inspiration Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Claxon Communication

A brand, a guy and a glitch

September 20, 2011 by Erica Barnhart

At 5:06 am on Sunday, September 18, 2011, it was raining cats and dogs in Seattle. It was pitch black and, although not cold per se, it wasn’t balmy. Along with 404 others, I decided it was a mighty fine day for a triathlon.

Fast forward to 9:54 am. I am huffing and puffing my way to the finishing line. I hear music. I hear my family cheering me on. And I hear a voice announcing my name as I cross the line. (Woohoooo!!!)

There was only one glitch: it was a man who announced my red-faced lunge across the line.

Don’t get me wrong: I like men. I’ve got a great husband, an adorable son, and a fantastic dad, all of whom were there cheering me on.

The glitch was that this was the Trek Women Triathlon series. As Sally Edwards (who is an amazing, iconic and completely and totally inspiring woman) says, the events are meant to help women find their “inner athlete”.

So I was kinda expecting a female voice to be cheering me on in that final, give-it-all-you-got, lunge-for-the-finish-line moment. Why? Because the Trek Women (and Danskin Women) Triathlon brands are all about the ladies.

The lovely gentleman who was kind enough to make me feel like a rock star even though I looked like I needed an oxygen tank would be a dream announcer at most any other triathlon. But at this event, it was out of sync with a brand based on the belief that all women can use athletic goals as a way to achieve their life goals.

I’d recommend the Trek and Danskin Women Triathlons to any woman who wants to find her inner athlete. And I hope that when you cross that finish line–and cross it you will!–one of your triathlon soul sisters is rocking the mic and cheering you on to glory.

Great words from GreatNonprofits

September 13, 2011 by Erica Barnhart

In the most recent issue of Advancing Philanthropy, the magazine published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, there’s an article about “how the ways people describe your organization may affect your fundraising strategies”.

Newsflash: There’s a difference between the words we think donors, supporters, volunteers and clients want to hear and the ones they actually want to hear…and that they themselves use.

I was being a little sarcastic when I said this was a newsflash. (Sorry.) What I see time and time and time (and time) again is that organizations pick words that speak to donors’ heads and not their hearts. Why? Because it’s safe. If you say, “We provide housing for low-income families in transition,” you can probably prove that’s what you do. That feels safe.

That’s fine. But it’s not inspiring. And what fundraisers know is that people donate money and time when they feel a sense of belonging, appreciation and/or that they can make a difference. In short–when they’re inspired!

For instance, the organization above might say something like, “We make sure kids have a place to call home,” instead of “We provide housing for low-income families in transition.” If I’m a potential donor, I understand how important a home is and can see myself being a part of making it happen. Not so much when it comes to housing for low-income families.

The Advancing Philanthropy article is based on information from GreatNonprofits and will embolden you in your attempts to use words that inspire action. It’s definitely worth a read.

Bonus: For more on creating jargon-free, engagement-friendly messaging, watch this short video.

Inspirational Messaging: InvestED

December 27, 2010 by Erica Barnhart

This week’s bit of messaging inspiration comes to us from InvestED, a Seattle-based nonprofit that understands seemingly small hurdles can be huge barriers to student success. Formerly The Saul and Dayee G. Haas Foundation, InvestED’s message is specific and focused: Get immediate help for students in need.

Because sometimes a pair of sneakers is what it takes to graduate, InvestED encourages secondary school students to stay in school, return to school or get involved in their learning community by providing funding to schools for a range of items including school supplies, appropriate clothing, and activity or course fees.

Is there more to InvestED’s story than this? You bet. But, when it comes to their messaging, they make it easy to understand what they do, how they do it and–most importantly–why they do it. It’s inspirational in its simplicity.

Watch Naomi explain the importance of that pair of sneakers and the impact they made in Naomi’s life.

Inspirational Messaging: Treehouse

December 20, 2010 by Erica Barnhart

“Would you like to give foster kids a childhood and a future?”

This wasn’t what I expected the volunteer elf to ask when I was buying tickets for my family to ride the holiday carousel in downtown Seattle. But she did.

What the elf meant was that all proceeds from the carousel are going to Treehouse, a Seattle-based organization that provides a wide range of services for foster kids and families.

Now, if the elf had asked if I wanted to support an organization that provides services to foster kids and their families, I probably would have said, “Sure.” But her delivery was so much more compelling that I said, “Absolutely!!” and joyfully jumped at the opportunity to do so.

Inspired to learn more, I went online and was thrilled to see that Treehouse is extremely consistent across its many communications channels. Yeah, Treehouse–compelling and consistent! (See this post about Global Partnerships for more on the importance of consistency.)

It would be understandable for Treehouse to want to explain everything they do because all of it is critically important. Instead, they focus on their essence: giving foster kids a childhood and a future. Nuff said.

As Seth Godin recently explained, “The answer is simple,” is always more effective than, “It’s complicated.”

If you are tempted to say that what your organization does is so complicated it can’t be distilled into a compelling, easy-to-understand message, just remember: if Treehouse can do it, so can you.

P.S. If you want to give foster kids a childhood and a future, there’s still time to go ride the carousel!