In this week’s @AvalonFYI dispatch, you will discover the latest USPS news, neuro-contextual advertising, how to “fail well,” good habits, and our new favorite word.
Dear friends,
It was great to see many of you at last week’s Nonprofit Fundraisers Symposium. This conference, co-hosted by DMAW and TNPA, has become a signature industry event for good reason: The sessions and speakers are fantastic, and it’s a unique opportunity to network with experienced fundraisers. Well done to this year’s organizers and especially to Avalon COO Kerri Kerr for her work as co-chair!
USPS Update
The U.S. Postal Service and Amazon have been renegotiating, and the outcome does not look good. By the end of September, Amazon is expected to significantly cut, if not eliminate, USPS package delivery. It’s an unwelcome change for the cash-strapped agency, which Postmaster General David Steiner says could run out of funds as early as October. Unfortunately for nonprofits, this likely indicates a significant rate increase for direct mail. Nonetheless, mail will continue to be an essential component of successful fundraising strategies, and Avalon has a plan in place to address this proactively. Please reach out to your Avalon team if you have questions about your program.
How Avalon Approaches USPS Uncertainty
✅ Budgeting ahead for increased postage,
✅ Optimizing mailplans for ROI,
✅ Expert analysis to support adaptive strategy, and
✅ Coordinating campaigns across omnichannel efforts.
Neuro-Contextual Advertising
Senior director of paid media Andrea Thorn shared a fascinating article from DIGIDAY on neuro-contextual advertising. New research from Seedtag demonstrates significant leaps in engagement where campaigns align with three neuro-contextual elements: (a) interest, (b) intent, and (c) emotional state. So, rather than predicting engagement based on past activity, this strategy reads a consumer’s neuro-context in the moment of interaction and evolves ads to meet it. AI could make that possible by assessing the situation and contextualizing content on the fly, as well as by tracking new metrics. This would be a huge and possibly controversial leap in marketing, so I’m interested to see which brands test it, how they manage privacy, and how the public responds. It’s something to be aware of as both marketers and consumers.
Success through Failure
According to Jeff Brooks, failure is an essential part of the fundraising process, and avoiding it will “strangle” your success. Even highly successful techniques lose effectiveness over time, so fundraisers constantly need new ideas to combat attrition in their programs. Here’s the kicker, Brooks writes: “Almost all new ideas are bad.” One thing I love about direct marketing is that it provides a responsible framework for experimentation: We manage risk through testing, learn quickly from what fails, and build with purpose on what works. This process is part of our industry’s DNA, so great fundraisers know how to embrace “failing well.” Thank you to analytics VP SB Birnie for sharing this with our team.
“As my Analytics teammates will tell you, I have a lot of bad ideas. Gobs of them. And you know what happens when I share a bad idea? We debate as a team, pick it apart, and turn it into a good one.”
– Avalon Analytics VP SB Birnie
Good Habits
By now, a majority of people have quit their New Year’s resolutions. But there’s still hope! To restart or continue making progress this spring, senior director of HR Melissa Ferrell recommends focusing on small, consistent actions. If you’ve lost motivation, offer yourself some grace and simply keep going. Nobody’s perfect, and “consistency beats intensity every time.” You’ve got this.
New Favorite Word
COO Kerri Kerr shared a humorous post from Seth Godin on the pain of waiting alone on Zoom or Teams, wondering where the rest of your meeting has gone. The next time this happens to you, rest assured you’re not alone. You’re just sitting in “zimbo,” a.k.a. Zoom limbo. “We needed a word for this existential minor dread, and now we have one.” Who can’t relate?!
