Generalists:
A general marketer will focus on the overall marketing needs for your non profit and must know a little bit about every aspect of marketing. Typically called Brand Managers, Marketing Managers or Product Managers, general marketers are usually employees within large corporations. When a general marketer needs extra help in certain areas, they call in the specialists.
Specialists:
Specialist marketers are experts within certain marketing fields, e.g. graphic artists, writers. Usually they are external consultants, but large non-profits may have employees performing the same functions.
Why do you need a marketing generalist?
There is always a risk in self-diagnosing your problem. You need to make sure you get what you need….. not necessarily what you originally asked for. A generalist will help you diagnose where your gaps are and either fill the gap themselves or find a specialist to fill the gap. For example, you may want “more donations” – a generalist will help you determine whether its more efficient to approach existing donors or new donors.
Marketing is both an art and a science. Marketing generalists are trained to do well at both, but there will always be a tendency for a generalist to feel more comfortable with either the art or the science. If you need help clarifying and protecting your brand, search for a “marketing artist”. If you need help calculating the efficiency of your revenue streams and analyzing donor churn, search for a “marketing scientist”.
When I meet a new client, I explain what I do by using an analogy with the real estate market. When a homeowner sells their home, they can hire a “staging” company who removes clutter and decorates. Staging companies make a home easy for buyers to want to buy. Similarly, when I rebrand a client, I remove the clutter and focus on their key messages. I make it easy for donors to donate to you.
