#17: Beyond Reports - Cause Communications is a strong believer in evaluation. Metrics help make incremental progress more visible and work that sometimes feels intangible more understandable. Assessment findings also showcase impact, providing useful insights into ideas for tweaks to a program in a next iteration and powerful evidence that what you are doing is working. But too often evaluation reports become doorstops or paperweights... By Anne Whatley, Vice President
#16: Los Angeles: Blazing Trails for Place-Based Initiatives - Neighborhoods and communities across the country are getting familiar with a new kind of civic engagement and philanthropic approach: place-based initiatives. Simply put, these efforts focus on making improvements in specific communities. By Jan Kern, Senior Advisor
#15: Social Impact Games - Cause Communications, in partnership with Madeleine Taylor of Arbor Consulting Partners, is working with the Knight Foundation to evaluate two of their social impact games and share what is learned about haw games can be a tool for social change. By Anne Whatley, Vice President
#14: Single Actions Live Forever in Today’s Instant News Cycle - Did you catch the whirlwind NPR scandal earlier this month? The furor over fundraiser Ron Schiller’s comments and actions, taped surreptitiously and posted to YouTube by James O’Keefe, offers several lessons for those of us engaged in causes and communications. By Kirsty Burkhart, Director of Public Policy
#13: Taking Conversations Beyond the Blame Game - The tragedy in Tucson spawned political posturing and a blame game that frankly left me baffled. It wasn’t long before people were blaming the democrats, or the republicans, or the Tea Party, or anyone else on “the other side of the fence.” (Which side that is seems to matter little.)
No one is really in a position to say if any good can come out of a tragedy so fresh. I do think, however, that something good has already come out of the senseless banter that followed: It seems like a lot more people are talking about civil discourse. By Dawn Michelle Wilson, Vice President
#12: Is Pink the New Black? - October was breast cancer awareness month and with it came an invasion of pink products like we've never seen before. Now as I sit on my couch and watch my favorite NFL football team shed its pink cleats and matching wristbands, I can't help but ask, what is the real ROI in corporate social responsibility? By Dawn Michelle Wilson, Vice President
#11: Armed (with Social Media) & Dangerous - The last few weeks have provided several stinging examples of one of our mantras: just because you can use social media doesn't mean you should. Remember social media is not a promotional strategy in-and-of-itself. It should be part of a comprehensive communications plan that harnesses its power to engage your audiences. By Kirsty Burkhart, Director of Public Policy
#10: WIFM (What's In It For Me) - The old saying, "It's not you, it's me," is more than just a break-up line. "It's me" is what people consistently consider when making most decisions - whether they are buying a product or service or taking action on an issue they care about. When you are devising any marketing campaign, put on the shoes of your customer or target audience and ask yourself "How will this help me?" By Adrienne Verrilli, Director
#9: Census 2010: Ethnicity Counts - The 2010 census inspired serious questions of its own among our nation's many ethnic and racial groups. Facing a short list of race and ethnicity boxes to check, the communities that don't fit neatly into one category sought to establish and promote a way to represent the full strength of their populations.
#8: Who's Speaking for You? - Forbes' recent list of the 10 most trusted celebrities couldn't have been more perfectly timed, as communications professionals are starting to wonder: are famous spokespeople more trouble than they're worth?
#7: Framing the Health Care Debate - In communications, you have to remember that each person experiences your message through a lens of individual experience. This lens impacts the way we process incoming information and form opinions.
#6: Greenwashing's Gray Areas - We see and hear more marketing of green every day – but are these brands really all about the environment, or more about the dollars?
#5: Back to Basics – Mission, Values, People - In a challenging market, your mission and values keep you focused on achieving success on your terms.
#4: 8 Recession-Proof Tips for Communications - Now is a good time to focus and simplify, while reaching out and collaborating with like-minded individuals and organizations to save money and amplify impact.
#3: Marketing Lessons from the President - Obama’s campaign recognized that powerful and consistent branding, combined with the right marketing tools, could move mountains.
#2: Direct Mail: Alive and Well - The key to successful marketing is targeting your messages to your audiences – and that includes your delivery vehicles.
#1: Word of Mouth Campaigns - Incorporate grassroots components in any major public education efforts to build credibility quickly and indelibly.