Nonprofit marketing

What the target audience members think, want, and how they act determine how a marketer tries to influence them Marketing research must find out What they are like What they will respond to What is keeping them from responding as the marketer wants them to Myths of Nonprofit Marketing Big decision myth: Sometimes the big decision doesn’t require much research and small decisions to do Survey myopia myth: Conducting a comprehensive survey may e prohibitively expensive, and, in small samples, respondents may not always be candid.

Sometimes better to test the market with the product. Focus group myth: Thought that groups are rarely representative of the target audience and seldom done in sufficient quantity. Yet, nonprofits can use focus groups in effective ways. Big bucks myth: There are a number of low-cost research techniques We can’t wait myth: There are many methods that can be carried out in a few days or weeks Sophisticated researcher myth: Volunteers may have the needed level of pacification with some training Most research is not read method: Few pieces of well-planned research are rejected; however, they may be ignored.

Research I the most valuable when The researcher knows what the decision alternatives are The relationship between the result and the decision is clearly understood The results are communicated well Resource-Based Theory of Organization Challenge to growth is to develop a sustainable competitive advantage Key growth and competitive advantage lies in the nonprofits core competencies– not things, but owe they are used The key resource may lie in the nonprofits intellectual capital properly collected and communicated.

Principal role of nonprofit leaders must shift from being visionaries to being knowledge managers. Building adaptive capacity Enables nonprofits to create value for clients and communities Enables them to demonstrate their comparative value to fenders Enables them to motivate staff and volunteers Conducting Specific Studies No research has any value unless it can be applied directly to a decision Backward search process: begins with the decision that will be made from research results (peg. 25) Qualitative research Identify problem Gather initial customer insights (BOOS model) Prepare for subsequent quantitative study Help interpret… Experimentation Addressees problems with qualitative method that relies upon what people say Created ” what if” scenarios Snowballing By Juliennes contacted Piggybacking: adding questions to surveys from studies undertaken by others Volunteer research: Volunteers may conduct telephone, mail, or one-on-one interviews