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