Cáritas of Coimbra the importance of the charity brand

Transcription

1 V International Congress on Teaching Cases related to Public and Nonprofit Marketing 1 Cáritas of Coimbra the importance of the charity brand Student1 Cristina Arnaut Tutor: Madalena Eça de Abreu ABSTRACT: ISCTE, lisbon (Portugal) This study case describes the management project of Caritas Diocesana de Coimbra branding. This is the most influential Caritas Diocesana structure in Portugal, being 545,000 (source website of the Diocese of Coimbra) the number of residents of the Diocese of Coimbra. The organization is a recognized institution, with a name, a specific logo and specific features in the public s mind. Charities branding are increasingly seen as a powerful tool by these organizations (Hankinson, 2001). And Caritas Diocesana de Coimbra is found to be consistenyt with an image based on values like Commitment, Professionalism, Humanization, and Charity. Conversely the overall image of the organization does not reflect the attraction of the public by its brand. RESUMEN: Este estudio de caso describe la gestión de proyectos da marca Cáritas Diocesana de Coimbra. Este es el más influyente estructura de Caritas Diocesana en Portugal, siendo (sitio web de origen de la diócesis de Coimbra) el número de habitantes de la diócesis de Coimbra. La organización es una institución reconocida, con un nombre, un logotipo específico y las características específicas en la mente del público. A marcadestas orgazionces de caridade e visto cada vez más como una herramienta de gran alcance por estas organizaciones (Hankinson, 2001). Y Caritas Diocesana de Coimbra se encuentra para ser consistenyt con una imagen basada en valores como el compromiso, la profesionalidad, la humanización y la Caridad. Por el contrario la imagen global de la organización no refleja la atracción del público por su tiempo.

2 2 Can We Build a More Responsible World? 1. INTRODUCTION: Caritas Diocesana de Coimbra is a Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS) belonging to Caritas Portuguesa, a national federation of 20 diocesan Caritas distributed throughout the mainland, Azores and Madeira Islands. Caritas Portuguesa belongs to Caritas Internationalis, which is an official body of the Catholic Church for promoting social action, answering to poverty, social exclusion and emergency situations resulting from natural disasters and calamity, developing its activity in more than two hundred countries, and of which Portugal is a founding member. Caritas Diocesana de Coimbra develops its main activituy in the following areas, or the so-called social responses : Education (Childhood, Freetime); Health (Ambulatory, Hospitalization); Social Action, Family and Community (Children and Youth at Risk, Elderly, HIV / AIDS, Addiction, Homeless, Community Intervention). In addition to the headquarters (where the support services are developed as: Human Resources, Financial Services, Purchasing Logistics and Maintenance, Innovation, Communication, Secretariat and the Legal Office), with more than 900 staff workers at the present moment, its activity is spread over 122 facilities in the geographical area of Coimbra Diocesis. The different facilities develop their work taking care of more than 10,000 users, with some multi response activity. The main financial resources come from: state contributions (70%) and the provison of services (27%). This institution does not develop any segmentation or targeting criteria of their public. However, there have been some actions in the area of communication addressed to some stakeholders, although almost always in a reactive way, especially with the organs of power (protection and local), through collaboration protocols, and also with some donors (companies) partnerships in situations of social responsibility. Caritas of Coimbra has a clear positioning in their main directors minds, ie, this organization aims to be recognized as the top charity of solidarity, working in the intervention segment to support the most disadvantaged and socially excluded, in the Coimbra district. However, and even if the main decision makers of the institution recognize the value of its work and brand, there is a a deep concern because the general public is not aware and does not recgonize the work of Caritas in the Diocesis of Coimbra.

3 V International Congress on Teaching Cases related to Public and Nonprofit Marketing 3 Indeed, one of the reasons for this lack of both awareness and knowledge may be the almost none allusion to Caritas logos and brand name, which is absent in its different intervation settings. 2. CASE DEVELOPMENT: On the present time, the Caritas of Coimbra communication has been considered as a concern and priority intervention area in the short term, by its President. In fact, no communication policies have been defined until now, and the communication of the institution has been accomplished tough someway shy and sometimes with ineffective tools. The previous literature review on the topic and the institution analysis can indicate the urgent need for this institution to become more competitive and to be differentiated from its main competitors, while also considering the increasing number of institutions in the social economy sector. To create awareness towards its public the organization should actively develop a social marketing campaign, helping its stakeholders comprehending the value offered by the institution, being this value responsible for the differenciation from others simililar institutions (Keller et. al., 2002). Moreover, the brand is the most important competitive advantage for the third sector (Laidler-Kylander and Simonin 2009). And the value of a brand is perceived by its publics when the organization proves its integrity, i.e., when the brand fulfills "the promises" that its communication promotes. This authentic integrity with the "benefits" promised (Kotler et. al., 2002) allows the trust towards the organization, making it relevant for its publics. The correct use of marketing models can provide the rigth answer to the brand management of this institution. And so, Caritas can develop its brand positioning trough the following three models: the Three "I" Kotler (2011), the causal loop diagram of the consistency Laidler-Kylander and Simonin (2009), and brand orientation model by Hankinson (2001). The correct use of these three models can enhace Caritas to build a strong brand and, at the same time, be ready to be strategically managed and providing the following: Greater involvement of its workforce; Increasing of the brand visibility; Increasing the confidence in the organization; Partnership opportunities through cause related marketing; Fundraising; Inform, educate and even changes in public opinion, through an improved knowledge of their action;

4 4 Can We Build a More Responsible World? Capturing spontaneous volunteers (Laidler-Kylander and Simonin, 2009). 3. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS/JUDGEMENTS: To understand the brand, Hankinson (2001) suggests that an organization first through develops an auditing process of its brand, analising the overall image of the brand as it is perceptd by its various stakeholders. Caritas Diocesan of Coimbra, lacks information about the image its donors andother stakeholders have about the institution. The first question to be addressed is thus: What is the brand image of the Diocesan Caritas of Coimbra, perceived by its potential donors? Kotler (2011) identifies brand integrity as the consistency of the values assumed and secured by the brand, being these values perceived by its various audiences. Moreover, causal loop diagram of consistency by Laidler-Kylander and Simonin (2009) supports the internal and external consistency and even a global consistency of the organization as a determinant for trust and relevance for creating partnerships and fundraising. Caritas Diocesan Coimbra defines its position based on the values that underpin its mission, without communicating it, leaving its perception and understanding to the different audiences. And hence the second question asks: The brand Diocesan Caritas of Coimbra has a consistent image in its publics minds? The brand value to the customer is part of the attraction / repulsion of the institution, being this generated by its subjective attributes. Caritas does not know its degree of attraction towards its publics, having difficulty in becoming a competitive player in its subsector. The third question to be raised is thus: The overall image of Caritas of Coimbra does not reflect a possible attraction from its public, and moreover the institution that does not recognize its value and thus does not mnage actively its public s loyalty, affecting its competitiveness in the sector. Based on the previous issues about Caritas and according to the literature review conducted, it was decided that Caritas needed to address the gaps between the goals of the organization and brand perceptions, impressions and beliefs of its publics.

5 V International Congress on Teaching Cases related to Public and Nonprofit Marketing 5 A study was developed trough the year of 2012 but only directed to external audiences, including potential private donors. Thispublic was mainly contituded by the business environment existing in the Diocese of Coimbra, and so characterized essentially by small and medium enterprises, collecting the opinions of its main managers. After the work made, the Caritas Diocesana de Coimbra became a coherent organizational framework, leading to an increased engagement in communicating with the various publics. Findings suggest that, through the brand management active work, the brand value of a charity can be enhanced, spreading the social development of the charity ideas and attract new resources. Such posture also encourages different stakeholders to take positive positions towards the organization. And, moreover, it fortifies the value of the charity for the society in general. REFERENCES: Hankinson, P. (2001). Brand Orientation in the Charity Sector: A Framework for Discussion and Research, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 6(3), Laidler-Kylander, N. and Simonin, B. (2009), How international nonprofits build brand equity, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 14, Keller, Kevin Lane Sternthal, Brian Tybout, Alice (2002), Three Questions You Need to Ask About Your Brand, Harvard Business Review Vol. 80 (9), p Kotler, Philip et. al. (2011), Marketing 3.0. Lisboa, Actual Editora.