Part of what makes us human is our ability to mimic. In a sense, our ability to mimic is our imagination. We see an action, and we can imagine how we might do it ourselves.
And that’s a huge part of being human. We don’t just reproduce an action that is demonstrated to us, we internalize the concept that we can reproduce the action, even if we don’t have the same tools or materials. It inspires us. And we innovate.
Moviegoers love this; we all do. We become Indiana Jones, or at least, we feel like we could be him. Why not? It all right there: he leaps through the air, dodges the bullets, and lands safely out of harm’s way. Heroes exhilarate us and villains terrify us because they let us follow along with a progression of actions that leads to an unimaginable outcome.
Good media tell a story, of course, but media that pull people in and inspire people to get involved with an organization—that does something else. Great media allow people to envision themselves as that person who has the power to change the world. And it does this by showing us the actions, step-by-step, and letting our imaginations place us there.
Non-Profit media shouldn’t look like For-Profit Media.
Companies that sell commercial products need to create public desire for their product, and particularly, their brand. Most commercials don’t actually sell a product—they sell the vision of who you can be if you buy that product: Thin. Beautiful. Organized. Happy.
This kind of commercial first demonstrates to consumers that they are not what they want to be. You are not thin, beautiful, organized or happy. But the product will transform all of that.
One of the smartest guys I know, Andrew Webster of the Kingbridge Centre and Institute, recently reminded me that non-profit is a tax status, not a business plan. And Andrew is absolutely right. But the commodity you furnish to the public is unique, far and beyond consumer products and services. Non-profits provide hope. Non-profits work for their vision of a better tomorrow. And Non-Profits allow every day people to become heroes.
And that’s what inspirational media convey: not a sense that donors or volunteers will become better if they give, but that they are already capable of doing amazing things. You’re just making them aware of a need that impacts us all, and illustrating that through one or two simple steps, they can change the world.
How do you translate that into a New Media Strategy?
Here’s the difference between commercial media and the movies: commercials tell us that we need a product to be the hero, and movies tell us that we were always a hero; we just needed the right circumstances to see it.
So, let your media reflect how venerable your target demographic already is. Don’t ask them to change; rather, show them how they will change the world. Show them the circumstance that is a call for their action. Demonstrate the simple steps they can take, and the immediate and measurable outcome their action will have. Let them see their opportunity to become a hero.
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