I was having a think about how much I love the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal, and part of it is how well it captures people's imagination and makes some people actually urgent to take part. This is just some thoughts about it.

1. The Poppy Appeal: A study.

2. The Poppy Appeal: Founded in 1921 when a group of French ex-servicemen suggested a way to raise money to Earl Haig, it’s now a giant in the charity calendar. Last year, it raised £31m for current and ex-servicemen and their families – much focused into a single month. To put that in perspective, CRUK’s year-round activities generate £419m – and they’re the leaders.

3. It gets all sorts of media exposure... (£loads) (£free)

4. And if you think about it... ...it’s the only product placement the BBC allows.

5. NOW WAIT A SEC: The worthiness of the British Legion and its causes is beyond question. I am going to talk about the poppy dynamic, and why it works. That’s it. Thanks.

6. It has a deep, affecting story The story’s still told in all sorts of formats: -films -books -poetry

7. Showing support is a public gesture... ...it’s even pretty cool.

8. A very easy involvement mechanic No phone calls. No data capture. Pound, poppy, pin.

9. Urgency. You have to get it by the 11th, or you’re out of time. The biggest way people avoid donation is by deferring – “I’ll do it later”. Can’t do that here.

10. Celebrity endorsement: (who wouldn’t want to get involved?)

11. And, they’ve kept it current.

12. It’s really pretty simple, isn’t it? Find your story and push it to the forefront in the most evocative ways possible – and keep it relevant. Make it something people can connect over. Make it easy to do. And give people a specific target on how to do it.

13. Photo Credits “The Poppy” – discostu “Brian Irvine” – SPAMedia Poppy on Pitch – Daily Mail Question Time – BBC Images “Vimy Crosses” – surrealplaces “Livestrong” – domwrap Bucket – SourcingPlanet “Lest we forget amidst all this consumerism” – Mags_cat Emma and poppy - Ruth Mortimer, Marketing Week “Family” – The Gate Worldwide planningplusone.blogspot.com