Humanitarian Social Media
The Use of Social Networking Sites for Humanitarian Marketing By Dutch NGO’s
Ilja KamerlingS3030873
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Network of Humanitarian Action
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Content
List of abbreviations ... 3 01. Introduction ... 4 2. Previous Literature ... 7 2.a Marketing... 7 2.b Social Media ... 82.c Social Media and Marketing ... 9
2.d Humanitarian NGO’s ... 10
2.e Social Media and the Humanitarian field ... 12
03. Theoretical Framework ... 14
3.a Theoretical Base ... 14
3.b Diffusion of Innovations theory. ... 15
3.c Community Development theory. ... 17
3. d Humanitarian Marketing. ... 20
04. Methodology ... 23
4.a Content Analysis ... 23
4.b Text mining ... 24
4.c Elite Interviewing ... 24
4.d Case selection and time frame ... 25
4.e Rationale behind the country selection. ... 25
4.f Rationale behind the selection of the organizations ... 26
4.g Rationale behind the Social Networking Sites ... 26
4.h Timeframe ... 29
05. Output Analysis ... 29
5.a Artsen Zonder Grenzen (MSF) ... 30
5.b Save the Children ... 37
5.c Pax for peace ... 43
5.d Discussion ... 50
06. Interviews ... 50
6.a Artsen zonder Grenzen ... 51
6.b Save the Children ... 53
6.c PAX ... 54
6.d Discussion ... 56
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7.a Limitations ... 60
7.b Future research. ... 61
09. References ... 63
Attachment A: coding dictionaries ... 68
Attachment B: Interview Guide... 73
Attachment C: Interviews ... 74
Dutch ... 74
English ... 110
List of abbreviations
AzG Artsn zonder Grenzen (Doctors without Borders)
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
SM Social Media
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01. Introduction
In the last two decades, the world wide web has developed from a more traditional
communicational tool, where a small group of editors/ content creators communicate their message to a large audience (Mahoney and Tang, 2017, p.27), to a platform allowing for an increase of interaction between users (O’Reilly, 2005, p.1). This development, also described as the development from Web 1.0 to the Web 2.0 (Lu et. all., 2015, p. 162) had an influence on society that went beyond the initial reach of the digital world. It allowed any participant to be a content creator and is exemplified by a large number of niche groups who exchange, tag, comment and link content (Mahoney and Tang, 2017, p.28). Social Networking Sites – online platforms that allow people to maintain online personal profiles, keep a list of friends and connections and view and connect over that (Boyd an Ellison, 2007, p.211)- play an
important role in this as they purposefully only offer a platform through structure, leaving the entirety of content creating up to their users, those previously seen as passive consumers. Not only did this switch from passive to active users change the broader media landscape, it also changed marketing and communications for organizations unrelated to media as such.
The general concept of marketing is defined by Kotler and Armstrong as “A social and management process in which individuals and groups get what they need and what they want through creating products and value and exchange this with others” (Armstrong et al., 2012, p.2); in the context of this thesis we understand this to include private actors only, so not regarding governmental subsidies or services. Traditionally this interacted with different media in the way that those creating the product and value offered this to their consumers through messages through different media channels. A traditional process- which can also be seen in the description of Web 1.0- where there is a stark division between a small group of content creators, marketers, an a large group of passive consumers. Through the change in the means of communication on the web and the mentality change that followed, the general field of marketing also had to switch to a more interactive approach of their target group, the consequence of which differs per product field.
5 The actors in the humanitarian field for which the area of marketing is most important are
Non-Governmental Organizations, or NGO’s, whom in different levels are dependent on public support- both material and immaterial- for the continuation of their work. However as mentioned above the focus within this field does often not prioritize a focus on marketing, but on production. When researching the humanitarian field, a focus tends to lie either on the implementing side of this area or on the relationship of this field with the political field and its actors. Whenever the means that humanitarian actors, and specifically humanitarian NGO’s, need in order to do their work, are discussed, this is overwhelmingly in relation to the political actors it ties them to and the concept of independence. Marketing and the role that the private public from donor countries play for these organizations however are hardly ever taken into account, all the whilst they are of great significance to this field, having as a consequence that a lack of knowledge about the theory behind marketing for humanitarian actors, and especially about new marketing options- through the web 2.0 and Social Networking Sites, for humanitarian actors is lacking. This thesis seeks to narrow this knowledge gap by looking into the way in which the rise of Social Networking Sites influence this niche. In order to do this it will first go more deeply into the concepts of humanitarian aid and consequentially humanitarian NGO’s and marketing through a literature review. Meanwhile it will also define the concept of Social Networking Sites and get a more thorough
understanding of their development in the recent past. After having done so a case study will be done in the Netherlands selecting three organizations for analysis- Artsen zonder Grenzen, Save the Children and PAX. Their social networking output on the channels of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will be
subjected to a content analysis for a time period of three months, being March, April and May of 2017. In this the Netherlands are seen as a country representative of most donor countries, however as the Netherlands, both its people and government has a relation to charitable giving and humanitarian aid which is more than note-worthy, more and specific attention will be given to the choice of the
Netherlands as the country of choice for this case study in later chapters. The results of the analysis of the SNS output will then be compared to elite-interviews done with a communications employee of each of the three organizations, which will try to gain more insight in the policy decisions behind the SNS content.
Through comparing this analysis to the information from the communication departments of the organizations directly it aims to answer the following questions;
A. How do humanitarian NGO’s make use of social media? 1. For what purpose?
2. In a diffuse or community focused manner
B. Why do humanitarian NGO’s make use of social media as such?
6 Overall aiming to answer the question: In what way has the upcoming of social networking sites influenced the marketing strategies of humanitarian NGO’s based in the Netherlands? And to what extend has a new humanitarian marketing strategy, unique to the humanitarian NGO field, been developed through this influence?
The findings of this study show that humanitarian NGO’s combine a diffuse and community focused manner in their social networking activities and focus through them both on enlarging their support base as well maintaining a relationship with the already established support base. Through the interviews it informs us that their use of these channels are based on the more general societal use of social networking sites. Most importantly it shows that the upcoming and rise of Social Networking Sites has led to an opening of the humanitarian marketing niche to a more interactive form of marketing. However, although this trend can clearly be seen over all three organizations, it is
impossible to conclude that a new humanitarian marketing strategy unique to this field has developed as through the differentiating mandates of the NGO’s no one strategy could develop.
Following this introductory chapter, the structure of this research will be as follows: The second chapter will provide an overview of previous literature concerning this subject. It will give definitions of all concepts of importance for this research while creating more understanding about the
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2. Previous Literature
This chapter will offer a deeper insight into previous literature concerning the concepts of importance to the research question and the broader context in which they are situated. Through doing this it hopes to create a better insight in findings already done concerning these topics as well as creating deeper understanding of the context of the research question. The chapter will start by
exploring the concept of Social Networking Sites and Marketing. After this it will discuss the concept of humanitarian aid and its different actors under which humanitarian NGO’s. Which will be followed up by an examination of the the humanitarian donor landscape specifically and the concept of
Humanitarian Marketing. The final part of this chapter will look deeper into the literature available on the relation between social media and the humanitarian field, it will close by identifying the literature gap which this thesis wants to focus upon. It hopes to answer the following sub-question: What is has previous research taught us about marketing through Social Networking Sites and the opportunities it offers to humanitarian NGO’s ?
2.a Marketing
In general marketing is understood to be the practice of advertising, trying to sell products or services through different means, including media outlets. The products or services can differ
enormously, as can the ways in which they are advertised. Kotler and Armstrong define marketing as “A social and management process in which individuals and groups get what they need and what they want through creating products and value and exchange this with others” (Armstrong et al., 2012, p.2). Marketing is thus important for every commercial transaction, being the process creating value as well as focusing on the exchange of products at their value with other or monetary products.
A traditional view of marketing will mainly focus on the sale of a material products. This practice of marketing has been apparent throughout history. The means through which marketing happened changed with the time and the development of technological means of communication; From word to mouth marketing to print marketing, marketing through the mail and telephone, etc. As such it is not strange that with the development of the internet the field of marketing again adjusted and marketing practices adjusted to the new means of contacting intended consumers.
This thesis focuses on a very specific niche of marketing, namely the marketing of humanitarian aid, a product which is of no direct benefit to the consumer itself. Moreover it focuses on the way in which modern technology developments have influenced this specific marketing niche. In order to do so this chapter will continue by first explaining the concept of Social Networking Sites, which is the
8 field of Humanitarian aid and the humanitarian marketing niche in specific. Thereby aiming to enhance understanding of these concepts and the relation between them.
2.b Social Media
This thesis focuses on the marketing opportunities and new strategies that Social Media (hereafter SM), and in specific social networking sites(SNS) offer to humanitarian NGO’s based in the Netherlands. This section of the chapter we will focus on previous literature concerning SM after which we will continue on the relationship between SM/ SNS and marketing abilities. Eventually we will focus on the way in which this relates to the field of humanitarian aid and marketing.
Mahoney and Tang define SM as being “a group of internet-based applications built on the
ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.”(2017, p.9). Focusing on the development in web technology that changed the world wide web from how it was in the first phases of its existence, as more traditional media where a small group of editors communicate to a large audience (Mahoney and Tang 2017, p.27) to a more participative platform. According to Wirtz et al. this is facilitated by four elements which form the base of this next phase in web structure, being; Social networking,
interaction orientation, personalization/ customization and user-added possibilities (2010, p.276-279 and Mahoney and Tang, 2017, p.28). Instead of a set media structure, Web 2.0 thus sees “the web as a platform” allowing for an increase of interaction between users (O’Reilly 2005, p.1).
Although they are often used intertwined, it is important to differentiate between this broader definition of SM, and more specific Social Networking Sites (hereafter SNS). Boyd and Ellison define social networking sites as “Web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile with a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.” (2007, p.211) These SNS are thus not separate from but form an essential part of broader SM. However where the definition of SM also includes content-based web applications such as YouTube, of photography platforms, as well as messenger applications such as WhatsApp, SNS focuses on the relationships between users, and users and third parties. For this research we focus on SNS specific as this subgroup of SM is- through its focus on inter-user relationships- more interesting for marketing in general and community focused marketing in specific.
9 in themselves do not change the ways in which users make decisions. The platform offers a structure and algorithms to regulate the platform, however, these merely represent content and social structures through the meaning ascribed to them by users (Conrad and Kramer 2017, p.2). Combining this meaning with the structure however, offers many new opportunities for interaction, both in a familial or in a marketing setting (Mahoney and Tang 2017, p. 9).
2.c Social Media and Marketing
With the upcoming of the Web 2.0 the process of marketing has become more complex. Through providing consumers with new ways of reviewing and choosing products and services both the ways of product as well as value creation has changed. The web 2.0 and social media changed consumer habits; providing new challenges and requiring new modes of marketing appropriate to these new habits (Alves, Fernandes and Raposo, 2016, p.1020). The “linear, relational exchange-based partnership” which organizations had been using to explain their relationships with customers is no longer valid (Felix, Rausschnabbel and Hinz, 2016, p.119).
Traditional media outlets such as television, newspapers etc. with a strict division between content creator and consumer, lends itself to one-to many marketing strategies, in which one marketing message is send out to a large audience, hoping it will “hook on” (Mahoney and Tang, 2017, p.11). And although this marketing strategy- based on an understanding of linear partnership- has been widely used, this type of marketing seems very rarely able to spark behaviour change in this new interactive target audience.
SNS offer new tools for marketing as they are able to form target audiences- or groups- based on interest and unlimited by spatial proximity, age or other demographic factors. Kietzman, Hermkens, McCarthy and Silvestre cornered seven areas forming the design of all social networking sites being; identity, conversation, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation and groups (2011, p.243-248) It is through creating content touching upon these areas that marketing agencies can make most use of SM marketing; By addressing audiences more specifically, by interacting with them and sparking
conversations amongst them. This type of interaction equalizes the roles between the sender and receiver of a message, seeing both parties actively partaking and investing in the communication. Through which behaviour change is more easily sparked; “…, a more effective and empowering approach to incite behaviour change in audiences is to build interest and dialogue through communities.” (Mahoney and Tang,2017, p.44)
10 get to see, are in no way random, being influenced by user behaviour on the one hand but also by commercial contracts with marketing agencies. Van Dijck and Poell even state that “seemingly technological features … are in fact more commercial mechanisms, allowing Facebook to control connection between users, and even more important connectivity between users and third
parties”(2015, p.4).
Within the theoretical framework the theories representing these different modes of marketing will be further explored. In the next part of this literature review, we will first look into the humanitarian field and the specific marketing niche connected to this after which it will focus on previous literature concerning the relationship between humanitarian aid and social media; both marketing and non-marketing focused.
2.d Humanitarian NGO’s
This section will briefly discuss how the concept of humanitarian action is understood.
Beyond this it will explained what is being apprehended when discussing the “humanitarian field” and “humanitarian NGO’s”. This is of importance as these concepts are at the base of this research while multiple definitions regarding them exist and may thus lead to confusion.
For the purpose of a clear and concise understanding, this thesis will adhere to the definition of humanitarian action as subscribed by the Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative; “The action designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of man-made crises and natural disasters, as well as to prevent and strengthen
preparedness for the occurrence of such situations” (Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative n.d.). Note that this definition as mentioned does not merely include emergency response but also includes emergency preparedness and focusses on human dignity next to material needs.
This definition of Humanitarian Action is based in the traditional western focused understanding of the history of this concept (Barnett 2011, p. 9-10) and with that in the traditional humanitarian values, of which Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality and Independence are most influential (Bagshaw, 2012, p.1), as set forth by the ICRC (IFRC n.d.) and recognized by the fourth Geneva convention (Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, art. 63).
The broader humanitarian field thus encompasses this action, the emergency situations this is a response to and those actors aiming to provide this aid; including donor- coordination- and
11 types of organizations that are of importance are governmental, intergovernmental and for-profit actors. For a more precise definition of NGO’s we look at the United Nations, which define an NGO as being “A non-for-profit, voluntary citizens’ group, which is organized on a local, national or international level to address issues in support of the public good” (Kantrowitz n.d.). When connecting this definition to that of humanitarian action we should thus understand humanitarian NGO’s to be; “non-for profit, voluntary citizens groups, organized on a local, national or
international level, focused on delivering aid designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of man-made crises and natural disasters´ (Kantrowitz n.d. and Good Humanitarian Donorships Initiative n.d.).
Although the overall goal of these NGO’s are to provide aid instead of making profit, financial health is as important to them as to any organization in order to continue their word and the ability to carry out aid operations. The income of these organizations depend upon the donations of donors and it is because of this that the donor-landscape within this humanitarian field is of such importance. At this donor side of the field, a first differentiation can be made between institutional and private donors. Institutional donors being governmental or intergovernmental organizations providing funding to humanitarian organizations, sometimes directly or through a third party, while private donors are private individuals or companies donating to humanitarian organizations (Carbonnier 2015, p.42-43).
Besides a differentiation to be made between different donor-actors, a differentiation can be made between different types of donations; between earmarked- and non-earmarked (flexible) donations. As Aflaki and Pedraza- Martinez (2016 p.1275) state; donors naturally prefer to have greater control over their contributions, therefore preferring earmarked donations. Earmarked donations allow a donor to designate funds either to the type of activity and/or a country or region (Nunnenkamp an Ohler 2012, p. 1524). Giving donors the possibility for extra control- which often suits the political goals of the donor (Weiss 2013, p.123-126) would therefore be expected to raise donations. For implementing humanitarian actors however, this type of donation is less preferable as it decreases the organizations flexibility, hurting the per dollar operational performance (Aflaki and Pedraza-Martinez 2012, p.1274). Moreover earmarked donations carry the risk leading to an excess of funding; overage costs. Hence although the option for earmarked donations might increase funding in general, this is not always beneficial for the implementing partner (Weiss 2013, p.140-143 ). Practice teaches that institutional donors are more likely to be involved in earmarked donations than private donors.
12 However, as marketing efforts are, or are perceived to be, cost-inefficient many organizations still focus on institutional donors (Carbonnier, 2015, p.42). It is because of the need for this more flexible funding, but as well as for advocacy, visibility and non-financial funding1 purposes that Humanitarian
Marketing is important for humanitarian NGO’s (Weiss 2013, p.33). The exact preferences of an NGO on donations as well as the considerations they make concerning them is dependent on the mandate and character of the NGO and thus differentiates between NGO’s.
There is a lack in theoretical literature concerning the topic of Humanitarian Marketing. Those articles which do discuss this topic are often merely focused on the more practical side of this specific niche, foregoing the mention of the theoretical and decisions which lie at its base. In the third chapter of this thesis, the practical articles concerning humanitarian marketing are analysed to get a better
understanding of this specific concept
2.e Social Media and the Humanitarian field
As earlier mentioned there is a lack of theoretical literature concerning humanitarian marketing it is no surprise that a gap in existing literature becomes apparent when searching for literature concerning the use of SM and SNS for humanitarian marketing. However, the marketing side of humanitarian action is not the only place where SM has influenced the humanitarian field.
An example of this is the article of Madianou, which concerns the suitability of SM as a mean in humanitarian campaigns. She concludes that SNS architecture is aimed at connecting on a
communitarian level instead of connecting to a distant other (Madianou, 2013, p.264). Whether or not that forms a problem in the relation between humanitarian aid and social media depends on which goal this relationship is meant to serve.
Besides the donor side, SM and SNS also influence the implementing side of the humanitarian field. A good illustration of this is digital humanitarian example, an initiative which through social
networking sites collects data after a natural hazard and maps this information, making it available to aid services(Meier, 2015, p. 1-22).
Moreover like SM and SNS have changed the audience in donor societies, it has changed societies over the world, making audiences more involved and participative; also when they are beneficiaries of Humanitarian Aid. An illustration of this was given by Yves d’Accord, CEO of the ICRC at the humanity House in The Hague on the 14th of April 2017 when he stated that; “The first thing people
1 Non financial funding can be understood as: ”number of employees and volunteers, trust of the wider public, satisfaction
13 ask for when they reach Greece is Wifi, not food or water, but connection to check in on their family and friends and plan their trip ahead. We now deal with the smartest, most educated world population yet, people are no longer just quiet and grateful, our target group of beneficiaries is getting more and more difficult, but also smarter and smarter.” (Conference at Humanity House, 2017)
Social media and social networking sites are slowly changing the way our world population sees and interacts with each other, and so naturally it has influenced the humanitarian field. For the specific purpose of marketing however, not much is yet known about the relation between different social networking marketing strategies and the humanitarian field. Where research has been done into marketing and the humanitarian field these articles have always had a practical outlook, urging humanitarian organizations to focus more on their audience and invest in participative marketing strategies (Kriege 2010 and Arora 2016). Little to no literature is available on how social networking sites relate to this however.
Overall the review of previous literature has led to a better understanding of the development of the web 2.0, social networking sites and the change in audience but also in new marketing opportunities this set about. Although direct previous literature concerning the link between this and the
humanitarian field is lacking this knowledge does enhance the expectation of a change within this field as well. Through this the following hypotheses can be constructed:
H1. The upcoming of social networking sites has to an opening of the humanitarian marketing niche to a more interactive and community focused form of marketing.
H2. Through this influence a new marketing strategy unique to the humanitarian NGO field has been developed.
Through this research we aim to prove these hypotheses and to narrow the knowledge gap concerning the humanitarian field and marketing through social networking sites. In order to do so the research will focus on two behavioural theories the Diffusion of Innovations- and the Community Development theory, it will operationalize both and see how their theories compare with the practical SNS output of humanitarian organizations. The next chapter will focus on these two theories as well as the
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03. Theoretical Framework
Having reviewed previous literature concerning the concepts and the background of our research question2, this chapter will continue by exploring the different behavioural theories standing
at the base of marketing strategies. It will first look into a more general overview of theories concerning behaviour forming and changing, after which it will focus on two specific theories
differentiating between a theory in support of more traditional marketing - the Diffusion of Innovations theory- and a theory more focused on interactive and specific marketing - the Community
Development theory. As marketing is involved with convincing consumers of the value a product has to them, trying to spark behaviour change for consumer to buy a product of service, it are those
behavioural theories that stand at the base of these strategies. These behavioural theories are especially important to a more complex niche such as the humanitarian field as the consumer- the person or organization paying for humanitarian aid- of “the product” will not directly or materially benefit from it, thus value needs to be created in a different manner and efforts to convince consumers of this value might be more complex. The behavioural theories outlined below are all considered in the context of a marketing strategy aimed at convincing the audience to become donors for the humanitarian
organizations. The chapter will close by focusing on the specific niche of humanitarian marketing and the suitability of these theories with regard to the specific requirements that marketing in this field entails.
3.a Theoretical Base
In order to answer the main research question it is important to have a general understanding of the different theories concerning behaviour forming and changing which underlie marketing strategies. Fishbein and Ajzens Theory of Planed Behaviour is one of the main theories in this field arguing that behaviour is dependent on the intentions of performing said behaviour; the higher these intentions, the likelier planned behaviour will happen. These intentions in turn depend on the persons 1) personal attitude towards the behaviour, 2) perceived social norms surrounding the behaviour and the 3) perceived behavioural control of the subject. It following that according to this thesis marketing efforts should thus concentrate on influencing the characteristics which build up behavioural intentions when trying to incite behaviour forming or change. With the main focus on the personal attitude towards behaviour and subjective norms, being external cues concerning behaviour (Azjen, 1991, p. 182). When the subjective norm, personal attitude and perceived behavioural control are all positive, the behavioural intentions and thereby the likeliness of this behaviour happening would be greater. Based on influencing behaviour intentions, marketing strategies which find their theoretical ground in the Theory of Planned Behaviour, will often engage in a linear top-down marketing approach. By making people aware of a product and its benefit to them – thus influencing their personal attitude
15 towards the product- as well as through marketing trying to influence the social image existing of a product- thus influencing perceived social norms surrounding a product it hopes to incite behaviour change positive towards buying the product or service. Marketing messages are spread through mass-media channels over a large number of individuals in the hope to influence as many as possible. This strategy however, also known as push and pray marketing (Stratten, 2012), received quite some criticism as many believe there to be a lack of space for audience participation and feedback within this strategy (Mahoney& Tang, 2017, p. 25).
Where the main focus within this marketing strategy lies on changing the personal attitude towards behaviour, the new marketing possibilities that SM and SNS offer might spark a change in this. Through its ability for audience participation and feedback as well as through its ability in creating communities and connecting people unhindered by spatial limits, it gives new opportunities not only to influence personal attitudes but to influence communities and through that perceived social norms of behaviour.
A phenomenon not included in this marketing logic is the so called Attitude-Behaviour Gap, which is often encountered in the humanitarian and development field. In the instance of such a gap the
consumer does have a positive attitude towards a certain behaviour but fails to put these intentions into action. This gap develops after the behavioural intention is already formed and can thus not be
influenced any marketing theory based upon a linear understanding of behaviour change.
Continuing this chapter we will focus on two different theories underlying marketing strategies. The Diffusion of Innovations theory as a push and pray marketing theory as me and the Community Development theory, focused more on an interactive form of marketing. Moreover it will focus on the role that social networking site can play for the marketing strategies developed from these theories.
3.b Diffusion of Innovations theory.
16 a receiver and destination (Mahoney and Tang, 2017, p.11/12). This marketing model is thus a linear process, communicating from the information source- being the marketer, through a transmitter- being mass-media, to a receiver- being consumers.
According to this theory, it are the first two stages which must be the focus of marketers attempting to spark behaviour change. The first stage of this theory concerns awareness. Your audience first and foremost needs to be aware of the existence of the product. Traditionally the push and pray marketing strategy is used for this purpose; spreading the advertisement or intended information as far and wide as possible. The rise of social networking sites has broadened opportunities for this type of marketing as it allows marketers to reach audiences on social networking sites around the globe without being limited by spatial difference.
The second stage in the process of Diffusion of Innovations focuses on the consumers interest; making consumers aware of the product’s utility to them. In order to do this it set itself apart from other organizations offering the same services.
The next three steps described in the Diffusion of Innovations theory by Rogers (Mahoney and Tang, 2017, p.24/25). lie outside of the influence of marketers, although they are essential in inciting behaviour change according to the theory. These steps, that of evaluation, trial and adoption, are automatically to follow if the first two steps are successfully taken.
The fact that no follow up communication is required, as well as its possibility of reaching large audiences effectively and that a tight control can be kept over marketing message itself, makes this a rather efficient strategy
Criticism however aims at the fact that communication processes are rarely as linear as this model and strategy describe. The audience is able to “fall off” the process at any of the five steps without
marketers being able to influence this process. Although this strategy is thus efficient in reaching a large audience, it is inefficient in seeing behaviour-change through.
Operationalization on Social Networking Sites
To employ an output analysis it is important to operationalize the above mentioned steps and characteristics of a Diffusion of Innovations theory into practical social networking usage. In this section we will first give attention to the operationalization of the two steps on which marketers have an influence after which we will focus on the operationalization of the more general character of this strategy.
17 One of the main ways of ensuring such an outreach is the payed advertisements or sponsored posts or tweets by. These type of online services allows companies, entrepreneurs and organizations to pay a fee to the social networking site in exchange for a larger audience for their advertisement of
information. This is ensured, through the algorithms which structure social media, by making sure that this advertisement or post seen by a larger audience.
Besides this there are some “organic” ways of enhancing the spread of information or posts on SNS. First of all by asking an audience to “share” a post, this post will not only be seen by the original audience, but also by all the networks of those whom decide to indeed “share”. Besides this there are multiple ways in which to enlarge an audience organically such as hashtags (#) on Twitter, which allows your post to be seen by everybody looking for that hashtag, or by tagging people/organizations in posts thereby making sure that not only your, but also their audience sees the post. These organic means of growing an audience however very much depend on the audience that is already established. Moreover, the growth will be slower and often smaller than through payed services which leads marketers to often choose the latter.
The next step after awareness, that of consumer interest can better be seen on social media through looking at the content of posts. Organizations can enhance or strengthen the success of this step through their social networking action by focusing on the mission statement- referring back to their website maybe even- or by other links referring to the nature of their service. Moreover by setting themselves apart from other organizations offering similar services, and focusing on what makes their product/ service o appealing to the customer, this will be even more strengthened.
Finally the efficiency of this theory might not be seen in the activity of social networking activity, but rather of the lack thereof. Organizations basing their online marketing strategy on the Diffusion of Innovations theory will not involve in reacting to audiences comments of questions, nor will they call for audience participation. Rather their focus will be on their own message and the process of
spreading this message. Participation of the audience might be asked in a passive form, by liking and or sharing the original message.
3.c Community Development theory.
18 audience to be stronger influenced by someone they admire or consider a friend than by a distant media character,. When a community is successfully created, the audience will value the community beyond the direct link to the product, thereby making positive association through a community have a greater impact that distant advertisement campaigns (Bandura 2004, p.150 and Mahoney and Tang 2017, p.45). In a time where audiences tend to be increasingly participative, as mentioned in the literature review, this might even ring more; People are no longer mere consumers, but are creators of social systems, able to grasp and give meaning to the message send to them, giving it value depending on personal, behavioural and environmental determinants. Thus although media can present relatable characters presenting advertisement messages to audiences, they are usually less effective than influence through interpersonal relations or cultural norms (Mahoney &Tang, 2017, 45-46).
Before any of this can take place however a successful community will need to be established. When considering this Mahoney and Tang (2017, p. 47) focus on four dimensions of community being; membership, shared emotional connection, membership influence and needs fulfilment.
Membership first of all aims at the fact that to feel like a member of an organization, the audience must feel they have done something to become a member. Loyal customer or frequent- buyer clubs are more traditional ways of establishing a sense of membership within an audience, for humanitarian organizations this can be translated to spending extra attention to loyal donors or those whom donate a large amount. However membership can also be established through involvement with certain
activities or shared opinions.
Besides general membership a sense of emotional connectedness is of great importance for the establishment of a successful community. Although humanitarian organizations already depend upon the emotional connectedness of their audience to their cause this connection is likely to be increased by establishing more relations between members of the group or by establishing an emotional connection – besides the cause- between the organization itself and the audience. Social penetration theory teaches us that self-disclosure is one of the most important indicators of involvement of an audience.
This connection between audience and organization is even more central in the membership influence dimension of creating community. By letting your audience know you appreciate their input and value their opinion, even if concerns criticism, their participation and involvement is rewarded. For
19 The fourth dimension of creating community according to Mahoney and Tang concerns need
fulfilment. Needs fulfilment focuses on the fact that the product at hand- humanitarian aid- serves a purpose for those buying it – donors. As discussed earlier in the literature review humanitarian aid does not directly benefit its donors; However, although donors might not benefit in materialistic manner, the emotional connection to the cause and mission statement of the humanitarian organization makes that humanitarian aid benefits the donor in non-materialistic manners. Thus through a clear mission statement and a transparent organization humanitarian organizations can strengthen their own needs fulfilment.
The marketing value lies in the value people give to the created community. Although the marketing organization has less control over the message discussed in relation to the product this way, the message in itself will carry more value for other consumers. When thus the product is discussed in a positive manner, peer pressure and word-of -mouth marketing is evoked which has a high probability of leading to actual behaviour change and eventually even to the audience becoming brand-advocates themselves. Not only the establishment but also the maintaining of the above mentioned dimensions it important to make a community last: Upholding relationships between members as well as between members and the organization is therefore of great importance.
Looking at the steps from Rogers Diffusion of Innovations theory (Mahoney and Tang, 2017, p.24/25)., community development marketing would not only be able to involve in the awareness stage, but by involving in dialogue with community members, would be able to influence the process as well at the third and fourth stage, asking people to evaluate and to share their positive experiences. Although it is less efficient in targeting a large audience, community marketing might in this way be more efficient in evoking behaviour change in those it does reach.
Operationalization on Social Networking Sites
To employ an output analysis it is important to operationalize the above mentioned
dimensions and characteristics of a community development theory into practical social networking usage. In this section we will first give attention to how every dimension of community building is best operationalized, after this we will look at the operationalization of Community Development Theory in general.
20 by mentioning or praising a certain group of their audience, for instance, youngsters, volunteers, donors etc. a sense of membership is also created for those being mentioned.
The dimension of emotional connectedness can be brought into practice on social networking sites by linking faces and people to the work that the organization stands for. Examples of this are highlighting employees working for the organization and letting them take the narrative. Highlighting members of the community, instead of from within the organization, might make the effect of this even stronger. An increased emotional connection can also be established by personalising the job itself by showing the beneficiaries whom are directly benefiting from the humanitarian aid provided by the organization. Membership influence takes this personalization a step further by not only focusing on personalization of the organization but focusing on the personalized experience of the members. On social networking sites this can be enhanced by asking members for their input and opinion. Furthermore it is important to give members the sense that they are being taken seriously by responding to their comments and involving in discussions. In this however, genuine involvement is a lot more valuable than disguised advertisement, comments not referring to the organization or ‘product’ are thus more valuable in creating this dimension.
Although Needs fulfilment is hard to establish through social networking sites, by having their mission statement available and answering in a transparent manner to critique outed by members social networking activity can strengthen this community dimension.
Besides the different dimensions setting up and maintaining a community through social networking sites requires regular and continuous activity. Regular and continuous interaction between members and between the members and the organization is even more valuable in this case; this can be seen through the interval between posts and reactions to members by the organization itself.
3. d Humanitarian Marketing.
Both the theories and marketing strategies mentioned above can be implemented for commercial as well as for humanitarian or other non-profit marketing purposes. As this thesis considers the latter however, it is important to differentiate between the two and identify what makes up the specific humanitarian marketing niche.
21 unfortunately in some cases leads to a lack of know-how about this field and a one-sided declarative focus.
This although the area of humanitarian marketing is not unheard of or badly researched. In their respective articles Krige, and Arora, both look to the field of humanitarian marketing with a more practical focus. Krige highlights the importance of branding as a trustworthy, transparent, accountable and focused organization (Krige 2010). In her article, Arora also has a practical focus, explaining that the 4P’s model ( Product, Price, Promotion and Place) from for -profit marketing can just as well be implemented in the context of non-profit organizations. In her conclusion Arora mainly focuses on the importance of specific targeting for this marketing niche through which she prioritizes community building and the ability to effect behaviour change in this community over a larger size audience on whom a marketing message has little or no effect (Arora 2016).
This call for a marketing strategy which targets a specific audience also resonates in the conclusion of Cacija, whom looks into models for humanitarian marketing; Concluding that better investment in marketing activities have a positive influence both on the financial and non-financial dimension of the fundraising performance3(2013, p.10-11).
Research by Baines and Fill, (2014) even more clearly defines characteristics that set not-for-profit marketing apart from commercial marketing, being;
- Multiple stakeholders; In comparison to for-profit companies, humanitarian NGO’s often have more stakeholders to keep in mind. Both in their work overall as well as in their marketing audience. (Baines, and Fill, 2014, p.595-596).
- Transparency; As the link between the donor and the “product” of humanitarian action is not direct, but depends on emotional connectedness to the organization, donors are often focused on the ethical character of an organization. Greater transparency adds to that ethical character, which is so important for there organization. (Baines and Fill, 2014, p.598)
- Multiple objectives; Although the overall goals of humanitarian organizations are usually clear, its marketing objectives might lie broader (Baines and Fill, 2014, p.599) This as it is not only focused on financial gains, donations, but also on non-financial gains, such as an
increased awareness, and involvement ( through volunteering etc.) with the cause of the organization (Cacija, 2013, p.10-p.11).
- Orientation (Emotional connection); As mentioned earlier the link between the donor and the “product” of humanitarian action is based more on emotional connection than on a direct
3 “Financial indicators including FACE ratio – fundraising expenses, administrative expenses and overall expenses ratio- and
22 material link between them. It is because of this that the orientation of humanitarian marketing lies more on engaging donors in the cause an ethos of the organization than with the product itself.
Exploring these researches we can thus conclude that humanitarian marketing as such must be quite versatile; being able to target their audience specifically while keeping different stakeholders in mind, focusing on both financial and non-financial means, promoting transparency, interaction and an emotional connection between the cause and the audience. Moreover humanitarian marketing asks for a constant evaluation if the marketing efforts are in line with the mandate and principles of an
organization, setting it apart from for-profit marketing (Baines, and Fill, 2014, p.592). Through the medium of Social Networking Sites there are multiple ways to give form to these specific
requirements of this marketing niche.
So can the requirements concerning the audience, both keeping multiple stakeholders in mind as well as specific targeting be done through creating separate groups or through the content of SNS posts. The requirement of transparency as well as that of a focus on both material and immaterial means can also mainly be met through the content of posts; by asking for feedback or responding to reactions from the audience. Increasing emotional connectedness, alike stated above for the Community Development theory, can be brought into practice on social networking sites by linking faces and people to the work that the organization stands for. Taking these different ways of putting theses requirements in practice in mind we look at the different theories mentioned above seeing how well they in theory fit within the humanitarian marketing field.
The Diffusion of Innovations theory and the marketing strategy which developed from it fit within the humanitarian marketing niche in the way that it targets a broad audience, being able to reach different stakeholders. Moreover it maintains strict control over its marketing message, as such it depends on the broader organizational policy whether or not the messages posted promote organizational transparency or if they focus both on financial and non-financial means. However audience
participation, and with that a strong emotional connection through social networking sites, as well as the possibility for feedback lack from this marketing strategy.
This dimension of interaction and feedback does come back within the Community Development Theory, in which the different community building dimensions also included requirements alike, transparency, and specific targeting. However marketing following the Community Development Theory might have trouble focusing on multiple stakeholders as it specifically steers towards specific targeting over broad targeting.
Overall this chapter has focused on the theoretical framework at the base of this research by explaining two important behavioural theories; the more traditional- push and pray focused- Diffusion of
23 Community Development theory (Bandura 2004, p.150 and Mahoney and Tang 2017, p.45). It has explained both their theoretical base and their operationalization in a SNS context. These theories – each representative of a more traditional or a more interactive way of marketing- will stand at the base of this research, which will look at which theory is mainly represented in the marketing strategies used by humanitarian NGO’s based in the Netherlands; thereby aiming to narrow the knowledge gap concerning the relationship between marketing through SNS and humanitarian marketing. The following chapter will explain the methods through which this research will be done.
04. Methodology
To examine the research question in focus in this thesis, a qualitative content analysis will be employed, looking into the social media activity of three humanitarian NGO’s; Artsen zonder Grenzen (internationally known as MSF), Save the Children and Pax. The choice for a qualitative analysis is made because this type of research focusses on complex phenomena concerning the behaviour and cognition of organizations. It allows for a focus upon a better understanding of the workings of behaviour change, which is at the core of the research question of this thesis (Greener and Greenfield 2016, p.215) The analysis will focus upon two different primary sources, being the social networking output of the above mentioned organizations as well as semi-structured interviews done with
communication employees at these organizations. This chapter will start off by discussing the research design more in dept. After this it will give a rationale for the choices made within the case-selection process.
4.a Content Analysis
24 for this analysis. Firstly however, we will focus on the two forms of data collection; being text mining and elite interviews (Powner, 2015 p. 146-151)
4.b Text mining
The method of text mining exists of collecting data from text for content analysis, although the focus lies on textual data this method is not limited to this, but can also include contextual data. In this research the text from which the data is mined would be the social networking output from the above mentioned NGO’s. The strength of this method of analysis lies within the coding dictionary. It is therefore important to draw up a preliminary coding dictionary and to test this dictionary on a small random sample of the text, making sure to continuously update the coding dictionary (Powner, 2015, p.146-147 and Schmidt 2010, p.93-95). The coding dictionaries used for this research can be found in attachment A, these coding dictionaries are structured per Social Networking Site. This method of analysis will be used to analyse the actual usage of Social Networking Sites by the humanitarian NGO’s.
4.c Elite Interviewing
The purpose of elite interviewing is to get information from respondents chosen on the base of their position or knowledge rather than as representation of a larger population (Powner, 2015, p.149). For this research the respondents are employees, and in one case an ex-employee of the chosen organizations, and all work at the communications department of this organization. For both PAX and Save the Children the respondent was an online communications employee and for AzG the
respondent recently- 2 weeks earlier- stopped with her job as head of communications. In comparison, it is thus assumed that the AzG employee will have a better insight in the overall communications strategy of the organization while the PAX and Save the children employees will be able to explain more about the daily content decisions are online communication employees. For this thesis we will employ the method of semi-structured interviews, in which the interviewer and respondent engage in a formal interview, guided by an ‘interview guide’ listing the topics and questions which need to be covered. It however also includes the flexibility for the researcher to go deeper into a topic or cover a new topic when this seems appropriate(Cohen and Crabtee 2006). Employing interviews as a means of data collection will allow for a more complex analysis of the motives and strategies behind the social media strategies of humanitarian NGO’s. Semi-structured interviews are best used when the
researcher gets but one chance to interview a respondent, it is therefore also important to prepare well through a sound interview guide. Semi structured interviews are often preceded by observation, or another form of analysis- in this case being the content analysis of the social media output of the different organizations- thereby developing a grounded idea of the topics of interest for developing the interview guide (Cohen and Crabtee 2006). The Interview guide can be found in the analysis. This guide is based upon the output variables, and covers both information on the function of the
25 these interviews try to shed light on the policies and choices behind the output that has been analysed through the output analysis. The interview guide can be found in attachment B while the interviews- the original transcripts in Dutch as well as an English translation- can be found in the attachment C.
4.d Case selection and time frame
As with a qualitative study design the number of cases chosen are usually limited, each of the cases chosen has The first step in case selection is to identify the larger population from which cases are selected (George and Bennett, 2005, P.69-83). In this thesis the larger population is made up by humanitarian NGO’s based in the Netherlands. Although the aim for qualitative studies is not to be generalizable for the entire population, it is important to make sure case selection is not based on a bias which will be effecting the outcome of the study (Collier and Mahoney 1996, p. 56). Instead of aiming for some type of generalizability through random sampling, a purposive sample is used, based on categories amongst humanitarian organizations (Powner, 2015, p.116). This thesis wants to focus on three humanitarian NGO’s based in the Netherlands; AzG, Save the Children and Pax. It will focus on two types of data sets; the social media output of these organizations and interviews with
communication employees of these organizations. In this case the choices behind this analysis which require rationale are those for the spatial limitations – the focus on NGO’s in the Netherland; the choice for the different organizations chosen- AzG, Save the Children and Pax; the timeframe in the case of the output-analysis- being three months; and the choice of social media channels – being Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter. The next section of this chapter will give a broader explanation behind each of these choices made.
4.e Rationale behind the country selection.
This thesis discusses humanitarian NGO’s within the Netherlands. The choice for the
Netherlands as the country of focus within this thesis has two sides to it; first of all this choice is based on practical reasons of time and spatial proximity. More importantly however, this choice relies the special position that the Netherlands holds in relation to private donations to NGO’s, which is the case for both the Dutch population as well as the government.
26 But moreover charitable giving seems to be in the Dutch culture, although Dutch voluntary donations – in contrast to donations through taxes- count up to only 0.85% of the BBP4 (CBF 2017). Besides
this, in 2016 over 36% of the Dutch adult population has done voluntary work in Dutch civil society (De Dikke Blauwe 2017), and although this comes down to a lot of organizations other than
humanitarian organizations, it is a clear illustration of the value that Dutch culture gives to donating financial and non-financial resources to social organizations and NGO’s. Within Dutch society thus private donations thus play an important role for NGO’s, making the case of the Netherlands one of particular interest when analysing marketing strategies aimed at these private donors. It is because of this that the Netherlands was selected as the country in focus.
4.f Rationale behind the selection of the organizations
The selection of organizations in the focus of this thesis was based on a variation in the philosophical background of the organization (Powner, 2015, p.112). The constant or control variables amongst these organizations are their humanitarian goals, their international focus, their base in the Netherlands and their use of social media as a marketing and communication tool. To make sure they are broadly representative of the underlying population- Humanitarian NGO’s based in the
Netherlands-it is important to look at this population closely. Dijkzeul and Herman (2011)
differentiated between four different categories of humanitarian organizations; Dunantist, Wilsonian, Solidarist and Commercial. This categorization is based on organizations positions towards the more traditional humanitarian pCrinciples of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. With Dunantist organizations still fully adhering to all these principles, Wilsonian differing in the way that they accept a stronger state influence – which is in opposition to the principle of independence- and Solidarist organizations whom reject the principle of impartiality taking clear political stances,
Commercial organizations are those with a profit-focused outlook (Dijkzeul, Herman, 2011). The case selection for this research is based upon this categorization. However, as we focus on NGO’s the category of commercial organizations is unfitting as NGO’s by their very existence are non-commercial organizations. It is because of this that the choice was made to focus upon three organizations based in the Netherlands whom differed in these philosophical outlook, eventually leading to the choice of;
• MSF, or Artsen Zonder Grenzen, as a Dunantist organization. • Save the Children as a Wilsonian organization
• Pax as a Solidarist organization.
4.g Rationale behind the Social Networking Sites
For the first part of this we research the focus is on the output of humanitarian NGO’s on their social networking sites. The decision of the particular social SNS chosen for this research is based
27 upon two processes. First of all it is based on a differentiation between social media and social
networking sites- which is one category within social media. Based on Mahoney and Tang (2017, p. 9) we define social media as “A group of internet-based applications built on the ideological and
technological foundations of Web 2.0 that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content”. This would thus include networking sites such Facebook and Twitter, but in its broadness also includes applications such as WhatsApp messenger, which is more of a private messenger service, or Youtube which is more content than community focused. For the purpose of this research we thus focus on Social Networking Sites being defined as “Web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile with a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.” (Boyd an Ellison, 2007, p.211). This excludes both messenger services, as well as content focused services as those have a focus different from the public networking at heart of this definition. Having differentiated between the two, this research wants to focus on those social networking sites most used in the Netherlands, as they will have the largest marketing effect and will thus also be most used by NGO’s using them for marketing purposes, thereby making their output generalizable for the broader social media strategy of an organization. In their research looking into social media trends in the Netherlands in 2016, van der Veer, Sival and van der Meer mention Whatsapp, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter to be the six social media most used within the Netherlands (2017). As this thesis focuses on Social Networking Sites instead of Social Media in general, it will exclude Whatsapp and Youtube, thereby focusing on the output of the NGO’s in question of their Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter platforms. However, as one of the organizations does not have a Google+ account and the other organizations have not made use of their Google+ account within the timeframe, we will also have to exclude this SNS due to lack of data. The three remaining platforms in focus are developed with their own specific structure and purpose in mind, we will therefore continue to give a small background of these four social networking sites and their intended purposes.
28 marketing fee’s which allows marketers to customize their exact advertising opportunities (Lanchester, 2017). Through this broad range of possibilities Facebook is suitable for both a communications strategy based on the Diffusion of Innovations theory, or a strategy based on the Community Development theory.
When looking at the output generated on this SNS by the different organizations, it is important to keep the broad possibilities that Facebook offers in mind. Hereby we both refer to the different usages of Facebook, from a daily agenda or a way to keep in contact with friends to a commercial marketing medium, as well as the above mentioned usage possibilities, likin, reacting, creating etc. In keeping this in mind it is also important to notice the lack of specific niche that Facebook has in relation to its users.
In analysing the Facebook output we will make use of the coding dictionary specific to this social networking site. This coding dictionary can be found in attachment A. As this analysis concerns that of all communication through the SNS medium, it has a more contextual focus than the mere textual focus which is more traditional in the method of text mining, something which also reflects on the coding dictionary of this medium.
Although Twitter does not have a specific niche such as LinkedIn, it does have some
limitation and with that a more specific focus through the possibilities its offers. Twitter allows for its user to share posts within a 140 characters limit, besides that it allows for sharing photos and videos. Because of its limitation it forces its users to post short, to-the-point ideas and/ or updates, which, through this focus on quick and short, makes it a suitable medium for news-updates. Besides these possibilities, Twitter allows for its users to “tag” other users in their posts or use hashtags, which allow others to easily find all posts connected to that hashtag. Moreover it allows users to share each other’s posts by retweeting and responding to each other’s posts; this however is all done in a public sphere as twitter does not have a private messaging service like Facebook or LinkedIn. It does however allow for advertising through payed advertising services (Charles 2010) Twitter was founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams; and its mission statement says it: “Wants to give everybody the opportunity to make and share information and ideas immediately and without limitations”(Twitter n.d.).
29 The coding dictionary used for the Twitter analysis can be found in attachment A. Again this coding dictionary has a more contextual than a mere textual focus, which is not often done within the method of text mining, something which also reflects on the coding dictionary of this medium.
In contrast to Facebook, LinkedIn, which was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and some of his colleagues at the time, has a more specific niche. Where Facebook offers a broad range of options and is therefore also used for a broad range of goals, both formal as well as informal, LinkedIn specifically aims to be a professional tool; connecting people in a way related to their work experiences, career prospects and ambitions. It wants to help people be more successful and productive, and connects people, vacancies and recruiters, to help this along. (LinkedIn, Over Ons) The possibilities that LinkedIn offers its users is to post updates, make links with “connections”, send people you are connected with private messages and see their profiles. Moreover it allows you to state whether or not you have a job, are looking for one or are recruiting and specify this more as to connect you with either people or job-opportunities suitable. Most of LinkedIn’s profit comes from the selling of I nformation about its users to recruiters and HR professionals (Lemann, 2015).
For the analysis of the output on the SNS of LinkedIn, it is important to keep the specific niche in which is focusses in mind. Through the possibilities that LinkedIn offers there users its medium is supportive of communication strategies based on the Diffusion of Innovations theory as well as of strategies based on the Community Development theory.
4.h Timeframe
SNS output is characterized by its frequency and speed, to illustrate; more than 6,8 million people within the Netherlands make use of Facebook on a daily base (van der Meer, Sival and van der Veer, 2017) As such it is important to make us of a clearly set and limited timeframe to make sure that thorough analysis of the output is practically possible. Moreover this thesis focuses on the current state of social media usage by humanitarian NGO’s based in the Netherlands, it will look at the output on these sites within a recent timeframe ; as such it will focus on the output of these organizations on the above mentioned social networking sites for the months of March, May and April of 2017.
05. Output Analysis
30 Diffusion of Innovations theory- or the Community development theory, thereby recognizing links between the SNS usage of the organizations and a more traditional or interactive marketing strategy. For this data analysis the specific niche and limitations of each SNS should be taken into account. For Facebook it is important to keep the broad possibilities that it offers in mind. Hereby we both refer to the different usages of Facebook, from a daily agenda or a way to keep in contact with friends to a commercial marketing medium, as well as the above mentioned usage possibilities, likin, reacting, creating etc.
For Twitter it is important to keep the limitations and with that the specific “news-update” niche of twitter in mind in the analysis of the organizations output through this medium. Because of this limit and niche, this specific SNS site might be more likely to show a strategy in line with the Diffusion of Innovations theory, as this theory focusses on getting a strong marketing message to a large audience without wandering about further interaction, a goal for which Twitter would be more than suitable. And for LinkedIn it is important to keep the specific job-related niche, as well as the possibilities that this SNS offers in mind. Through the possibilities that LinkedIn offers there users its medium is supportive of communication strategies based on the Diffusion of Innovations theory as well as of strategies based on the Community Development theory.
Eventually the analysis made of the output data of these SNS will be compared to the transcripts of the interviews done with the online communications officers of these organizations. By doing this we hope to eventually answer the question;
In the next section we will present the information and analysis per organization. We will start by giving a small background of the organization after which we will concentrate on the data from each SNS in turn.
5.a Artsen Zonder Grenzen (MSF)
BackgroundThe international organization of MSF was founded in 1971 by Bernard Kouchner and Max Recamier, two French doctors working for the red cross. In 1984 the Dutch department of this organization followed, being founded by Jaques de Milliano, Roelf Padt and Simon Horenblas, together with their friends Aswin Meier and Barbara Lopes Cardozo and an attorney Janine Osme. In 30 years the organization grew from a team of 8 people, to more than 1.000 expat aid workers in 2014. (Artsen Zonder Grenzen n.d. Hoe zijn wij begonnen ) For this thesis we will focus on the Dutch organization of AzG, leaving the broader international organization of MSF out the picture.
