Cause and Effect

I spent the last few days at a pretty impressive agency media event surrounded by colleagues, vendors and equals and I realized as I was having conversations over drinks and corporate food that I really love my job. Unlike some people, I love the work that I do. So many people I spoke with bitched and bitched about their hours, clients, work load, bosses, departmental struggles, etc and I honestly couldnt relate. My agency builds and manages interactive media campaigns for non-profit, 501-c, advocacy, public affairs and political organizations, and there’s a sense of goodness and true accomplishment that hits me every time I launch a new campaign. Unlike in the past when I was helping various companies contribute to their bottom line through online sales one unit at a time (and a complete loss of work-life balance), now I’m helping organizations literally save lives, transform governments and energize constituencies and a I love it. All of the media technologies are the same..imedia, search, email, social networks but the message is completely different. Web 2.0 and social media itself has revolutionized the way advocacy/NFP organizations approach users on the internet. Now we can hold 2-way conversations with the end user so our advertising messages are no longer confined to a 728X90 web banner that most people pay no attention to. Causes require conversations! We initiate and drive conversations that may cause someone to buy an eco-healthy alternative fueled vehicle or donate time at a local AIDS mission or more importantly donate money to a greater human cause. I now understand why people like my mother devote their lives to non-profit organizations. It gives me a good healthy dose of do-goodin’. Honestly for me it’s a perfect marriage of 2 things. Interactive media and cause marketing.

I spoke at the event this week and I didn’t really even have to prepare. Although I was nervous about it, when I got on that stage in front of several hundred people I didn’t have to dig deep for meaningful things to say. My words flowed out like they were being fed directly from some sort of cause marketing guru. I surprised myself even. That’s when you know you’re in the right place, when you can communicate your cause naturally. I had lots of people approach me after my panel and ask questions, swapped cards and I got asked to speak again. So I officially wasn’t kidding myself.

It’s great to know you’re in the right place..I plan on staying here a while.