49things to consider before designing your pitch

7x7

0. Passion

People

Project

Platform

Partners

Process

Press

Performance

Understand with crystal clarity the audience(s) that you want or need to reach, impact or influence with your passion.

1.

People

Project

Platform

Partners

Process

Press

Performance

Define the values, principles and objectives of a project that speaks to your passion, where the project lives, and how you will work to build it.

2.

People

Project

Platform

Partners

Process

Press

Performance

Develop a marketing concept/platform that aligns your principles and objectives to the audience your trying to reach, influence or impact.

3.

Develop a strategic approach to partnerships with key organizations and stakeholders that make your project powerful, credible and best-in-class.

People

Project

Platform

Partners

Process

Press

Performance

4.

Try to understand how your potential partner operates as an organization, and strategically incorporate those learnings into a plan to develop and deploy your project.

People

Project

Platform

Partners

Processes

Press

Performance

5.

People

Project

Platform

Partners

Process

Press

Performance

Develop a creative communications plan that gets attention to your project (and your partners) in the right places and the right times.

6.

Outline performance metrics and evaluation criteria for your project and anticipate the ROI for your project, your partners and the world at large.

People

Project

Platform

Partners

Process

Press

Performance7.

But first, some context

http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/102501/what-if-i-told-you-i-had-hiv.jhtml#name=news&id=1538811

For profit Nonprofit

$$$$

1 2 3 4 5

For profit Nonprofit

$$$$

1 2 3 4 5

$$$$

For profit

Nonprofit

$$$$

1 2 3 4 5

Corporate Foundations (strategic philanthropy) Revenue-generating non-profit ventures Social innovation (cross-industry) Ethical enterprises B-Corporations

Shared Objective

$$$$

Water for Water

Shoes for Shoes

Huge opportunities for funding…

When you think about where business meets society…

By the numbers…

2,000,000,000,000

2,000,000,000,000

The number of “socially-screened” dollars invested across the world.

32,000,000,000

32,000,000,000

The number of dollars spent on corporate responsibility by US companies in 2008.

40,000,000,000

40,000,000,000

The number of dollars US company CEOs predict they’ll spend on corporate responsibility by 2011.

68%

The percentage of US CEOs that say CR is a “growth opportunity” for their company.

68%

54%

The percentage of US CEOs that say CR is a “competitive advantage” for their company.

54%

17%

The percentage of US CEOs that say they are asking customers about their CR concerns.

17%

75%

The percentage of US CEOs that say they DON’T understand their customers CR needs.

75%

the old way

Bought a product in the previous 12 months after learning of the maker's commitment to a cause: 36% in 2007, down from 43% in 2004.

Willingly paid more for a product that supports a cause: 14% in 2007, down from 28% in 2004.

Told a family member or friend about a product or company committed to a cause: 30% in 2007, down from 43% in 2004.

“It is no longer enough for a company to slap a colored ribbon on a product as part of a

superficial promotion, linking it to the cause of the day.”  

87% of Americans are likely to switch from one product to another (price and quality being equal) if the other product is associated with a good cause.

Nearly 3 in 5 people in the UK say they actively avoid purchasing from certain companies because of questions they have about their social, environmental or ethical track record.

72% of Americans want their employers to do more to support a cause or social issue.

Companies that are considered leaders in environmental, social and governance policies are leading the pack in stock performance by an average of 25%.

But they still care… a lot.

the new way

do more, with less

create more, use less

em*bed: to incorporate or contain as an essential part or characteristic.

embed

1778, from en- + bed. Originally a geological term, in ref. to fossils in rock

0. Passion

1. People1. Who are you trying to reach, influence or impact?

Young people under 25, women, African Americans, parents, elected officials, Minnesotans

2. What characteristics define them today? Disengaged, highly educated, overweight, visual learners

3. What do they care about, and why?Giving back, making money, family, video games

4. How and where do they consume information? Television, DVR, mobile, bite-sized, word-of-mouth, search engines

5. What do they think about you, your organization or your issue?Innovative, never heard of you, concerned, curious, hilarious, boring

6. What do they give you permission to be, do or represent?Support them at school and not at home, never on their mobile phones, must address the

environment before anything else

7. What do they need from you for the project to be sustained over time? Fresh content on a regular basis, engaged as part of the process, recognized as part of the

success

Nike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ_XSHpIbZE

2. Project8. What is the mission, vision and objectives of your project?

Reduce the high school dropout rate in New York City by 15% in 5 years, clean-up 30 parks in 30 cities, pass nondiscrimination legislation in 10 states in 10 years

9. What other organizations are doing this work, and why are they successful...or not? Wrong metrics, inefficient funding model, fell short of goals

10. What is the specific value proposition that you or organization has? Why you?Experience managing similar projects with success, have top thought-leaders in the

field

11. What are you or your organizations’ drawbacks and liabilities?First time project manager, scope of organization is smaller than competitors

12 . Are you willing to say “no”?Deviate from objectives to obtain funding, identifying industries that are not

aligned, guidelines for staying aligned and on-track

13. How are you strategically and creatively involving digital in your project?Blogs/vlogs, mobile/SMS, geolocation

14. How green are you and your project? Carbon neutrality, recycled materials, energy efficiencies

Playpumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjgcHOWcWGE

3. Platform15. What is a core concept that creatively communicates your project and its objectives?  Short phrase, simple visual, creative, powerful

16. What are the 3-5 key messages of this core concept? 17. How do you know these key messages will impact or influence your audience and get the desired results?   Audience research, behavioral studies, previous work

18. How is this core concept different from any other that is out there?Competitive landscape

19. What is your messaging and style guide?   When and where do you use the platform, language, color pallet

20. How do the core concept and key messages ladder back to your project’s objectives, and the objectives of your partners?

21. How does this core concept plug into and leverage key moments on the calendar?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw2rRSLvIO0

Volkswagen

4. Partners22.What organizations share your project objectives?

Corporate, NFP, governmental, quasi/hybrids

23.Where in these organizations might funding exist, and who are the internal champions?

24.What people (politicians, celebrities, business executives, athletes) share your project objectives?

25.How have you engaged, supported or recognized the partner’s stakeholders?

Employees, nonprofits, investors, consumers

26. How have you customized your proposal to meet the specific objectives of the partner?

Tailored language, addressed hometown needs, speaks to mission

27.How have you been creative in considering resources other than cash?

28.What is the giving history of this organization vis-à-vis your project or its mission?

5. Processes

29. What would be the roles and responsibilities of each member of the partnership?

30. What is expected in terms of updates and accountability?Board presentations, annual reports, tracking, reports to stakeholders

31. What are the organizational structures of you and your partner, and how might that work for – or against – your project?

NFPs, LLCs, individual/sole proprietor, for-profit

32. What is the fiscal year of your partner and how might that affect your partnership?

33. What are the important dates and times for product or service development and execution?

34. What are important times of the year that may dictate more – or less – engagement with your partner?

Board meetings, awards shows

35. What are important legacies to your partner, and how might these successes be utilized or referenced?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8

Apple 1984

6. Press36. What are your communications goals?

Media value, website hits, major news, impressions

37. What is your media target list?Influencers, business or consumer media, television outlets,

newspapers, magazines, blogs, “twitterers”

38. What is purpose of including each source on your list? Best sources to reach your audience, report on your project, or

celebrate your project success

39. How have you creatively and strategically integrated social media?

40. How will your project break through the clutter, and become “famous” twice a year?

41. What is your editorial calendar over the project’s lifespan?

42. How has your press plan considered or incorporated important dates on your partner’s calendar?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

Old Spice Guy

7. Performance

43. What metrics are most important to you and your partner?

44. What is your social ROI?

45. What is your environmental ROI?

46. What is your economic ROI?

47. How has your project furthered your partner’s – and its stakeholders’ – objectives?

48. How do you recognize and celebrate your partner as part of the success?

49. How do you communicate your performance?

Sarah Mclachlan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDmPcSWE0WU

now, it’s your turn.