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Christmas in July

Today

• The context – how much extra do we spend at Christmas, and how much extra do our supporters spend?

• Proposition basics – the propositions and techniques that apply across causes and sectors

• Making it right for you – developing a unique and targeted proposition for your Christmas appeal

The context

What charities are spending, and how. What donors are giving, and how.

Christmas is the most recognised

gift-giving occasion in the world.

It seems obvious but let’s remind ourselves.

EVERY charity tries to capitalise on this

What charities are spending, and how.

An annual peak in spend

Source: Royal Mail Centre spend

TV, outdoor & doordrops are growing

Source: Royal Mail Centre spend

Christmas is dominated by big charity brands

Source: Royal Mail Centre spend

What our donors are spending, and how

Only a tiny proportion of extra spend at Christmas

• 50.1% of UK households make a donation to charity in any month.

• This proportion rises to 52.6%in December.

• This represents just a 5% increase in giving.

• Older households have a higher propensity to give than younger ones, but both groups are more likely to give to charity in December.

Source: CPAG report – Charitable giving by UK household

Who are you competing with?

• Average UK household spending rises by about 13% (£64) a week in December.

• 7% is given away e.g. presents/gifts

• Extra donations contribute to less than 1% of this increase (0.6%)

A sobering statistic

In December people spend 17 times more on alcohol than extra donations to charity.

How do we unlock more of this discretionary spend?

More people say they donate through a charitable product purchase at Christmas than any other way

“Thinking about charities at Christmas, do any of the following apply to you?”

Base: 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.Source CAM Dec 2011, nfpSynergy

1 in 5 report giving more to charity at Christmas, but a similar proportion say they find it harder to give

“Thinking about charities at Christmas, do any of the following apply to you?”

Base: 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.Source CAM Dec 2011, nfpSynergy

What works for everyone

Give because it’s our Christmas Appeal

Give the gift of…

New beginnings

Parallel lives

The need doesn’t stop at Christmas

Grant a Christmas wish

Baubles, diaries etc

What you should also look for…

• Urgency – it’s a busy time and easy to be forgotten so is there a deadline around Christmas you can use?

• Engagement – how can you make the gift more meaningful?

• Integration – can you be part of a bigger campaign, or benefit from communications in other channels?

just use the lyrics of Band Aid’s 1984 hit ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

Or,

It's Christmas time, and there's no need to be afraidAt Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade

In our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy

Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time

But say a prayer, to pray for the other onesAt Christmas time, it's hard, but when you're having funThere's a world outside your windowAnd it's a world of dread and fear

Well, tonight, thank God it's them instead of you

There won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time

The greatest gift they'll get this year is life

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

BUT: what will work for you?

Why be different?

• Cut through

• Increased relevance

• Build case for support year-round (we’re not just for Christmas)

• Make the case for a bigger gift – this matters

• Get up the list

• Acquisition opportunity

An added layer to your proposition

What people care about

What you do

CHRISTMAS

Do you have to have relevance built in?

What Christmas means to adults and young people

39 39Base: 1,000 11-25 year-olds, 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.

Source YEM Nov 2011, CAM Dec 2011, nfpSynergy

“Christmas is coming soon; which of the following most closely describes what Christmas means for you?”

Gift giving

Christmas is about stories

Traditional story telling

- Bringing ‘the true meaning of Christmas’ to the fore

Modern story telling

- Product based ask- Links to existing behaviour

Create a positive giving experience

• People don’t want to feel guilty for enjoying themselves at Christmas

• Their spending patterns show they prioritise having a good time

• Make giving at Christmas a positive experience

• Both/and not either/or

Some examples

Some examples

Christmas 2011

Xmas 2012

In short

• It’s hard work – competing for attention & spend

• You need to stand out

• Lead with audience insight

• A unique proposition is vital – inspiration

• Then add the elements that work – optimisation

• To go further: integrate

GOOD LUCK and

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Any questions? Get in touch hello@thegoodagency.co.uk