Personalized Broadcasting Systems
A coast-to-coast look at how public television and radio are moving into the one-to-one airwaves
Sure they’ve still got tote bags and mugs. And if you’re really, really nice, maybe they’ll even send you a video of “Riverdance.”
But PBS stations across the country are realizing that building a valuable relationship with members means more than trinkets and tapes. To varying degrees, affiliates of the Public Broadcasting System are adopting a one-to-one philosophy based strongly on the emotional connection viewers feel for the programming.
As you’ll see in our four regional profiles – WGBH-Boston, WNET-New York, WTTW-Chicago and KPBS-San Diego – public television can’t call itself a top-to-bottom one-to-one enterprise just yet. Much of the stations’ fundraising efforts still come from on-air pledge drives (where, yes, you can probably still get a tote bag if you really want one). And for many tiers of donors, regular communication doesn’t go much past their subscription to the monthly programming guide.
However, when you get to top-tier donors – many of whom give upwards of $1,200 annually to support public television – that’s another story. Stations are realizing that getting to know these patrons better – via phone calls from station heads, personal letters, face-to-face meetings at events like premieres and, in some special cases, one-on-one luncheons – can make a world of difference when it comes to tightening the relationship. And loosening the purse strings.
Across the country and in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa, there are 348 PBS member television stations, operated by 171 non-commercial licensees. Over 50% of PBS’s funding comes from memberships and donations from businesses.
Jonathan C. Abbott, current vice president and general manager, television stations, for WGBH-Boston, notes that across the United States there are approximately 5 million PBS donor households. PBS does not maintain a national database; however, there is a standard database format stations in the top 20 markets utilize so national data can be aggregated for analysis purposes to identify trends.
Likely because there is no national database, there is no formal mechanism in place for following people who move, says Abbott.
If a local station finds out that a member has moved out of their viewing area into another station’s area, they’re likely to contact that station and let them know of the potential new donor. Then it’s up to that new station to decide if and how to pursue the relationship.
PBS also doesn’t do fundraising of its own on a national basis. The national office does offer assistance for regional efforts, such as providing turn-key direct mail programs, testing e-mail focus groups and assisting in the organization of pledge drives. “I think that’s wise,” says Abbott, who was senior vice president of development for PBS for six years prior to joining WGBH. “It keeps them from becoming competitive with the local stations.”
It’s standard practice for nonprofits to send thank you notes to donors. But when the donors are the ones sending the kudos, that’s something special.
WGBH-Boston received a letter recently from a woman who had just finished viewing “Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.” The woman – who had made significant donations to the station – felt compelled to express her gratitude because the only reason she remembered to watch was a letter she received from Jonathan C. Abbott, WGBH vice president and general manager, television.
“She wrote, `Thank you, you made me a very happy woman,'” says Abbott. “That definitely made us want to meet her.”
And meet her they will. The station makes it a point to get together face-to-face with as many of its major- and mid-level donors as possible at events such as seminars about new technology and program premieres.
Only about 6% of WGBH’s 210,000 contributing households (150,000 which have donated in the past three years) fall into the major ($1,250 or higher annually) or mid ($300 and up) range. But that 6% accounts for a considerable portion of the approximately $20 million raised annually from viewers.
That’s why Abbott and his staff pay these members special attention. At the start of each new programming season, the station’s most valuable members receive a personalized letter from Abbott highlighting upcoming specials and series. The letter includes Abbott’s direct phone number, encouraging feedback.
Keeping the feedback loop going is essential for ‘GBH, because of the strong connection viewers feel with the station, which produces 30% of PBS’s national broadcast schedule, including such popular series as “Zoom,” “Frontline,” “Mystery!” and “This Old House.”
“It’s important to build an understanding relationship with the donor,” notes Abbott. “Our challenge is that [a donation] is not a transaction. We’re not exchanging something of immediate value.”
Rather, he says, a donation is an investment, a sort of third-party philanthropy where the viewer is supporting something they themselves – as well as the community – will benefit from.
The face-to-face meetings are vital to cultivate these relationships, with the success judged by attendees’ subsequent donations and involvement with WGBH, which not only operates Boston’s public television station channel 2, but an auxiliary station, channel 44 and WGBH Radio 89.7fm. “It’s all about putting a face on WGBH and getting to know people on a first-name basis,” says Abbott.
WGBH reviews segments of its database to see who might be interested in a particular event. For example, members who donated during the on-air fundraising break of a documentary might be invited to a luncheon with the program’s producer. Many events can only host 200 to 400 people, so they are varied throughout the year to hit different segments of the donor base. Invitations may be sent by mail or personal phone call, depending on the size and type of outing.
The station, of course, makes efforts to connect with members of all kinds. The profile of an “average donor” is all over the map. There is a large pocket of donors over age 45, who are moving into a more philanthropic phase of their life. Then there are many parents who make their first donation because of shows like “Arthur” that their kids love. “We need to grow those donors,” notes Abbott.
Naturally, the level of personalization “comes down to economics,” he says, noting customized copy for letters and postcards has been created for members who donated during specific programs like “The Civil War” or “Riverdance.” On a higher scale, a big donor might get videos of a show they indicated they enjoyed.
“We would love to do more targeting,” says Abbott. “It comes down to figuring out which segments we can affordably target.”
For WGBH, segmenting its file takes not only members’ full account history into consideration but a number of other variables, including leisure time interests, giving history, whether the household has children, and if the member sits on a community board or has parents with ties to a philanthropic foundation. This, explains Abbott, gives the station a full picture of the “web of relationships” that could be factored into giving opportunities.
Either on-air or by direct mail, the station plans to contact every member during its “Expanding the Vision” campaign, designed to build the coffers for more locally produced programming and technology upgrades. In a separate effort, members are being encouraged to become “sustainers” by pledging a monthly or quarterly gift that would be automatically deducted from their credit card or bank account.
Of course, that membership has to start somewhere, which is typically on-air pledge drives – 65% of all donations during those drives are from first-time members. And in addition to call-ins, online pledges are also increasingly solicited via pop-up screens at the station’s Web site, www.WGBH.org.
And in case you were wondering, the station is just as polite as its viewers: First contact is a thank you for the donation, which is followed by a subscription to its monthly viewing guide.
