Is That Donor Your Donor?
(Added 10/12/2009)
As many charities do, we market planned gifts to our prospects. We have found that the best message comes from our current donors in the form of testimonials. We always try to get a quote in which the donor explains why he or she is pleased with the gift, and we also always try to get a picture. We can't always get a quote we can use, however, and so I wonder if I can make it up. But, so as not to give the wrong impression, I avoid attribution. The quote is close enough to what others say, and, to be honest, I think I generate better copy than some of my prospects. The marketing piece is the better for it too.
The world of marketing has never been confused for a safe haven for full and honest disclosure, but that doesn't mean advertisements are licensed to invent untrue information. Many people think the unattributed quote is the same as creating words that someone might have said if only he or she had been asked. But unattributed quotes are still quotes. The quotation marks mean someone said the words between them. Those who market have an obligation to adhere to some standard of honesty, and companies that violate that standard may ultimately hurt themselves - if not in their stock price, in their public perception and sales. Charities must rely heavily on public perception when soliciting funds and so must do more than meet some minimum standard for marketing; that the mad men of marketing don't always follow that standard is no excuse for not doing so.
Every quote we attribute, even if it is to a person not specifically identified, should be true and accurate. The difference between saying, "Our donors love our gift annuities" is fundamentally different from quoting someone as saying, "I love the gift annuity I established with this charity."
And, for heaven's sake, if you do attribute the quote to someone, that person really ought to be the person quoted. The same goes for a picture: no beautiful model types when the real person may not look as attractive or young (besides, even though 80 is now the new 60, young isn't the look we should look for in ads that ask people to do something when they die).
Truly - I know it's a worn-out cliché, but striving for the principle really is worthwhile - honesty is the best policy.