Inflight Briefing: 015

Delivered weekly, the Inflight Briefing is designed as a blueprint for the builder and inspiration for the curious. It's for the purposeful (that's you!) doing marketing for good. 

How Einstein’s focus changed the world 

Albert Einstein was considered a generalist in the field of theoretical physics. So, he assessed his career and decided to focus on one thing well: account for gravity by applying non Euclidian math to his working theory on general relativity (I don’t know precisely what that last sentence means, but I do know it means he limited the type of projects he took on). And this is all he did for the next three years. The result? He soon published his theory of general relativity, his hair turned gray, and humanity updated its perception on how the universe works.

An honest conversation about managing teams 

The team at Metadata talks about what it takes to lead a marketing team, but their insights apply to any leader. Jason Widup, VP of marketing at Metadata, says: “If the team isn’t taken care of, I don’t get to work with the team. There’s no world I want to live in where that happens.” He believes that building tight knit teams is worth the risk of awkwardness when it comes time to make hard decisions. Taking care of team members and making sure that they’re living their best lives is a part of being a good person, but it’s also going to lead to great work.

Why venture capitalists should invest in nonprofits 

Nonprofits are held to a different standard than other businesses. In many ways, this is understandable, it can even be a great thing. But this standard can also cause a lot of friction when nonprofit leaders want to invest in R&D, marketing, or pay their employees competitive salaries. And that just isn’t fair. One way that this can change is if venture capitalists begin to invest in nonprofits the way they invest in other businesses, which would give nonprofits the capital they need to expand and make an even bigger impact on the world. This would be a game changer for investors who both want to make a return and an impact. 

How nonprofits can more effectively connect with their audience 

In this quick, six-minute video from last year’s NIO Summit, Gabe Cooper, Founder and CEO at Virtuous and author of Responsive Fundraising, talks through a few strategies nonprofits can use to better connect with their communities. In an increasingly digital world, people are expecting personalized ads and emails. And personalization doesn’t just mean having their first name at the top of the email. It means engaging with your audience in a way that meets their needs and responds to their actions. Effective nonprofits are going to increasingly connect in meaningful ways with their communities instead of relying on a few personalization tactics.

75% of millennials identify as philanthropists  

In the 368th podcast that the We are for Good team has produced, they take a walk through memory lane — specifically 2022’s. As millennials grow their net worths, we’ll begin to see nonprofits focus on expanding into younger demographics including the millennial and Gen Z cohorts. Another trend that’s here to stay is increased investment in mental health. Becky Endicott said, “Self care is a human right.” This isn’t so different from Jason’s perspective at Metadata. Putting people first is going to continue to pay off in 2023.