Companies are always interested in generation gaps. They study the difference of opinions, the varying preferences and the divergent methods of communication, in order to better understand how generations differ. Organizations use this information about preferred modes of communication, which ads they best respond to, how socially conscious they are, etc. to better engage with their donors. This information is vital, because the differences between a Millennial (1983-1997) or a Gen X (1965-1982) or a Baby Boomer (1946-1964) are significant! Companies need to know how to cater to each...

In past blogs, we have talked about the benefits of turning your non-profit organization around to be donor-facing. This means always thinking of the donors first, in everything you do. In order to make your non-profit organization donor centric, you may need to study some of the best consumer-centric companies for inspiration. Here are five businesses exceptionally catering to their consumers!1. AmazonNo surprise that Amazon is at the top of the customer castle. The company ranks first on almost every customer-centric list in the world, and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon....

In this series, we're looking at for-profit companies that are doing an exceptional job of customer service, in the hopes that this will help our non-profit friends to think about the way they treat their customers - the donors. Donors ultimately drive the mission for every non-profit we know, so helping organizations to become truly donor-centric is high on our list. We have looked at some of the great companies, such as Coca Cola, Apple, the Ritz Carlton, Best Buy and Virgin Airlines. Now, let's look at American Express. For the seventh year in a row, J.D....

People love going into an Apple Store. Even though these retail stores are in almost every major North American city, people still make a point of visiting them when they travel to other states/provinces.Not only are people visiting the Apple Store, they are doing crazy things inside Apple retail locations. People record themselves dancing and post videos to YouTube, people make marriage proposals, and one comedian even brought a goat into an Apple Store!Why do people do such things? Why do so many individuals love spending time in the Apple Store? Because Apple trains their employees to...

In 2011, Coca-Cola launched one of the most successful mass personalization campaigns ever. The idea? Taking a country’s one hundred and fifty most popular first names, nicknames, and terms of affection within each country and paste them on Coke bottle labels. The total volume, to begin with, was one billion custom labels to be shared around the world.Mass Personalization: Making Individuals Feel Special In the 21st century world of marketing, customization and personalization are everything. Coca-Cola’s newest marketing gimmick, Share A Coke, is perfectly capitalizing on this consumer...

As the world becomes more globalized, both for-profit and non-profit organizations are reaching for the same transcontinental wallet. Now, as consumers have more selection and information, they hold most of the power.So in a sea of products and services, how does your organization jump ahead? You already know: consumer-centricity. But how do you achieve that? You need to look at your organization from the outside-in, rather than the inside-out. In this other world, you must analyze your firm from the perspective of a donor rather than an employee/owner.Consumer centricity is all about...

If you type, “I love Virgin Atlantic” into a search engine, you will get almost 80,000 hits. If you do the same for British Airways the number is only 50,000. This is exceptionally impressive given that British Airways has ten times as many planes as Virgin Airlines.People love Virgin Atlantic.Throughout the nooks and crannies of the Internet, there are noteworthy comments about Virgin ensuring the happiness of its clients. From people being bumped up to first class without explanation, to how clean the plane was, to random customer service calls before a flight, Virgin seems to go above and...

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company operates eighty-seven luxury hotel and resorts in twenty-nine countries/territories across the world. The current company, founded in 1983, began its journey in Boston, Massachusetts before expanding the chain around the globe.Apart from providing a safe and luxurious space for visitors to stay and relax, the Ritz-Carlton provides an exceptional customer service experience. Many years ago, President and COO Horst Shulze saw the importance of catering to customers and instituted the customer/employee centered motto, "We are Ladies and Gentlemen Serving...