What No Nonprofit Marketer Should Do In A Disaster

The five rules I’ve listed below seem self-explanatory, even obvious. But, having experienced not one, not two, but numerous examples of these guidelines being blatantly ignored in the last few days, it seems that there’s merit in reiteration. Even while this post itself breaks rule no. 2.

But first some context: TakeTwo Services is located in New York City, which, along with the rest of the North East United States is in the path of Hurricane Sandy. We, along with anyone who has television, radio or internet access, have known this since Friday. Yet, marketers (including nonprofits) continue to ignore or “forget” this fact.

So, please learn from others, and if you work in marketing for a nonprofit (or any company, like, say The GAP), please don’t do the following:

1. Send out un-related information when a disaster is imminent: If people are worried about their basic needs being severely compromised, they are not going to care about a crisis halfway around the world. Sorry, but it’s true.
2. Ignore the importance of timing: Don’t do what I’m doing right now – send out a post in the same time frame that disaster strikes people close by. I’m only doing so because I have a feeling that like me, others are getting marketing updates that simply should wait. And at least, this post recognizes that there is a disaster. Which brings me to rule no.3
3. Not customize your mailing lists: If you target people all around the country, yes, it’s perfectly appropriate to send them Halloween wishes. But, take the people located in the disaster area off that list. Or they will take themselves off.
4. Exploit the disaster/crisis: You would never do that, I know. But some people and organizations do. If you need proof, there’s an abundance of it on Twitter.
5. Forget that your customers, clients, subscribers etc. are humans, whose priorities, like every human being’s in a crisis are pretty simple – staying safe, reaching out to loved ones, and dealing with actual emergencies.

Instead, if you don’t have relevant and useful content, lay low.
Or express goodwill and solidarity. (Just once, thanks).
Or send along helpful resources, even if they’re not yours.
Crises can bring out the best in people. Shouldn’t they do the same for your organization?