Following a three-way pitch, the RNLI has selected Whitewater to develop and implement a new strategy for member and donor retention and development, intended to greatly enhance the overall supporter experience and thereby significantly increase the charity’s voluntary income.

Whitewater will provide strategic planning and creative implementation across all aspects of the charity’s offline and online supporter communications programme, including membership reactivation and renewals, fundraising appeals, and legacy marketing.

“The fundraising marketplace is becoming ever more complex and competitive and we are very aware that we need to develop more sophisticated supporter communications programmes to take account of this,” explains Amanda Mitchell, the RNLI’s Marketing Manager - Planning & Development. “Whitewater’s approach of using consumer insight-led planning to deliver highly engaging creative makes them the ideal partner for us as we embark on our new supporter marketing strategy”.

Work is already underway on the agency’s first two RNLI campaigns; a 370k supporter appeal set to mail out in June and the re-development of advertising supporting the charity’s legacy fundraising activity.

One of the UK’s largest and best known charities, the RNLI exists to save lives at sea. It provides a 24-hour search and rescue service from over 230 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, often operating in dangerous and difficult conditions. It also runs a seasonal RNLI lifeguard service on 58 of the south’s busiest beaches.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 11:35 AM | Permalink

When international advertising agency J. Walter Thomson rebadged itself as ‘JWT’ back at the start of last year they launched their newly polished offering with the following statement:

“We passionately believe advertising has a future, but only if we stop interrupting what people are
interested in and be what people are interested in.”

Given how marketing savvy, time conscious, and downright defensive consumers are becoming, it is clearly more important than ever to ensure that consumer communications are perceived as interesting rather than an unwelcome interruption.

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 03:34 PM | Permalink

When was the last time you visited a churchyard grave to pay your respects to someone you have lost? I never have. And the evidence suggests that this will be true for most of the readers of Professional Fundraising.

It’s not because we haven’t experienced bereavement in our lives or that we don’t care about the people we have lost. It’s just that church graveyards are not very relevant any more. Only 18% of Brits are part of an organised religion. And over 80% of us are cremated anyway.

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 03:30 PM | Permalink

I’m not going to talk about number-crunching and data analysis. Or to explain why mailpacks succeed or fail. Instead, I want to talk to you about my friend Miriam, and what my fantastic colleagues at Whitewater are helping me to achieve.

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 03:25 PM | Permalink

At a time when donor recruitment is harder than ever, charities are looking for ways to increase the value of existing supporters. That’s why there’s been a lot of talk about cannibals at Whitewater. It’s not that Whitewater staff have developed a taste for human flesh – that’s not happened, yet – it’s that there’s been a good deal of concern about cannibalisation of income.

The suspected cannibal was our old friend the virtual gift catalogue. ‘Will sending a virtual gift catalogue to the database cannibalise income we would have got through the Christmas appeal?’

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 03:43 PM | Permalink

It’s not often us art directors are given the chance to drag ourselves away from our computer screens and brainstorming sessions down the pub, to travel out into the real world and see, first hand, the causes we spend so much time trying to help.

So when Christian Aid offered me the chance to visit some of their projects in Mozambique, I jumped at the opportunity to take my first trip to Africa.

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 03:29 PM | Permalink

I’ve spent the last ten years working in charity direct marketing. But now my husband Paul and I are selling up in the UK to run a Chambre d’hôte in south west France. I am passionate about food and entertaining so cooking for our guests will be a dream come true.

I am reinventing myself.

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 03:19 PM | Permalink

Got a moment? Then try this useful fundraising exercise...

Stick a key word that describes your cause into Google, hit ‘Google Search’ and see what happens. Repeat for various words. Does your website URL come up on the first screen you see?

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 03:12 PM | Permalink

Well, that’s got your attention. Aren’t words brilliant? And it’s true, the pen really is mightier than the sword.

Strange coming from an art director I know, but when you think of the millions of people who have been disenfranchised by the use of language, then I’m sure you will agree.

Originally published in Professional Fundraising magazine: to read this ad in full download the pdf.

Posted by Whitewater Team at 11:07 AM | Permalink