Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • July 4, 2016 www.HartfordBusiness.com OPINION & COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Budget constraints help redefine government's role C onnecticut and the city of Hartford's new shared economic reality is getting its most public face yet, as budget constraints lead to the closure of historic landmarks and cultural/social events that bring the community together. The state-funded Old State House is closing, at least temporarily. Hartford's Riverfest fireworks display has been canceled, and other major Capital City events, including First Night and Winterfest, are on the chopping block as Mayor Luke Bronin has cut funding for special events, which the city has subsidized over the years. Politically, pulling funding for such events isn't a great move, but it's certainly the right deci- sion. Let's be honest: Of all the difficult choices Bronin and the state legislature must make, spending on special events or museums falls toward the bottom of the priority list. Let's remem- ber, nearly a thousand state employees have lost their jobs, while more layoffs loom at city hall. Yes, Hartford gets another black eye, but the city's main priority is fiscal discipline. To be clear, events like Riverfest and First Night are important components to creating a vibrant city. They bring excitement to Hartford as well as business to local restaurants. Attractions like Old State House also woo tourists downtown, while preserving the cul- tural and historical roots crucial to any major city destination. But there's a much larger issue at play, mainly that state and local governments can no longer afford to spend freely without disregard for the financial consequences. That's what got us into this fiscal mess in the first place. We are in an important period in Connecticut where fiscal constraints are helping to redefine the role of government in our daily lives. Few would argue against the fact that government's reach is stretched too far and thin. We are now in a market correction that will force us to ask tough questions and make difficult decisions. For example, should government help subsidize a museum or fireworks display, or should that role be left to private or corporate donors? Should the city of Hartford be forced to pay for all the security at major events that attract crowds from across the state, or should there be a regional approach to funding? There will also be greater pressure on corporations and foundations to help save city events and programs that lose funding. We do think it's important that the business community step up its sup- port of the Capital City, but they too must prioritize their commitments. As the state and city slash significant spending, there has been and will continue to be unprec- edented demands on corporate donors from the nonprofit community. Not all programs and services can be saved. The focus must be on funding initia- tives that have the greatest impact on society. For example, we applaud recent efforts by several donors — The Hartford, Barbara Dalio and the Dalio Foundation, Aetna Foun- dation, Travelers Foundation and Newman's Own Foundation — to ante up $2.2 million to help fund the Hartford Youth Service Corps, which will initially hire 200 underserved city youths to perform North End cleanup and beautification assignments, creating both jobs and learning experiences for those who otherwise wouldn't have experienced them. Government must get back to the basics, funding support systems that help the most needy. Everything else should and will be on the chopping block. This is the new eco- nomic reality. n TALKING POINTS Nonprofit marketing beyond the charity golf tourney By Andrea Obston W hen it comes to developing a nonprofit marketing strategy, I beg you to think outside the greens. The golf greens. It's charity golf season and according to CTGolfer.com these events happen almost daily from now through October. And, while I have noth- ing against this form of entertainment and frustration, my experience in non- profit marketing tells me they are ineffective when it comes to improving the overall financial health of a nonprofit. They also do little to broaden public understanding of a nonprofit's mission. So what can a nonprofit do to raise aware- ness, bring in financial support, build an engaged volunteer force and showcase the issues they stand for? Here are five tips of developing nonprofit marketing strategies. Build and preach your brand: Many times when we start working with nonprofits they assume everyone knows who they are and why they should care. I call it the "Big Brown Eyes Syndrome." It sounds like this: "Our cause is right and just and true and any- one with a heart should care about it." If the current political season has taught us noth- ing, let's acknowledge that "right and just and true" isn't resonating. It's a fantasy. Do not assume everyone knows and loves you. Even your most ardent supporters prob- ably have their own narrow view of who you are. Your brand needs to be more than that. It needs to encompass what's important to the people you serve; the unique value you bring to the universe and the differentiating reason you exist. So, before investing one moment, one dol- lar, one brain cell in developing a marketing strategy for your nonprofit, I beg you to know and understand the unique value you bring to those you serve. That's your brand. That's the message that will form the core of your marketing strategy and the key messages you'll deliver. Identify and understand your target audiences: Each of the groups you need to impact wants and needs different things from you. Your clients may want indepen- dence, help, support, understanding or the ability to change. Those who care about them may want the comfort of knowing they aren't alone in providing the best for those they love. Volunteers want the satisfaction of know- ing their time and dedication are making a difference and donors want to know their dollars are being spent well. So how do you create a marketing plan that satisfies these diverse needs? By going back to the essential reason you exist; the one that's embodied by your brand. Create and disseminate key messag- es: Now that you know who you are and what your target audiences want from you, it's time to develop key messages that you'll deliver through all of your communication tactics. Key messages speak to what people want from you and how you can deliver it. No mat- ter how noble the mission, if an organization is not telling its story consistently and strate- gically, it will fall on deaf ears. Use earned media — it still works: While social media is the latest shiny object, it's not the answer to all of your communica- tions challenges. It's one answer. Traditional media — TV, radio and print — still have credibility and sway. In a 2014 survey by Ink- House and GMI, social media ranked as the fifth most preferred news sources, after TV, online news, print news and radio. I would also add that community news, in both print and online (like Patch.com) are ter- rific ways for nonprofits to get their messages out. People still read their hometown papers. Make your website your communica- tions hub: Websites and social media give nonprofits the ability to be their own broad- casters. Use them wisely. Think of your website as your owned- media hub. Driving traffic to it should be the goal of every communications tactic you use. Why? Because that's where you can say what you want, inspire people with what you do and move them to action – as long as you remember what they want from you. That means putting up content that addresses the reasons people come to your site. If you're an addiction-recovery agency, the person coming to your site is probably there because addiction is causing pain — for them or for those who care about them. Telling them that you were founded in 1982 by a doctor who came over from England doesn't get them any closer to solving their problem through you. Content that tells your website visitor that your approach is based on understanding their addiction and developing a unique plan to battle it, makes them think, "I've come to the right place." See the difference? Content in the first example is all about you. Content in the second is all about the person search- ing on your site. A key component to drive people to your site is your blog. Here's where you get to show off just how much you know and how much you care. Once you've posted that blog, push it on your social media with an intriguing tidbit from the post. Choose the social media your target audience participates in. Want to reach Boomers? That's Facebook and LinkedIn. Want to reach Millennials? That's Instagram and Snapchat. Use social media to engage: Employ social media to involve the people who care about your issues and to inspire them to action. And like the rest of your content, make it about the topic; not about you. And now back to the greens: The point of this column is that nonprofit marketing must be about building year-round support and understanding for your very-worthy cause. It needs to go beyond a once-a-year golf tournament. This may be golf-tournament season, but ask yourself, "What's the reason?" Then use all the energy that goes into planning your annual charity golf tournament to create a year-round marketing strategy. n Andrea Obston is president of Andrea Obston Marketing Communications in Bloomfield. HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM POLL Should Hartford, East Hartford have done more to keep the Riverfront festival? ● Yes ● No To vote, go online to HartfordBusiness.com. Last week's poll results: Is bankruptcy a viable solution to fixing Hartford's fiscal woes? 51.7% Yes 48.3% No Andrea Obston ▶ ▶ We are in an important period in Connecticut where fiscal constraints are helping to redefine the role of government in our daily lives. Few would argue against the fact that government's reach is stretched too far and thin.

• Cover