What I have come to realize over the past few years is that there is no longer any generalization in public relations and communications. Technology, market forces and demographics have transformed my profession. This signals that the tide has turned within the marketplace and all of its sectors.

What this means to organizations is that the old rules no longer apply. The trusted bag of communications tricks is no longer effective. One industry person commented at a seminar I attended recently that media releases (you may still be calling them news releases) are now considered the lowest life form of public relations. But this is the tool most organizations rely upon to get the word out.

If your communications efforts are at the lower end of the food chain, it’s time to think about how you can avoid being gobbled up… more to follow. Watch this space.

If you are a plan-a-holic you likely have a shelf full of strategies and good ideas that won’t see the light of day. The reason this usually happens (other than poor consulting!) is that they are seen as distinct from the everyday work of your organization. The more you can make the "new" way, the "new normal", the more successful you will be. Like a lifestyle change, it’s about creating new organizational habits. My recent enewsletter provides shelf-help.

The more you do something, the better you become at it. This is as true for communications and marketing, as it is for anything else. A marketing expert I read once said, "writing is like flexing your marketing muscle" and I have certainly found this to be true.

The more you write to, talk to, listen to and absorb all you can about your donors, staff and volunteers, the more natural and authentic your communications will become. You will be speaking their language, rather than the clunky, formal org-speak of your mandate, vision etc. This leads to better matches, greater understanding, and more funds raised for the work of your organization. So feel that burn (the good and healthy kind)!

When the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper published their June 4 edition on pink newsprint, they made history and at least $10,000 for breast cancer research. The newspaper was the first in North America to print on coloured paper in the name of a cause. Response has been fabulous according to editor Margo Goodhand.

“Pink” has become synonymous with ”breast cancer”, and you can buy everything from post-it notes to kitchen utensils in pink, with a portion of profits going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. There is debate about how much actually goes to charity, versus lines the pockets of the merchandisers (if you want to learn more about that, read the 2006 book by Queens University professor Samantha King Pink Ribbons Inc.: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy).

But one thing can’t be disputed - the power of the pink brand. Even a young child knows what it stands for. So how can you achieve mass awareness, as the CBCF has done? Well, other than lots of advertising and third-party agreements, you can’t argue with the power of longevity and perseverance.

Many nonprofits fall victim to the temptation of jumping on the latest bandwagon, and abandoning what they have started. They do not stick with a valid strategy and message, thinking the change in the message or aiming it at someone else will make the difference. This does not work, and never will. Providing you have a sound objective, and that you know a lot about your audience, staying on your course will work better over time than many stops and restarts.

This week’s Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants offer practical, and realistic, tips for small and medium-sized organizations interested in online fundraising.