Tis the season of …. Utterly amazing people

By  Laura-Jane Sullivan, New Business Director

Tis the season, no not of ho ho ho just yet, but when completely dedicated people show their support for causes by standing out in the rain, wind and snow to sell cards, poppies or just to shake their tin.

For example; the lawyer who phoned into Radio Two yesterday to say how he had given up a day of what I’m sure is very profitable and time consuming work to stand outside Aldgate tube station selling poppies, or my 80 year old in-laws who stand year after year whatever the weather in Coventry city centre shaking collection boxes for RNLI. And woe betide any family or friend who doesn’t buy their RNLI Christmas Cards!

This got me thinking, why do they do this when they could just bung the charity a £10 or sign a DD for £2 a month and have it over and done with. I suspect it is because of the euphoria in doing their bit and supporting their cause.

But, is the same euphoria experienced each month when those monthly (or cash) donations go out of their bank account? I doubt it, like me, I expect we don’t even notice it, but glance over the bank statement viewing our donation as we do the gas transaction, or the water transaction etc.

So, perhaps charities are missing a trick here. How can they create those feelings experienced by the people who campaign, collect, sell and complete events for cash donors?

At TW CAT we view the answer as ‘getting personal’. Acknowledging those gifts in the first person, referring to previous gifts and keeping the donor completely informed about how their money is helping. Nothing works harder than illustrating how their valued gift has helped turn around the lives of those suffering from Parkinsons, or helping create a sustainable source of water for a village for example.

The power of the thank you should never be underestimated.

The future of campaigning

By Gemma Fletcher, Senior Art Director

A few weeks ago I attended People Power 2010, the first conference solely dedicated to the future of campaigning. Campaigners continue to fill an important role for charities and society, experts who bridge a vital knowledge gap that the government cannot cover. Below are a few key points that came out of the conference that I wanted to share.

Working together

Funding cuts and the rising scepticism surrounding campaigning have highlighted the need for strategic change within the sector. We need more collective action to conquer this disillusionment. Campaigning can be a competitive game, but it’s time to forget turf wars, and find links in campaigns, working together to achieve shared goals.

Over the next few years we could see a rise in coalitions, with charities joining forces to be smarter, louder and more effective. Likewise, charities which successfully close the gaps internally between departments, showing greater consistency, will attract greater support. There is no doubt there is more power in standing together.

Fast campaigning is not necessarily good campaigning

In the last few years there has been a huge rise in Internet campaigning via social networks. It was felt by delegates that some of these campaigns can lack depth: a quick click doesn’t require as much personal engagement and commitment to the issues. Social networks provide a great tool to reach out, but we need to involve people in a deeper way to recruit more committed supporters.

Evidence

Fact is king! Campaigns need to be more evidence-based with greater transparency to create a lasting impact of change. Legitimacy and accountability are going to be a big focus in the next few years. Beneficiary-fronted campaigns, used in fundraising, but often forgotten in campaigning, could make for more powerful and relatable campaigns.

Greater role of citizens

The game has changed, power has returned to the communities, small local campaigns will win out. There needs to be a growth in people playing a greater role in public policy. The panel predicted a rise in boycotts, simple but powerful actions by aware citizens ready to create a unified front. The documentary Food Inc and the recent palm oil scandal are all evidence of the power of informed consumers and people power.

The future’s bright

People Power raised some important questions and debates, providing lots of food for thought about what the future of campaigning could hold. Being in a room with some of my heroes including Tony Benn and Shami Chakrabarti, people who are truly committed to changing the world through campaigning, filled me with hope that collective action can still change lives around the world.

An organisation is only as good as its people…

By Vickie Hann, HR Manager

Here at TW CAT we have the best people.

I joined the company in June 2006 and have seen fairly dramatic changes in environment, process and hierarchy but one thing has remained consistent – the ethical, creative and team spirited atmosphere that really makes TW CAT a fulfilling place to work. It’s pretty unusual to be able to say that your work colleagues also count as your friends. The whole “work to live” not “live to work” ethos really comes into play if your working days are spent with people you actually have fun with, care about and respect.

As a company, we want to match the dedication and commitment of those extraordinary people with our own dedication and commitment to their welfare. Although getting the money right is important, it’s often the added extras that make a difference. So TW CAT offers more than 20 individual benefits over and above the basic requirements of an employer: days off to spend volunteering for a charity of your choice, excellent office surroundings and having your birthday off as an addition to your holiday allowance to name but a few.

The search for the best people never stops. This year we’re involved with Wired Sussex’s internship program and are really excited as we’re about to embark on the selection process for a local university graduate hoping to gain some real life work experience within our organisation. The successful candidate will be working closely with our Creative team but will ultimately be involved with everyone here. As well as offering an excellent insight into the working life of TW CAT and all that it involves we also really hope to learn from our new intern and listen to the input and ideas they may have.

As HR & Office Manager for TW CAT I’m really proud of our ‘family’ feel. Speaking to candidates seeking an opportunity to work with us as often as I do it’s really rewarding to know we have a reputation for being such a dynamic and well respected DM agency whilst retaining that ‘everyone matters’ approach. I hope and trust that all organisations strive to work in this way, but I know TW CAT already does!

Miles apart

By Diane Baxendine, Account Manager

Having worked in the commercial sector for over two decades, I am frequently reminded that the charity and the commercial sectors are miles apart.

In the charity sector, you are not making rich and profitable companies even richer and more profitable. You are instead helping people to make a real difference in the world.

Often, as an account manager, I will organise interviews with case studies and charity projects workers, to enable the copywriter to write a powerful and engaging pack. Earlier this week, myself and a colleague interviewed a charity project worker, who had worked for a health charity for over ten years. He talked about his work, and how the project literally turns people’s lives around.

At the end of the call, the project worker went silent. I thought we had been cut off, but no: he was actually in tears. Still, after all this time working for this particular charity, this was for him clearly so much more than just a job. He was clearly someone who was so passionate about his work – and the results of that work are beyond belief.

When we hung up, I too had tears streaming down my face.

I’ll say it again: the charity and commercial sectors are miles apart.

Being quick off the mark….

By Lauren.

It’s Wednesday morning and our Head of Creative interrupts my peaceful start with a “Have you seen the news?” I haven’t. Its 8.30am and my mind is caught up in meeting minutes and a bit of an admin backlog. “Earthquake in Haiti,” he informs me, and there it is, the rest of my working week goes into a spin.

Before I know it, it’s Friday night and we’ve produced 27 press ads for the week and weekend broadsheets. We’re not the only ones. In fact, all of the major, and some not so major, international aid charities are in the papers from Thursday onwards. Everyone has been incredibly quick off the mark.

Not since the tsunami has such a large-scale fundraising effort been put into practice. The difference is this time everyone is prepared. The Disasters Emergency Committee – the umbrella organisation which coordinates responses to overseas disasters – received £10 million in just 24 hours. The other notable difference is that this time we have more media at our fingertips. According to The Independent  Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have collectively produced $9 million in donations whilst text messages have produced a further $11 million.

As I flick through the papers, I ask myself whether they are saturated with requests for help. Perhaps. Is that a problem? According to the above figures and my experience at TW CAT no. The UK public continues to give generously.

Inevitably the usual NGO backlash will begin over when the money will get there, what it is used for and how it will affect the development of the country. What is clear is that Haiti will need all the help that it can get and as infrastructure delays aid reaching areas most affected, being quick off the mark in raising funds is critical.

A message from Clare, our brilliant new Account Exec

I’m sure most people would agree the first week at a new job is a daunting prospect, and to be frank, last Monday morning I was more than a little apprehensive. However, I need not have worried, as everyone at TW CAT has welcomed me into the team with open arms. It’s not in every office you are greeted in the morning with a lick to the face and a wag of the tail, but our resident pooches Percy and Bear are an added bonus that makes the third floor in Huntingdon House such a unique and fantastic place to work.

I’ve had a little agency experience, but I’m glad to be starting from the basics. Lots of inductions with staff in different areas of TW CAT have given me a great overview of how the cogs turn. I have been putting together a ‘jargon dictionary’ full of Marketing terms I’ve never heard of, and have been fully assured that within a few months I’ll be picking up the post off of the doormat and poring over the printing and paper quality of the Chinese takeaway menu. That said, although I feel that there is a lot to learn, I have found myself absorbing more information than I had first anticipated. When a friend asked me how it was going, I was able to enthusiastically reel off plenty of information about current projects and clients. I think this is to do with the way Robin and Lily (my Account team) have included me in absolutely everything from the get go. It has been really enlightening to sit in on Creative briefings, pitch meetings, teleconferences, and team catch-ups, and to be honest I think getting your hands dirty so to speak, is the best way to learn.

The tragic earthquake disaster in Haiti has served to prove not only how important fundraising is, but also has reaffirmed (in my mind) the dedication needed to succeed in the charity sector. It is at times like these when the world rallies together in support of one great cause, and the urgency and generosity of donors, aid workers, as well as agencies such as TW CAT striving to get a message across, never ceases to astonish me. To be part of that is a really exciting prospect for me, and I am looking forward to learning and developing within the agency.

If my Monday morning started with a few nerves, Friday evening was the complete antithesis. I was further welcomed to the team with a trip to the pub, a really nice chance for me to get to know everyone a little better. Needless to say, after a gallon of wine the feeling of being the new girl had completely subsided!