The World Wildlife Fund is masterful at fundraising – from snail mail offers that compel you to send $15 for the free animal-adorned tote bag to their online campaigns that educate…and again, compel you to send money. And based on an email I received from them this morning, it appears that WWF’s marketing prowess is getting even stronger.
With a click-bait-ish subject line of “Watch WWF’s Not-yet-aired TV Spot,” I was moved to open the email. Up front and center, before any words explaining or requesting anything, was the adorable video they promised. Yes, they called it an ad – which technically it is – and that was smart: “watch our video before others can see it” doesn’t have the same panache. After I’d had the chance to be sucked in to the cuteness of animal parents and babies (and heard the messaging that they need our financial help), I read the brief copy that followed.
This email campaign is right in the Goldilocks zone:
- it’s enticing due to its exclusivity;
- the payoff (video view) is worth it;
- and the messaging below is short and sweet, with a clickable call to action.
It’s just right. Will it be effective? When I watched it this morning, the video had 190 views. A few hours later, I see it’s over 3,000 and climbing. So at minimum, it would seem that the message is successfully getting out. And given their track record, I’m fairly certain that will convert nicely into a tidy sum raised to help support wildlife.
~ Denise Blasevick, @AdvertGirl & CEO, The S3 Agency
