I am beginning to see the beautiful differences of people's languages... No, not the difference between English and French, nor between Spanish and Italian. But in their word choices, and the tone of their writing and speaking voices take. Ten years or so ago, I was seriously worried about being just another writer, about not being unique a voice to be even noticed...
I remember a communications professor being obsessed with the meaning of words. To a novice writer, this was something I found a bit too much. Today, I finally appreciate this madness called "logophilia." I realize that cultural, academic, and professional exposure has a lot of influence on a writer's style and vocabulary as it has in mine.
Here in Washington, D.C., the dominant marketing language is geared towards the military and the politicians (and their critics and advocates). Then within conservative and liberal think tanks, you will see the angry, inflammatory language used against each other.
With living outside of New York for nine years, I have noticed how the advertising on The New York Times has been very subliminal to show ultimate discretion and professionalism... But the humanity is gone especially if the advertisement is for charity. What is one to expect? The crème dela crème of New York City, especially Wall Street, is all about the bottom-line and imprinting their influence all over the world to show their strength and superiority. Speaking of Wall Street, look at The Wall Street Journal...
This is what I am also also discovering in most nonprofit marketing, even in humanitarian advertising, newsletters, and direct marketing materials. I understand that it is all about fundraising, membership acquisition, and attrition. But there is no hint of passionate anger for justice...
On the streets of Washington, D.C., there are many young people on the streets that represent Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). I admit that I am one to avoid them like the plague. But the truth is, I learn nothing new from them... Either I already know what they are telling me or they are desperate for my membership due payment, which is vital for the health of these organizations. But this hard-hitting focus on the bottom-line detracts new, old, and prospective members from the mission and vision of the organizations...
Maybe when I actually see these young activists on the streets, I should ask them why they are passionate about the organization they are representing. Many veterans of the nonprofit world seem to have lost that spark that drove them to their careers. Hence, we get unemotional appeals for donations and signatures that don't make headlines. Then, we scratch our heads why we are not fulfilling the mission and vision of our organization.
On my free time, I love walking through the art galleries of the Smithsonian Institution. The colors, the forms, and the imagery of the paintings evoke a pleasurable fascination with visuals. Artists are colorful personalities. Sometimes, they are utterly mad people that without the financial support of sometimes very wealthy patrons, they would definitely end up in the asylum. Their works give you a glimpse in their profound imaginary worlds, and access to their individual perception of reality.
Nonprofit professionals always need a dose of creativity in the ever-changing world with technological developments completely altering every medium of communication overnight. I have seen how the non-technology "word of mouth" has created the much-needed awareness of an organization, where the tried and true electronic media has failed. Then, there are times when you have to completely think out of the box by trying new channels you have never thought of using or radically changing your whole approach (i.e. rebranding).
Why not listen to some music, look at a photograph, or even read a poem... and ponder on the creative thought behind its creation? Arts, music, and literature are defined by genre and era. Why shouldn't we define marketing, advertising, and public relations in the same way? Being a communications professional is more of an art than a science. Yes, we do rely on graphs and statistics but those are only tools telling us how we can effectively use our creativity.
Be a little more colorful and passionate with your words! It's not an option, it's a given... That also goes for design and audio-visual work in marketing your organization. If we remain doing things the way we always did, we will lose our relevance in the ever-changing world, where many physical, cultural, and technological boundaries are blurring into non-existence.
Don't just sit there! Do something different! You can start by thinking out of the box...
