LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – How often do you need to repeat your message? A lot…
One of the most sobering things about running a non-profit charity is to realize how hard it is to get out the charity’s name and message. Large corporations manage to buy visibility for their brands by purchasing large print ads, riveting video ads, and radio spots. In some cases, large corporations succeed by dominating certain segments of social media including ads on Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or other sites.
This, however, is quite expensive. In 2024 the Super Bowl was the most-watched telecast of all time, reaching 123.7 million viewers across platforms, including CBS, Paramount+, Univision, and Nickelodeon. These viewers were treated to no fewer than 59 commercials from 53 unique advertisers. This level of participation is amazing when you consider that a tiny 30 seconds of air time cost $7 million.
Non-profit charities, by and large, cannot possibly compete for attention under these circumstances. Instead, their only realistic option is to choose their name, pick their winning slogan, and then stick with both for a very long time. Only by consistently repeating their name and slogan will they ever begin to make a dent in the consciousness of their neighbors and potential donors.
This is why I like repeating one of the most important ideas I learned from working on political campaigns as a candidate, pollster, and campaign manager. Your prospect needs to hear your name and message at least six times before they start to remember it. Consequently, one of the clues that you are doing a good job is that you will get bored with your communications long before your audience remembers you. As I suggest, it is only at the point where you are starting to get utterly bored with your message that your audience is just starting to get it.