Barnardo’s wins Communicator of the Week

It is possible to get obsessed with technology and communications. Social media this, blogging that, digital the other. I'm sure many are finding clients wanting to have digital at the heart of their latest communication or PR plan. Of course that is fine, and the way the world is rapidly going, but the communication will only be successful if you are creating brilliant content which grabs attention whatever the channel used. 

The winner of this week's prize has secured the accolade through a great blend of simple technology and the use of a traditional communication channel; there are few more traditional than a letter. 

My wife and I frequently give books, clothes and the occasional unwanted present to charity shops. Almost as often - particularly if one of my items ends up in the window of said shop - I wonder how much I might have made for the charity. This week my wife received a letter from Barnardo's telling us precisely what they had raised through the sale of our unwanted stuff. To me, at a time when charities are under the spotlight for wasting money and allegations of spending too much on executive pay this was a brilliant piece of communication and PR. 

All charities now ask that you sign up for Gift Aid meaning they can reclaim tax on your gift. Barnardo's supply you with a loyalty card which enables them to track how much our bric-a-brac raised for them. In the last year they had raised nearly £100 from the sale of our unwanted things which is great. What is better is that I now know this. 

Furthermore, the letter used the opportunity of writing to me to let me know some of the brilliant things Barnardo's does - good corporate messaging - plus a quick plug for other ways we can help them raise money. As they'd begun the letter so positively with a thank you - and specific information about how we had helped them - I didn't mind reading the rest of the letter. 

I know it is a simple thing but, in the past year, we have given to three other charity shops and haven't heard a sausage from any of them. When we next have a few things to go to a charity shop I know which one we will be giving to. For this I make Barnardo's my Communicator of the Week.

Communicator of the Week is written by Edward Staite.