2014 Bronze Best Use of Direct Mail
15 May 2015
The Clarion Portfolio
'Great moments inspire great actions'
Client King's College London
How did the campaign make a difference? The challenge for King’s College London was to persuade 100 alumni to actually change their will to leave a legacy.
The strategy was to create a new data model selecting the best prospects, provide reasons for alumni to feel proud of the world achievements they have been involved in, and enable them to emotionally connect with their past We achieved more than 10 times previous campaign results.
Last campaign achieved 49 positive responses. Beat new target of 100 responses, achieving 620 responses. 62 alumni told us they are leaving a gift in their will. 92 alumni emotionally engaged by writing to the new Principal. Projected income from 62 pledgers, average gift of £71,689, is £4.8 million.
Strategy Research showed the key emotional driver for giving among alumni is their pride in King’s achievements.
So the strategy was to give alumni opportunities to actively engage emotionally with their college, increasing their sense of belonging, giving them even more right to feel proud of King’s achievements and showing what they can achieve in the future.
The legacy campaign became part of a bigger, continuing conversation about the greatest achievements of King’s and its alumni. This conversation would always follow on from the one before to create a richer narrative and a more personal relationship with the recipient.
To increase the number of alumni actually leaving legacies, King’s devised a way to gather incredibly personal data as part of a much deeper relationship to carry into the future.
Creativity The creative was a very personal letter from the outgoing Principal, thanking alumni for the last ten years of his tenure and drawing on his favourite moments at King’s, plus a similar letter from his wife. The creative execution was very high specification, with embossed words to make it feel personal and prestigious. Personalised notepaper was included for alumni to post in their own moments – to be made into a book and given to the new Principal on his first day in office. This would then allow the new Principal to get in touch, referencing those moments and establishing his own personal relationship with alumni.
The legacy ask was soft and low down in the letter. Even if alumni only sent in their greatest moments, it would show they were engaged with the institution and the conversation should continue. The mailer was then followed up by phone.
Results The first sign that the direct mail had been well received was when alumni emailed and phoned to say they had received the pack and how much they liked it. It was standing out. Notepaper came back with moments written on them, which formed a wonderful book for the new Principal.
The telephone follow up confirmed how well the pack had been received and that it had broken through the clutter and hit the right emotional chord.
620 legacy responses were received, either requesting more information or letting us know they had left a gift in their will – more than quadruple the target based on previous campaigns.
And King’s now have a wealth of personal, emotional data with which to converse with alumni at events, in thank you letters and in future appeals – as well as the moments that have made alumni most proud to be part of King’s.
Team Tim Wickens - Director, Fran Boardman - Copy Writer/Creative Direction, Roger Lawson - Strategy and Planning, Lucy Blanchfield - Account Director, Jen Corbett - Senior Client Relationship Manager, Kathrin Ostermann - Director of Supporter Development, Michelle Quittenton - Head of Direct Marketing, Carly Mortiboys - Head of High Value University Fundraising, Victoria Milford - Senior Account Manager, Will Bellfied - Creative, Margit Mulder - Creative, Chris Keating - Senior DM Manager - Donor Development), Helen McGahon - Deputy Head of High Value University Fundraising, Matt Andrews - DM Officer- Donor Development), Thom Hipwood - Senior DM Manager - Telephone Fundraising)
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