Now the tinsel and turkey is done for another year, Big Heart is taking a look back at three charity campaigns in 2017, to see what pulled at our heartstrings, educated us or made marketing teams across the country wince in sympathy. And more importantly – we want to see how we can learn from

We are now on the countdown to Christmas and charities are relying on the traditional good will to all men vibe to boost their bottom line. But in such a crowded sector how will you make sure there is room at the inn for your cause? Here is an early gift from Big Heart Network

In the competitive world of charities, it is no longer enough just to be pictured in the press receiving a giant cheque to raise your organisation's profile – although who doesn't love a huge donation! With dwindling resources it is necessary to make your marketing work harder and smarter. It is all about delivering the

At the heart of any social media campaign is the need to know whether it was a success. Not everyone loves social media the way they should, but charities should learn to value it if they can be shown its worth in cold, hard data. Big Heart gets analytical. With charities' limited resources, social media

The best charity campaigns are the ones the public take to their hearts, whether they are fundraising or focussing on awareness. These are some of the recent ones Big Heart has really loved, and they are not always the carefully constructed marketing masterplan you might think. Cancer Research - Cancer is happening now Documentary-style videos,

Hand on heart, we have to confess to having a lot of love for a good blog. They are worth investing in as they are the easiest and most effective way for a charity to communicate with its supporters and the world at large while still being fully in control of its message. But if

This is something Big Heart Network gets really passionate about. Charities delivering their message directly to their supporters and prospective donors – the lifeblood of their organisations. And it is not just about pulling on the old heartstrings (although it doesn't hurt, right?). Email marketing requires planning and precision to be effective and efficient. And

Billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffet once said: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." Your charity or social enterprise may never face a media crisis but if you only start thinking about how to deal with one when it happens,

Charities are facing challenging times with a difficult economic climate, lack of trust and reductions in government funding and services leaving non-for-profits under pressure. At times like this it might seem frivolous to be concerned about your organisation's brand. But Big Heart believes this is precisely the right time to show your image some love.

With ever decreasing resources in the printed press and the rise of streamlined online outlets journalists are under pressure from all sides. They no longer have the luxury of turning every single press release that hits their inbox into news. So how can charities and social enterprises make the most out of working with the