Re: [Media-advisors] I'm worried and wondering...

You are correct - pushing hard is the only way to approach this. Genteel won't do it. You have been incredibly upbeat and positive throughout this effort and it is too bad that email sometimes seems to telegraph negative overtones that aren't genuine. On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 12:44 PM, Elizabeth Young wrote:

It was just relayed to me privately that my reply felt hostile and negative and I am SINCERELY sorry that it came across that way! That was not my intention at all! I truly appreciate all the support that folks are bringing to this effort- voting, recruiting, strategizing, questioning, publicizing, etc. etc.

I'm sorry that my response sounded hostile and negative.

We have lots to learn (and we are) and I have no doubt that we will do better in our next effort. I also don't want to give up on this effort yet. We are far behind but it is only a matter of getting more voters and I'm pushing hard to do that. Sorry if I am pushing too hard. (That is how I've usually been able to succeed at things that don't seem possible but, as we see, it is a tricky path.)

e

On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 11:34 AM, Elizabeth Young wrote:

...

We won't have the luxury of being automatically re-included in the next round of grants. Pepsi is making some changes and asking everybody to reapply and the next round (for those who are selected) won't start until April. We may or may not be included.

It has been incredibly labor-intensive to get people to vote. I know of many of our core supporters (shelter and vet staff, etc.) who have only started voting after MULTIPLE requests with the in-person appeal usually being the most effective. Not because they don't support us- just because life is busy and there's lots to do.

It has taken me a couple of weeks to get some of my CLOSEST FRIENDS to consistently vote. Hmmm.

I would bet that there are even some people on this (highly motivated and bought in) list whose housemates or other close affiliates are still not voting. Ask them. Then help them get started.

We're not going to make it (or anywhere even close) unless we ACTIVELY RECRUIT VIA PHONE OR IN PERSON MORE VOTERS NOW.

If every one on this list got 10 new voters to vote, we'd be really moving up.

Regarding this- my notes in red

03 Jan: 52 ARBITRARY TIME STAMP- NOT TRUE RANKING

06 Jan: 85 RANKING BASED ON OUR VOTING RATE

07 Jan: 92

10 Jan 101

(Flyers distributed here!) ALSO EMAIL SENT OUT TO ALL MICKABOO MAILING LIST

11 Jan 86

14 Jan 75

16 Jan 71

21 Jan 62

23 JAN 63

On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 4:10 PM, Vincent J. Hrovat <1217@vhrovat.org>wrote:

...

I just checked and we are up to 62. Looking back at my email history, I pulled the following rankings (in octothorpes):

03 Jan: 52

06 Jan: 85

07 Jan: 92

10 Jan 101

(Flyers distributed here!)

11 Jan 86

14 Jan 75

16 Jan 71

21 Jan 62

So, we stumbled out the gate and dropped 49 places in the first week. I’m not saying that this was anybody’s fault, etc. The fact is that this is new to all of us and we had a learning curve.

Since then, we have distributed flyers, fine-tuned our partnering, and more carefully/succinctly documented the voting process. Lots of people have contributed good ideas, great designs, and hard work. As a result, we’ve steadily gained back 39 places in 11 days.

We are *absolutely* headed in the right direction, but not fast enough.

I wonder how many other competitors have participated in past months, or had participated in similar contests, and thus have figured out this system before we did. As a corollary to this, I wonder, had we started out soliciting votes and strategically supporting competitors in different brackets like we are today, how much higher our ranking would be.

Do we get another shot at this next month? I am thinking that we might not want to change our processes much from what we are using now, but to hit the gate harder next time based on our past experience and lessons learned. Of course, we still might learn a few things as the final days of this month play out. We might continue to tune our processes a bit from this accrued experience, but it seems to me that we are doing much better recently than our cumulative rankings indicate.

In summary, I am wondering if, instead of considering this a probable “loss”, we should consider this first month to be a learning opportunity and work towards the next month of competition, while still pushing for every vote that we can get. This, of course, assumes that there is a next month.

I also agree that we could use a few more administrators publicizing for this besides “pigeon lady.”

--VH

*From:* media-advisors-bounces@mickaboo.org [mailto: media-advisors-bounces@mickaboo.org] *On Behalf Of *Elizabeth Young *Sent:* Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:06 AM *To:* Mickaboo administrative staff; Mickaboo media advisor team; Catherine Johnston; Katie Wunderlich; Eric Wunderlich; Kymberleigh Richards *Subject:* [Media-advisors] I'm worried and wondering...

Hello-

I'm worried and wondering about our too-slow progress in the Pepsi grant contest and wanted to share these thoughts/questions with y'all. In no particular order-

-I'm worried that many/most people think that if they're voting, that's all they need to do when *it really requires that we each recruit lots of daily voters*. ???

-I'm wondering if there are some other networks that our folks have that could be engaged in supporting us- i.e. neighborhood groups, school groups, workplace groups...? People don't have to know/support Mickaboo & ' Coo. They will vote to support us- the people that ask for that support.

-I'm worried that MY (the pigeon lady) pushing so hard for this could be misunderstood as it is a MickaCOO thing. MickaCoo would only take a small fraction of the grant and, with our much lower bills, we're much less in need of it. I'm pushing it because it is the easiest, quickest way to get $50K for Mickaboo that I've come across to date and it seems like Boo really needs it (and 'Coo really needs and supports 'Boo). Others have spoken up in support of it but no one (rightly or wrongly) as much as me. I'll gladly sit down and shut up if others will take up the charge. ????

-I'm wondering if there is a tactful way/time to ask a block of competitors that are waaay back there to reconsolidate their support behind us?

-We've got 11 days to move up 56 notches in the ranking. Bless our hearts that as small and new-to-this as we are, we're doing as well as we are but, if we don't do some things differently right now, we've lost our halfway-decent chance to win $50K.

-Only 39 folks have signed up for the daily reminders. Out of 1000+ that received it. If Mickaboo really wants support for this effort, we need to ask/inspire/generate it in ways that are more effective.

Here's some language I'm using to try and get help via email (actually phone & personal requests get better results but this is good email follow up info)

*YOU can help us to win a MUCH needed Pepsi Refresh Everything Grant by voting for us here every day this month: ** http://www.refresheverything.com/mickaboobirdrescue*http://www.refresheverything.com/mickaboobirdrescue * *

*AND you can double your support by texting: 105245 to: 73774 every day as well *

*AND you can sign up for a daily voting reminder by emailing: ** pepsichallenge-subscribe@mickaboo.org* * *

*AND you can help spread the word by sharing this with your network. *

*We need Pepsi (nationwide) voters as well as SF/Bay Area fosters and adopters! *

*Please visit **http://www.Mickaboo.org* http://www.Mickaboo.org/* for more information and please share, print and post the attached flyers!*

-- Elizabeth

*PLEASE vote for Mickaboo & 'Coo Bird Rescues today & every day* *this month to help us win a MUCH needed $50K grant! * www.refresheverything.com/mickaboobirdrescue

Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

-- Elizabeth

*PLEASE vote for Mickaboo & 'Coo Bird Rescues today **& every day* *this month to help us win a MUCH needed $50K grant! * ** www.refresheverything.com/mickaboobirdrescue

Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

-- Elizabeth

*PLEASE vote for Mickaboo & 'Coo Bird Rescues today **& every day* *this month to help us win a MUCH needed $50K grant! * **www.refresheverything.c om/mickaboobirdrescue

Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0