Executive summary of “Consumers’ intention to donate to two children’s charity brands: a comparison of Barnardo’s and BBC Children in Need”
Article Type: Executive summary and implications for managers and executives From: Journal of Product & Brand Management, Volume 24, Issue 2
This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full benefit of the material present.
In many nations, government funding cuts in the wake of recent global economic problems have significantly impacted on charitable organizations. Increased reliance on voluntary donations is a major consequence of budget cuts.
Competition for donations has intensified accordingly, making the need for charities to differentiate themselves from similar organizations more critical than ever. Charities embody certain values and philosophies that must be reflected through consistent behaviors. This sends out a message to donors and the charity brand signals what the particular charity is all about.
Past research into donor behavior has been conducted within various disciplines. Comparing costs and benefits and exploring relationships between such as guilt and empathy are among the approaches used. Others have examined how consumer behavior in this context is influenced by their internal values. The common factor is most of this work focuses on personal characteristics, with one aim being to identify individuals who are most likely to donate.
Different forms of donations to charities are evident, with money and time being the most common. Money is said to involve rational decision making, whereas giving time has more of an emotional component. Some analysts point out that donating time involves a greater degree of “human and social capital” relative to financial donations.
Like for-profit businesses, charities must invest in their brand. Creating a favorable image helps to boost financial performance and attract old and new donors. A brand image which is both positive and unique plays a significant part in helping differentiate the charity in consumer minds. Evidence suggests that such an image favorably impacts on donation levels.
The brand image of non-profit organizations is widely acknowledged as being important. However, research addressing the concept of a non-profit brand image has thus far been limited. Most attempts have utilized commercial branding measures, such as brand personality. Their value as predictors of donation behavior has been minimal at best. More recent work has aimed to establish a framework specifically oriented toward non-profit brand image. It proposes that image in this context is reflected by four dimensions labeled as: usefulness, efficiency, affect and dynamism. Application of this model has revealed that money and time donations can be influenced by these dimensions individually.
Typicality is viewed as an important aspect where brand image is concerned. It essentially relates to how typical a product or brand is of its specific category. Brand image plays a major role in helping consumers ascertain if a brand is representative of the category in question. Research suggests that perceptions of typicality positively influence consumer decisions to donate money and time to a charitable organization. Another advantage is that brands or products seen as typical are more easily ordered and recalled. Their use as “reference points” for the category further increases their salience.
Past behavior is often seen as a prime indicator of likely future action. A satisfactory past experience serves to assuage any perceptions of risk that might be associated with the activity. A similar principle is also evident where donations to charity are concerned. In this case, people who have donated in the past are likely to do so again in the future. This probability of repeat behavior is cited as a positive influence on donation levels.
Donation behavior is also likely to be affected by certain demographic variables, some scholars have found. For instance, donation of both time and money is more likely among females, particular to charities focusing on families or adolescents. People also become more inclined to donate, as they get older and as their income level rises. In the latter case, it is purported that consumers become more altruistic and as a result feel compelled to make a voluntary donation.
Michaelidou et al. explore these issues further in a study comparing two charity brands from the child and youth sector. Barnardo’s (B’s) and BBC Children in Need (CN) were the organizations selected for the research due to their differences in brand strength and income levels. One expectation was that the brand image of B’s would have a stronger influence on donation activity relative to the CN image. This assumption is based on knowledge that money spent on initiatives aimed at generating money is seven times greater at B’s. However, ranking suggests that CN is the stronger of the two brands.
Subjects familiar with these charity brands were recruited and divided into two groups. They were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire pertaining to one of the focal brands. Final samples of 200 and 151 were obtained. Questions and statements related to non-profit brand image, brand typicality and past donation behavior and future intentions. Demographic information was also requested.
Analysis indicated that:
Barnardo’s is perceived as more typical of charitable brand.
Typicality positively influenced intention to donate time for both brands but was greater for CN.
The impact of typicality on intention to donate money was only significant for the stronger CN brand.
Past donating behavior influences time and money donations to CN but only money donations to B’s. In the authors’ view, the importance of “habitual behavior” might increase for brands that receive publicity only infrequently. This pattern could be more profound for time donations due to the emotional aspect involved.
With regard to the non-profit brand image factors, findings suggest:
None of them influences money donations to B’s.
All the dimensions relate to brand typicality for B’s, but only usefulness and dynamism influence brand typicality for CN. This is possibly due to greater affect toward B’s as a consequence of it boasting a longer history; therefore, more exposure than CN. For brands with a lower degree of publicity, consumers are likely to use more “rational criteria” when making decisions about donation.
For newer brands, consumers might be more willing to donate time and money if the brand is less dynamic and possesses a non-profit brand image which reflects similar attributes to a more established brand.
Brand managers are advised to develop brand typicality by identifying traits that the public considers ideal for charity brands. Investing more to increase publicity is also recommended. Comparing their brand to others in the sector can help strengthen its position and identify actions that can enhance brand image and increase donations. Particular emphasis on affective and dynamic dimensions is needed to persuade more consumers to donate time. Charities unable to invest heavily on advertising depend more on loyal donors. One suggestion is to communicate where donations are used and how they contribute to the success of the organization’s programs. The number of people willing to donate regularly might increase if such communication is effective.
Researchers could in future explore other charity sectors and brands. Another suggestion is to consider the significance of motivations or rewards on donation activity. Michaelidou et al. believe that influence from “significant others” such as family members might affect intention to donate. Investigation into subjective norms and a comparison between intended and actual behavior are thus among other avenues to consider.
To read the full article enter 10.1108/JPBM-04-2014-0573 into your search engine.
(A précis of the article “Consumers’ intention to donate to two children’s charity brands: a comparison of Barnardo’s and BBC Children in Need”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald.)
