guinness records are entitled to use that imprimatur in their marketing free of charge."

I immediately started thinking of things DMI could do, like producing the largest mail piece. I actually looked up the largest envelope record on the Guinness World Records website and the current record is 32 feet 9 in long and 23 feet wide. We could totally beat that!

Is there anything you would like to see DMI attempt? Is there anything that your company/organization has attempted or would like to attempt?

Maybe we can be in the record books together!

--L

Rise in Charitable Contributions

Happy first day of summer! As if we needed to be reminded that summer is officially here...the weather speaks for itself. Hopefully everyone is staying nice and cool!

Everyone knows about our down economy and fluctuating housing market but there is a bit of good news out there. According to a recent article in Reuters, there has been an increase in charitable giving overall.

"A Giving USA Foundation report released today shows total charitable contributions  -- for individuals, corporations, and foundations -- rose 3.8% in 2010 to an estimated $291 billion."

Eileen Heisman, president and CEO of National Philanthropic Trust, discussed trends in charitable giving in the article and one of the interesting points was about social media. She believes that although many organizations are just learning how to utilize social media in fundraising, "there is a way to feed young donors so when they mature, you can position yourself to use that relationship in a different way. I think the younger generation coming up, who do a lot of mission-driven work, will be the refiners of this and it's going to be very exciting."

Another interesting point, was about how charitable organizations need to evolve with the changes in society's needs. She feels that the change in an organization occurs at the leadership level. "It requires nimbleness of leadership. Boards need the foresight and the person they hire has to have the bravery to say to the board that things are changing and we have to change with them. It's a very human-driven thing."

It is a very tough time to be in fundraising but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Social media is a wonderful new tool to cultivate donors and spread the message of your organization. I believe that using it effectively will benefit your organization in the long term.

There also has to be a "nimbleness" in the leadership group as stated in the article. It is important to recognize changes not only in society but in your community and in technology. I think being able to adapt and embrace change will allow your organization to be successful.

What are some successes or failures of using social media in your organization? Do you feel that change is important or necessary in your organization?

--L

What has DMI been up to lately?

I'm sure most of you have been wondering what we've been up to lately! Well here are some things that we've done!

• We finally got our sign put up in front of our building! (Doesn't it look lovely?)

•  We've dropped 961,147 pieces in the mail since the beginning of the year. (Amazing!)

• We got new business cards to match our website (check us out at www.datamarketing.com)

• We have been attending lots of local community events such as:

Silicon Valley Duck Race & Festival

Rise & Shine Benefit Breakfast for Hope Services

Regularly attend the monthly AFP luncheons (DMI is also a sponsor!)

We are only halfway into the year and so far it's been a great! Looking forward to the 2nd half!

--L

The Haves vs. The Have Nots

I can't believe just last week, I was complaining about it being cold! Hopefully you are all enjoying this lovely weather!

So, I was given the San Jose Mercury Newspaper for an article about social media but there was another article right next to it that caught my eye. It was titled Silicon Valley's haves could save have-nots. It described a report called "A Portrait of California" which "was packed with conclusions drawn from Census Bureau and public health data."

The interesting takeaway from the report was that it showed there was a definite disparity in the Silicon Valley. That isn't real breaking news, but was interesting is that the disparity occurred in neighborhoods right next to each other.

"Tom Myers, executive director of the Community Services Agency, which provides emergency food and shelter in Mountain View," agrees with the report. "You find great disparity within this one community," he says. "What I tell everyone is you have a lot of wealth that is literally, often times very literally, right next door to poverty."

So what Myers and others in the Non Profit world believe is that those who "have" need to "help raise up the have-nots." "They are the solution."

But how does an organization go about sharing their message and vision to the "haves" in an effective way? Asking people to help their neighbors is a powerful message but is that enough to get people involved in your cause?

We at DMI work with many wonderful organizations and know that a clear, targeted direct marketing campaign is the most effective way to fundraise and to gain awareness.

Do you agree with this article? What are your thoughts about the "haves" and "have-nots"? Are people with wealth and education responsible for those who are not as fortunate?

Leave your comments below and please contact me for more information about our targeted direct marketing approach!

--L

DMI Community Weekend - Rubber Ducky Edition

I am really enjoying all this sunshine we've been having! The weekend forecast says we have more sunshine days ahead. One of the best ways to enjoy the nice weather is to go to the park and there's a special event at a local park this Sunday!

Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos is hosting the 4th annual Silicon Valley Duck Race & Festival this Sunday! The race and festival runs from 11am - 3pm.

People can "buy" rubber ducks and watch them race down Vasona Lake. "Whoever holds a winning duck's sponsorship number wins a prize. The more ducks sponsored (purchased), the more chances to win." There are a ton of really good prizes and you can sponsor a duck for as little as $5.

All the money from the rubber ducks go to support "16 local charities in Silicon Valley who give families, kids, and adults a better life in our community." Some of the charities are HOPE Services, Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, Habitat for Humanity, Hospice of the Valley, and many more!

Aside from the race, there will be plenty of other festivities such as food, music, bounce houses for the kids, and carnival games!

So check out the website for all the details:  http://siliconvalleyduckrace.org/

Quack quack!

--L

Better Know a DMI Employee!

Is everyone ready for another installment of Better Know a DMI Employee? I sure am!

Today's interview is with T from our Production Department.

L:  How long have you been with DMI?

T:  My whole life.

L:  Your whole life???

T:  My dad started the company 35 years ago, so when I was a little kid my parents used to pay me a penny a piece to seal envelopes.

L:  Wow! What is your favorite duty at DMI?

T:  I like to run the inserters when no one else is here because I can do it without any distractions.

L:  Yes, things can get a little hectic on the production floor. What do you do in your free time?

T:  I brew beer and play soccer.

L:  Tell me more about the beer!

T:  I started brewing about 4 years ago with my brother and it has become a passion of mine. I hope to one day open my own brewery.

L:  That sounds great. Hopefully I can get free beer from you. I noticed that from our last 2 interviews, a lot of people here have pets. Do you have any?

T:  Not currently but I am looking to adopt a dog soon.

L:  Any breeds in particular?

T:  I had a schnauzer when I was little so I'm partial to those but I'm not too picky, as long as the dog isn't over 50 pounds.

L:  I hope you find a dog soon! Thanks for a great interview and I'll be waiting for my beer!

I hope you all had fun getting to know another DMI employee.

To read the previous 2 interviews check out the links below:

http://datamarketinginc.blogspot.com/2011/05/better-know-dmi-employee.html

http://datamarketinginc.blogspot.com/2011/03/better-know-dmi-employee.html

--L

Does the weather influence our giving?

The weather has been a hot topic lately. Not only because it's been raining in June, but also because of all the weather related natural disasters that have been occurring all over the country. The weather overall has been really depressing.

Does this depressing weather put you in a depressing mood? A recent Wall Street Journal article has found some interesting results from several studies regarding behavior and the weather.

"Researchers affiliated with the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School measured the public's changing attitudes about climate change. The team surveyed about 1,200 Americans and Australians, and the results were striking. Those who felt that the current day was warmer than usual for the time of year were more likely to believe in and worry about global warming than those who thought it was cooler outside. They were also more likely to donate the money they earned from taking the survey to a charity that did work on climate change." 

Another study "had a woman greet volunteers in the lobby of the psychology building. She carried a coffee cup, a clipboard and two textbooks. Sometimes her cup was hot, sometimes it was cold. During the elevator ride to the fourth floor, she'd casually ask the volunteer to hold her cup while she jotted down notes. Later, in the lab, the participants read a description of a hypothetical person and were then asked for their impressions. Those who had handled a cup of hot coffee rated the person as significantly warmer and more sociable compared to people who had held an iced coffee. Feeling a warm object also made volunteers more generous in a second study that involved giving a gift certificate away or keeping it for themselves."

What does this have to do with direct marketing? As both of these studies found, the weather plays a factor in giving patterns. In the first study, because people were directly feeling the affects of global warming (warm weather), they were more inclined to donate to a cause that dealt with that issue. In the second study, people were more generous after feeling a warm object. The unseasonably cold weather, especially here in the Bay Area, is having a negative impact on giving patterns.

Has the recent weather affected your mood lately? Has your organization experienced drops in donations this year? Let us know in the comments section below. I would love to hear some feedback from different organizations!

--L

DMI's First Annual Picnic Day!

Did everyone have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend? It was nice to have a long weekend.

On the Friday before the holiday weekend, DMI had our First Annual Picnic Day! The theme for this year was team building. The highlight of the day was a department vs. department relay race. Each department had to work together to complete various legs of a relay race.

 

And in the end, here is our winning team!

 

No picnic day is complete without a bbq and tons of food.  

 

Everyone had a lot of fun and I can't wait for our next picnic day!

                                                                                                                                                                                                  

--L