Why charities like RNLI must behave like a brand
The RNLI recently re-launched its ‘Respect the Water’ campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the danger that our waters can present.
Coastal fatalities reached a five-year-high in 2015, underlining the need for the RNLI’s message to be heard.
The initiative has also been supplemented by a documentary programme broadcast by the BBC, which tracked the activities of the charity and its volunteers in locations across Britain.
YouGov CharityIndex data indicates how successful the campaign has been so far, and which group it has had success with above others.
The charity should be delighted to know that its Ad Awareness score among all respondents (have you seen an advert for a charity in the last two weeks?) has now risen to its highest point of the year (7%).
It is the older age group that is more likely to notice RNLI adverts. The Ad Awareness score among the 50+ age group is 11 per cent.
This is important as this group is also the most likely to consider donating to the RNLI according to YouGov Profiles. In fact, donation consideration among this group is now as high as it has been all year, indicating that the message is resonating in a positive way.
Again, this highlights the importance of a charity behaving as a ‘brand’, and the importance of targeting in its marketing and communications. The professionalisation of charities continues, and this campaign evidences that.
This has been supplemented by an increase in overall Buzz score (whether a respondent has heard something positive or negative about a charity in the last two weeks). It too, has just reached the highest point of 2016, and currently sits on +10.
Of course, the charity sector is competitive, with so many worthy causes vying for public attention in new and inventive ways. In this case RNLI has utilised its tradition and history in conjunction with a fresh and positive message.
RNLI can be satisfied that its marketing efforts over the summer are making a dint in public consciousness.