Marketing
Community Need
- Nonprofit marketing is crucial for organizations to stand out amongst their competition and spread awareness about the work they do to improve our communities. Key areas of need include collateral creation and design, communications and event planning, and branding guidance and implementation.
- 45% of nonprofits report that increasing their visibility in the community is one of their top 3 to 5 priorities for the next two years.
- 29% of nonprofits report that improving their branding and messaging is one of their top priorities, according to a 2009 survey.
- 2011 Taproot study reported that 41% of nonprofits receive pro bono marketing services and 52% need more.
Trends
- There is a growing intersection between cause-related marketing and pro bono service.
- There is a growing demand for pro bono production of web-based materials and videos.
- Marketing professionals are increasingly joining boards with 38% percent of nonprofits now reporting that they have a marketing professional executive on their board (Taproot, 2011).
Leaders
- Ad Council – As the leader in public service advertising, the Ad Council is the largest intermediary for pro bono service by the design and marketing professions.
- CreateAthon – At this annual, 24-hour, work-around-the-clock creative blitz advertising agencies provide services for local nonprofits that have little or no portion of their budget dedicated to marketing. Since the program expanded to a national effort in 2002, 73 agencies have joined the network delivering 2,248 projects valued at over $10 million to over 1,000 nonprofits.
- Interpublic Group – In 2009, this global provider of advertising and marketing services with a 40,000 employee base not only provided $16 million in pro bono service to nonprofits and community groups, but it also launched a second website dedicated to celebrating its pro bono projects and commitment to pro bono service.
- Capital One – Led by Executive Vice President of Brand Management, Bill McDonald, Capital One’s Pro Bono Brand Corps provides branding and marketing support to nonprofits across the country.
Case Studies
- Boston Consulting Group and Chicago Public Schools
- Business Objects and Arts Umbrella
- Capital One Brand Corps and the District of Columbia College Access Program (DC-CAP)
- Capital One Brand Corps and St. Joseph’s Villa
- Dell and the Williamson County Literacy Council
- Hill & Knowlton and Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
- McGraw-Hill, Writers to the Rescue and MOUSE
- MICA and JHU Design Collective
- Wells Fargo and Family Connections
Build the Movement
Here are five things you can do to help build the pro bono ethic in the marketing profession.
- Do more pro bono and share your story with your network through social media (LinkedIn profile, twitter, etc.).
- Volunteer to coordinate and promote pro bono work for your local AMA, DMA, AAAA or CMO Council.
- Speak to students at a local MBA program about pro bono service and its role in your career.
- Ask your employer to create a formal pro bono program and budget.
- Provide us with feedback, suggestions and tips to keep this page fresh and relevant. Email us at professions@taprootfoundation.org.
