Recently, I’ve had the privilege of doing a little work with Birmingham Future, thrive and BVSC – the Centre for Voluntary Action on a campaign – Become Richer, Work for Nothing.
What struck me most about the campaign has been the simultaneous simplicity and complexity of the message. So easy to understand and yet with so much meaning behind it.
For community and voluntary communications to work, the message needs to be straight to the point. We are bombarded on a daily basis with so much information that there needs to be a reason why we would stop to listen.
I think this campaign slogan works because of the inherent contradictions in the phrasing and the commentary on society’s focus on money as a measure of worth and value. But also because it works on the corporate wavelength – essential when targeting a skilled, corporate audience.
This campaign is all about getting skilled, talented, professionals to volunteer some of their time to enrich the lives of others and, through so doing, enrich their own. The focus of the messaging is not, however, about altruism – but about the real, tangible benefits that you can get from volunteering and getting involved; real skills which can go onto your CV and enrich your career.
Many of the people around me are already involved in some of these fantastic projects and I hear on a weekly basis about the rewards they get from doing so – the people they meet, the new experiences, the places they visit, and the knowledge they have played their part.
But, regardless of whether you are BVSC or you are one of the many hundreds and thousands of community and voluntary groups which operate within Birmingham (the UK, the world, etc), it all comes down to the power of your message.
And, I would suggest, simplicity is everything.
