How Are You Relevant?

One of my bosses told me about a nonprofit association she’s working with, and she mentioned that they have an interesting challenge: they’re becoming irrelevant. An old organization, they find themselves struggling to attract members and donors or explain the value of their mission. So they’ve set a survival goal: be relevant.

What about the rest of us? As a marketer, I am but one voice among thousands all pushing similar messages. Who cares?

At Notre Dame, we provide undergraduate degrees like any other college, but we charge more than most. Why choose us?

Camp Tannadoonah offers a traditional camp experience to a society that no longer embraces those values. What’s the use?

This is my goal for 2011: to make myself and my causes relevant. To give others a reason to listen, to donate, or to sign up. This isn’t just another way of saying I will work on marketing – it’s about building value in a way so that I don’t have to.