Physicians Bring Life Back to a Dying Appeal
	Posted by Guest Blogger at Dec 27, 2012 07:02 AM CST

This article was written by guest blogger Brock Warner. Brock is a fundraiser for War Child Canada & US, as well as a TEDx speaker on philanthropy, a blogger, and volunteer with the AFP Greater Toronto Area chapter.

When the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM) spring appeal showed declining results for several years in a row, it was obvious that a complete overhaul of the campaign was in order.
 
Since 1985, PCRM has influenced advancements in medicine and science, and has served as an advocate for preventive medicine and higher ethical standards in research. With member support, they’ve successfully promoted alternatives to the use of animals in research, and have convinced more than 95% of U.S. medical schools to stop using live animal labs.

In the past, the spring appeal consisted of a stand-alone direct mail piece urging donors to support PCRM’s efforts to reduce live animal testing. Various package formats, themes and content had been tested, but nothing worked. PCRM had to come up with a more compelling appeal.

So what was their new prescription for success? An integrated appeal that asked more of their donors than ever before.

Here are the campaign’s three main ingredients:

• A high-touch direct mail package
• A Facebook engagement strategy
• A three-stage email campaign

To make sure the direct mail wouldn’t go unnoticed, PCRM constructed a highly personalized, donor-centric certificate package. It put the donor first by thanking them for their support and giving them a visible token of PCRM’s appreciation. The gamble on a bigger package paid off -- a 7.16% response rate was 91% higher than the previous year!

Next came a strategic Facebook engagement strategy supported by the first of a three-stage email campaign. What PCRM knew from past e-appeals was that an outright ask wasn’t likely to work with their audience. So, they started with a request for supporters to support them on Facebook and post a message on their page.  By the end of the campaign, over 300 people posted on PCRM’s Facebook wall.

The remainder of the email campaign was where the fundraising heavy lifting took place. Email #2 was a direct ask to support the spring appeal, and the third was an urgent appeal to all non-responders within a few days. All in all, the email response was 79% higher than projected, and the revenue was 137% higher than projected!

Now, PCRM has a healthy spring appeal on their hands that exceeded revenue projections by a tremendous 92%.

Great job PCRM – a great example of integrated marketing at work!