Dear friends,

Avalon will be closed Friday, August 30 and Monday, September 2 for Labor Day. I hope you enjoy the long weekend! Our teams are prepared, and all deliverables will remain on schedule.

The Democratic National Convention commanded last week’s news with great speeches and contagious excitement. I have been fascinated by Democrats’ evolving strategy for messaging to voters, which includes a clear rhetorical shift from “democracy” to “freedom.” In addition, to expand reach, the party granted unprecedented access to influencers. As I noted last week, influencer strategies are also gaining strength in the nonprofit sector.

Here at Avalon, analytics VP Sarah Birnie shared notes from the Bridge Conference session, “Responsible AI Is Everyone’s Responsibility.” Speakers Nathan Chappell of DonorSearch AI and Jon Thompson from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia made their case by comparing AI to cars and hammers: “Safe” technology can still cause harm, so every user must exercise care—and we should all work together for shared safety. This resonates with the purpose of Avalon’s AI task force, which I hope will support responsible use and innovation across the industry.

Speaking of AI, senior VP Jackie Libby shared an Inc. feature on mail innovations at PostPilot, a commercial platform that specializes in personalized mail and handwritten notes. Their use of AI to enhance automation and segmentation is gaining attention. As Jackie pointed out, this is not exactly new: “The idea of sending a targeted mailing that’s triggered by a website visit is something that’s been done in the consumer space for at least a decade. Also, the description of what is essentially real pen technology has been in existence for my whole career—‘handwritten’ cards, which are actually written by robots with pens.” That being said, advancing these technologies may help lower the price point, which could strengthen future ROI.

Jackie also passed along an interesting idea for productivity: keep a “switch log.” A switch log is a retrospective tracker that captures tasks started and the interruptions that require you to switch focus. This can be a helpful tool for understanding where your time goes, and why. The article contrasts the tool with calendars and to-do lists, which record what you hope will happen (not what actually occurs).

On the creative side, Avalon’s copy team is learning from Eddie Shleyner’s new book, Very Good Copy. Senior director of copywriting David Wolkin recommends the book to anyone whose responsibilities include writing or reviewing copy. For a taste of Shleyner’s insights, check out his analysis of why “this 115-word sales letter is a poetic masterpiece.”

Finally, David also gave us a peek behind the scenes of his writing process. He explained that great writing elicits emotions, so he likes to tap into his own when he sits down to write. One of his tricks for getting in the zone is to watch the Star Wars Rogue One trailer. He says, “I find it impossible to watch this trailer without being ready to throw down for the Rebellion. So, when I need to get fired up for writing, this gets me there. That’s the power of good storytelling.” It’s worth a try!