This document outlines a presentation on planning and executing powerful multi-channel fundraising campaigns. It discusses integrating different channels like direct mail, television, email and social media to improve fundraising results. Two case studies are presented: a multi-channel television campaign that acquired donors through various paths and a campaign to reengage lapsed monthly donors through email, phone and websites. Key lessons include planning collaboration and reporting, testing campaigns, and having donor cultivation strategies to engage supporters acquired through campaigns.

1. The Holy Grail Checklist:
t
Planning A Powerful
Multi-Channel Campaign
Presented by:
Kelly Townsend, Liz Murphy, Robin Steffek

2. What’s Your Integration Score?
1.
Have you thought about integrating your channels? Y (2) N (-2)
2.
Have you ever collaborated with one of your DM, TV,
Telemarketing and/or Social Media counterparts on a
campaign? Y (3) N (-3)
3. If you represent one channel (digital, for example), is your annual
revenue goal separate from other channels (direct mail, for
example)? Y (5) N (-5)
4.
TODAY, if I visited or was presented with communications from
one or more of your channels (website, Facebook, email, DM,
DRTV), would I see similar campaign messaging and the same
offer? Y (10) N (-10)

3. The Session
• Liz Murphy, Chief Strategist & Founder,
RedEngine Digital @lizred @redengine
• Kelly Townsend, Manager, Online
Fundraising, The Humane Society of the
United States
• Robin Steffek, Vice President, Analytics
and Conversion Optimization,
RedEngine Digital @redengine
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4. Why Integrated is BETTER
• Better response
• Better revenue
• Better retention
• Better branding
• Better lifetime value
• Better serves our audiences
…But it’s not easy
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5. What’s Standing in Our Way?
•
•
•
•
Silos
Databases
Resistance to change
Where to start?
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6. The First Steps
• Go for a drink with your channel
colleagues – and charge it to your org!
Talk integration. Start with this conference.
• Start small and strategically, with one
campaign or donor segment, and don’t go
crazy with the data metrics.
• Move on, would you? Change is good.
• Follow our checklist.
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7. The Holy Grail Checklist
•
•
•
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•
•
•
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•
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Kickoff & Collaboration
Audience & Campaign Theme
Timing
Campaign Goals & Measurement
Channel Selection
Messaging & Creative
Testing & Optimization Plan
Cultivation & Conversion Strategy & Plan
Reporting
Post-Campaign Review
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8. 2 Multi-Channel Case Studies
• Case Study #1:
Multi-Channel DRTV Campaign
• Case Study #2:
Multi-Channel Canceled/Lapsed Online
Monthly Donors program
© 2011 Convio, Inc.
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9. #1: Multi-Channel DRTV Campaign
(a.k.a., “The Big Kahuna”)
• Organization-wide, multi-channel campaign to
acquire, engage, upsell and cultivate donors.

10. Multi-Channel DRTV Campaign
(a.k.a., “The Big Kahuna”)
– Goal: New donor acquisition
– Audience: TV audience who wants to celebrate
animals and confront cruelty.
– Timeframe: Aug 2009-ongoing
– Acquisition Channels: TV – supported by an
inbound call center, online, and mobile
– Follow-up/Engagement Channels: Mail, email,
outbound call centers, social media
– Primary Reporting Methods: Breakeven month,
Cost-per-overall donor (CPOD) & Cost-persustaining donor (CPSD); conversion rate (online
only)

11. TV Creative

12. Donor Channel “Capture”
• Primary and secondary paths

13. Web & Mobile Donation Forms

14. Web & Mobile HSUS Site Pages
Main website homepage:
Mobile website homepage:

15. Google Search Entry Paths
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16. Multi-Channel Offer & Testing
Online/Mobile landing pages & PPC Ads:
Premium (gift offer) testing
is supported across TV,
online, mobile, and the call
center.
TV spot

17. Donor Acquisition by
Channel & Type
5%
5%
9%
20%
35%
60%
66%

18. Online Breakdown
% Web vs. Mobile Donations
% Traffic to DRTV Landing Pages
by Traffic Source
1%
6%
7%
1%
Direct
Organic
Web
Mobile
PPC
94%
91%
Other
Referrers

19. Google Adwords
• Leverage and convert secondary path
visitors
• Balance between TV vanity URL terms, TV
call to action terms and brand terms
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20. Where To Send Them
• Historically,
visitors went direct
to the monthly
donation form.
• Testing whether
an interim splash
page would help
or hurt conversion
rate
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21. Landing Page Testing
• Goal: Acquire more sustaining/one-time
donors and increase landing page
conversion rates.
• Channels used: Website landing pages,
PPC
• Tools: Google Analytics, Google Website
Optimizer
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22. Landing Page Testing
• Hypothesis: Having a “splash” page
preceding the donation form with more
information about organization’s
mission/goals would acquire more donors
and increase landing page conversion rates
vs. the control process. This was based on
success during year-end 2010.
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23. Landing Page Testing
• Tested control form against new A splash &
form and new B splash & form
• Forms were the same for all
• Splash A had more prominent offer for onetime gifts (in addition to monthly)
• Splash B had more prominent offer for
monthly gifts (in addition to one-time)
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24. Which Did Better?
Control
Splash A
Splash B
• Splash A & B both have a video in right column
• Splash A has “Donate Now” button, top right
• Splash B has “Donate Monthly” button, top right
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25. Conversion Optimization Results
14% increase in #
of donations over
control for Splash
B/Combo 2
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26. Results Summary
• Splash B beat the
control by 14% in
# of donations.
• Splash B
conversion rate
was15% higher
than control.
• Even vanity URL
type-ins had a
significant
conversion lift for
B - +20%!
• And PPC average
conversion rates
for B doubled.
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27. Post Acquisition: Campaign Donor
Cultivation/Engagement
• Normal outgoing communications/
engagement (e.g., weekly emails to all online
members; Facebook community; etc.)
• Monthly “thank you” emails/updates to
sustaining donors
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28. Donor Cultivation/Engagement
Regular communication/engagement:

29. Donor Cultivation/Engagement
Special monthly updates /
“Thank You” emails from CEO:
• Sent every month to all active
online Sustainers (DRTV and
non-DRTV).
• Goal is to thank donors and show
them how their ongoing support
is making a difference for animals.
15% lift in monthly donor retention
of donors who receive only these
monthly updates!
TBD: What’s the right volume of emails for our
donors? And is the “right” volume of emails
different for DRTV vs. non-DRTV donors?

30. A Few Considerations
- Two full-time staff members dedicated to
this single campaign (overall & online)
- Multiple staff from various depts. across
the org. involved regularly or as needed
- External agency manages all media/
media buying & inbound call center

31. #2: Multi-Channel Canceled/Lapsing
Online Monthly Donors Campaign
• Goal: Reinstate lapsing and canceled
monthly donors by asking them to become
monthly donors again.
• Channels used: Email, website landing
pages, inbound call center, outbound call
center
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32. #2: Multi-Channel Canceled/Lapsing
Online Monthly Donors Campaign
• Methodology:
• Series of emails to all lapsing and canceled
online monthly donors, asking them to
become a monthly donor again.
• Outgoing emails include a link to dedicated
donation forms, as well as a phone number
to our membership inbound call center.
• After emails/inbound call center period is
over, all non-reinstated sustaining donors
are called by an outbound call center.
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33. Donor Cultivation/Engagement

34. Overall Results
6.8% reactivated by EMAIL
1.3% reactivated by INBOUND call center
6.2% reactivated by OUTBOUND call center
25%
60%
15%

35. Results
• While the percentage of overall reactivation
rates from email & outbound are very close –
signifying that a multi-channel approach can
positively affect results – reactivation by
email was the #1 method!
• Always send a series of emails (the third
emails in the series had the highest open
rates!).

36. Lessons Learned
• First and foremost, plan for everything before
you begin any type of multi-channel
campaign.
• Get your donor cultivation series in place:
This is a (if not THE) key to success! Be
ready to thank and cultivate/otherwise
engage with your donors – or be prepared to
lose some of the donors acquired via your
campaign.
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37. Lessons Learned
•
Get your campaign reporting plan in
place: Don’t wait until it’s reporting time!
Know exactly what and how you will report
on your multi-channel campaign.
•
There are limitations of online testing for
multi-channel campaigns: Make sure all
involved know the limitations. When
necessary, testing results may need to be
drawn from other channels.
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38. Lessons Learned
•
Test, test, & re-test – and be patient!
Testing is extremely important and should
never be “done.” Testing is also timely both
during setup and analysis, but don’t get
discouraged! The time put in will be well
worth it.
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39. Thanks for Your Time! Questions?
• Session evaluation code 1142. Go to
www.convio.com/2011survey.
• Scan this code to download this
presentation and checklist.
• Feel free to email us with questions:
– Liz Murphy, liz@redenginedigital.com
– Kelly Townsend, ktownsend@hsus.org
– Robin Steffek, robin@redenginedigital.com
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