Royal National Lifeboat Institution - Case Study Example

Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Royal National Lifeboat Institution 2 RNLI Strategic aims 2 Marketing and Achievement of Strategies/aims 4 Achieving Stakeholders expectations 7 Conclusion 9 References 11 Introduction Strategy is the set of actions through which an organization develop resources by design or accident and use them in delivering products or services while meeting financial and other objectives and restrictions imposed by major stakeholders. Strategic marketing planning entails a thorough analysis of the environment of an organization, its internal strengths, and competitors in order to develop a sustainable action plan. This will develop the competitive advantage of the organization as well as maximizing it within given resource availability. However, for market-driving strategy to be effective, they are certain processes that must be taken into consideration. According to Adrian & Jen (2010, p. 56), the organization must ensure that it had transformational leadership that is articulating on a vision while providing intellectual stimulation. Organization culture must also be taken into account in terms of shared norms and values. RNLI relies totally on generosity of supporters and volunteers. The income sources are not within the control of charity although they are in most instances predictable. With increasing competition among charities, marginal pound is becoming extremely difficult to raise the required funds/resources as illustrated by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee (2005, p. 142). Royal National Lifeboat Institution RNLI Strategic aims RNLI provides an all-inclusive and highly efficient rescue services around Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom shores (Ted, James, Pamela, & Christopher, 2006, p.354; Clark, 2010, p. 342). This is through providing strategically located all-weather lifeboats that are available at all times. It also provides safety education on accident prevention as well as lifeguard services where necessary although it is on seasonal basis. Preventative work is having an impact on its new lifeguard services that are expanding. RNLI is striving towards greater efficiency and effectiveness in its services delivery. RNLI has a duty to its volunteer crews and lifeguards who give services as well as the supporters who fund the organization. The organization has a great role of ensuring it utilizes the available time, money, time, and gifts towards delivering effective services. The strategic performance standards of RNLI, aim to achieve an average launch time of 10 minutes from notification to the place of incident (Prashant, 2007, p. 243). It also aims at reaching all notified casualties where the risk to life exists in all weathers to a 100 nautical miles maximum distance. It also aims at reaching 90 percent of all casualties within 10 nautical miles within 30 minutes after launch in all weathers. It also aims at reaching the beach victim within 300m from shoreline in RNLI lifeguard patrolled seashore within three and half minutes. However, these strategic aims can be achieved by RNLI if there is sufficient funding of the organization by the donors and increased number of volunteers (Prashant, 2007, p. 244). Therefore, these aims will act as ways of persuading donors to contribute and assist the organization. These strategies or aims will be achieved through an effective marketing plan that will ensure there is attraction of donors and volunteers who will ensure the success of RNLI. Furthermore, RNLI has other fundraising strategic performance targets that aim at raising the amount of money considered by the Trustees (Andrew 2010, p. 89; Roger, 2006). It also aims at spending less than 19 percent on communications and fundraising in every 1 pound RNLI raises. It also aims at maintaining propensity to provide more than 52 percent of the population. Effective marketing of the organization will ensure enough funds are raised towards achieving agreed service levels for lifeguards, lifeboats, accident prevention work, and education according to Mark, R 2008, p. 324). Therefore, the main aims include increasing the amount of funds by increasing the number of donors and retaining them as well as increasing the number of volunteers as a way of enhancing its services. Marketing and Achievement of Strategies/aims Whitewater, the specialist charities direct marketing agency based in London was appointed by RNLI to ensure it develops strong strategies of retaining donors as well as increasing supporter’s experience. There has also been plans of redevelopment of advertising and offline and online donor programs (Peter, 2010, p. 231). According to Mitchell who is marketing manager, the marketplace for fundraising has become more difficult and competitive hence the need to develop a more comprehensive communication program that will take account of that. Although RNLI has no competitors in terms of its service delivery, it has many competitors in terms of donors as it competes with other charities according to Bryan Miller, Whitewater planning director (Peter, 2010, p. 232). According to Ranchhod, (2007), Marketing is the process of planning and executing activities that satisfy individual, ecology, and social needs sincerely and ethically while at the same time satisfying the objectives of an organization. Strategic marketing planning is crucial in ensuring the aims of RNLI achieved. Factors of strategic marketing planning include performance measures, funds/resource availability, level of market orientation, values and purpose, market analysis, time, and level of market orientation. In a wider market environment, market analysis is crucial for RNLI towards knowing the level of competition in terms of funds or resources from donors. This will ensure RNLI is capable of increasing the funds or resources despite increasing charities worldwide. This can be achieved through extensive marketing of its services and the need of improving those services. Marketing RNLI in terms of its performance is also crucial because the donors find the reason of funding the organization. Such marketing strategies that RNLI has laid down include direct mail programme in ensuring they are as many donors and volunteers reached as possible. Ray & Susannah (2006, p. 154), extensive online marketing programs have also been developed in ensuring donors find the reason of supporting RNLI. This is through its set strategies or aims that it intends to achieve after getting enough resources required. Marketing strategies will ensure that the high reputation of RNLI is established and known to the public. It will also ensure that the goodwill between RNLI and public is maintained. Andrew (2010, p. 67) argues that marketing will also develop, uphold, and perform a portfolio of fundraising method. This will spread the risk within the organization as well as ensuring it meets the donor’s requirements. Marketing will also ensure that RNLI case is communicated to selected audience for support. Through an extensive marketing, effective communication and fundraising will ensure sufficient funds will be contributed to RNLI towards ensuring life are saved in future. According to Ranchhod (2007, p. 151), Marketing will enable maintaining general public awareness in ensuring there is increased key target audiences towards improving spontaneous awareness and tendency to support. Extensive marketing through online will also ensure there is increased speed of entry of volunteers towards delivery of effective services in RNLI. This will enhance the delivery of quality services in the world. In order for RNLI to become successful in meeting its targets of influencing donors, it has effectively utilized various components of market orientation (Richard, 2008, p. 89). Components of market orientation includes inter functional coordination and competitor orientation and they play a key role towards achievement of an organization objectives in terms of marketing. In RNLI, inter functional coordination has led to enhanced delivery of services in terms of saving life, this has led to increased willingness by donors in terms of funds supply. Inter functional coordination in RNLI has ensured the intended services are delivered to people faced with dangers of drowning within the seas. Through online services, RNLI has portrayed its enhanced life saving techniques and equipments as well as improved training of its volunteers. This has become a major avenue to which donors have been persuaded to increase their funding (Alan, 2009; Samir, 2007). Communication marketing personalization as an impact of technology on marketing has also increased the achievement of RNLI objectives. The use of internet, mobile communications, wire transmission, and multimedia has enabled RNLI to look and convince wiling donors and volunteers. It has acted as a great channel bridging customers and donors. It is through its internet sites such as http://www.rnli.org.uk/, that willing donors have been able to donate towards saving life in RNLI as illustrated by RNLI (2010). This has enabled increased donations or funds. This is a clear indication that marketing using internet is a major breakthrough towards meeting the objectives of RNLI. It is through internet marketing that the number of donors and volunteers has greatly increased hence increased funds or resources. More donors have been able to contribute and assist the organization in all corners of the world. This marketing targets donors and volunteers in a more precise way. This has led to the achievement of the major objective of RNLI that aims at increasing the amount of funds and volunteers required towards rescuing life (Alan, 2009). RNLI has adopted a contemporary approach in its marketing. The approach is relationship marketing that focuses on the donors and volunteers. An improved relationship between the donors, volunteers, and RNLI is crucial in ensuring the set aims are meet immediately. An improved relationship through relationship marketing will definitely result to increased support by volunteers as well as increased funding by donors. It has sought partnership with various organizations that wish to increase their revenues and position their brand as illustrated by Ken, (2006, p. 81). This marketing way targets to increase the number of donors through encouraging organizations or companies to become corporate partners. According to RNLI, corporate partnership will offer ranging opportunities that will assist the company involve its customers, build the brand, and increase the revenues. This in turn will enable RNLI to be donated to by the companies they are corporate partners with. The company will also be expected to donate to RNLI. This is a great way of increasing the required funds or donations. Such companies include Battery Megastore, Amazon, Barclays, Helly Hansen, good year, and Educational trust, Lloyd’s Register, and Talisker among others. These donors work together with RNLI. This has been achieved through an effective marketing by RNLI as a way of increasing the funds through donations. Increased marketing has raised the number of fundraising volunteers to more than 20,000 and 7000 volunteer according to Edward, (2007, p. 143). Achieving Stakeholders expectations According to Paul & Chris (2004), organizational stakeholders include board of directors, managers, shareholders, NGOs, community, donors, and volunteers among others. Stakeholders are the individuals or groups that can influence heavily organization’s performance; they support the needs of business for it to be successful. Good stakeholder management assists towards reducing the cost of managing relationship. It also assists an organization in taking a long-term view as well as developing a competitive advantage over other charities rivals. It also focuses on developing the relationship of stakeholders as illustrated by Robert (2006). At RNLI, the stakeholders include donors, volunteers, staff, trustees, and management. According to RNLI (2009), Volunteers at RNLI expect to be listened to as they continue to give services to the organization. They expect to be given a role and a voice in the running of business organization. RNLI has put a lot of emphasis on ensuring 7600 volunteers’ voices are listened to in ensuring they are satisfied when working for the organization. They have also been included when making decision of the organization. RNLI has ensured it puts a lot of emphasis on ensuring volunteers are provided a chance to contribute to the solutions of the problems affecting the organization. Volunteers at RNLI expect to be trained on various tactics and methods of saving life. They also expect to be supplied with enough materials or resources that will ensure they deliver effective services for the organization and to benefit the society in general and those in danger to be particular. RNLI is providing extensive training skills to the volunteers, the Lifeboat college continues to develop training and opportunities for development of its volunteers as illustrated by William & Robert, (2007, p. 60). This is towards enhancing increased saving of life as well as giving the volunteers what they expect and require. RNLI has provided volunteers with safe, modern, and effective lifeboats and equipments. RNLI has continued to increase development activities for its staffs. Staffs are also part of stakeholders who expect to be treated with professionalism and higher standards by RNLI. Staffs are as well being treated with respect as they undertake their expected roles in RNLI. Staffs also expect good and fair compensation as a way of motivating them. This has been a major priority that RNLI has put in place towards ensuring they meet the expected performance and delivery of services by the staff. RNLI to gives its staff a pleasant working environment or conditions that they feel satisfies them as they expect. According to staffs’ expectations, RNLI also promotes equality among the staff with a fair deal in their performance as illustrated by Nicholas, (2005, p. 232). According to Royal Society of Arts (2008, p. 50), Donors expect their contributions to be utilized effectively towards the delivery of expected services of saving people. RNLI puts a lot of emphasizes in ensuring donors’ funds are fully utilized towards delivering expected services. This is through providing financial reviews and breakdowns on how the funds were used. RNLI ensures that there is transparency in the operations and use of funds released by the donors and other supporters. This gives them the courage to continue with their support of the RNLI services. RNLI is ensuring it saves as more lives as possible as the donors expect them. It is ensuring finances are used effectively in procuring the necessary resources that are useful in the process of saving life (Ken, 2006, p. 128). Donors expect to meet the set objectives or strategies as promised to its donors. Management is another part of stakeholders; the organization provides the expected services efficiently as management expects. RNLI expects the management to see full returns from the investment. The organization ensures that the management to see operations fully paying attention to the expected activities (Bernan 2008, p. 232). Conclusion Organizations need to set up strategies in order for them to be able to achieve their target effectively. RNLI has set up strategies that will enable it deliver the expected services of saving people’s life in Seas in case f accidents. RNLI major aim is to increase the funding from donors as it is an organization that purely depends on donors funds. Increasing the number of donors and funds they supply has been a major objective of RNLI in order for its operations to be successful. Other strategy that RNLI has set is increasing the number of volunteers who are willing to join in the service delivery. The higher the number of volunteers, the successful delivery of services becomes. This will also ensure that there is adequate delivery of services or maximum saving of life. However, for these to be achieved, there has to be extensive utilization of marketing as a channel of informing potential donors and volunteers about the services. This is expected to increase the number of volunteers and donors in RNLI. Contemporary approach in marketing has been adopted by RNLI as a way of increasing the relationship with the donors and volunteers. Improved relationship results to increased confidence by those donating. E marketing and internet has also played a great role towards increasing the number of donors and volunteers. The amount of funds has increased significantly, as it becomes even easier for an individual to donate through internet. RNLI has ensured that all the stakeholders’ expectations are met. Such stakeholders include staffs, donors, volunteers, and management. All their expectations are met by the organization fully in ensuring increased confidence among donors and improved services among volunteers and staffs. References Adrian, S & Jen, S 2010, Fundraising Principles and Practice, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Alan, T 2009, Principles of direct and database marketing, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, London. Andrew, K 2010, Principles of Successive Fundraising, Jeff Press, New York. Bernan 2008, Draft Marine Bill: Oral and written evidence, volume 2, Stationery Office, London. Clark, H 2010, Saving life in deep Oceans, Macmillan, Sydney. Edward, W 2007, The Lifeboats Story, Sutton Publishing, New York. Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee 2005, Search and Rescue: Eighth Report of Session 2004-05, The Stationery Office, London. Ken, B 2006, The Zen of fundraising: 89 timeless gifts ideas to strengthen and develop your donor relationships, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Mark, R 2008, South West Sea Kayaking, Pesda Press, London. Nicholas, L 2005, RNLI Motor Lifeboats: A Century of RNLI Motor Lifeboats, Landmark, California. Peter, S 2010, Managing funding sources, IGI Global snippet, New York. Prashant, S 2007, Best Business Practices for Global Competitiveness, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi. Ranchhod, A 2007, Marketing Strategies: A contemporary Approach, Prentice Hall, London. Ray, K & Susannah, K 2006, Never Turn Back: The RNLI Since the Second World War, Sutton Publishing Ltd, Michigan. Richard, S 2008, Life-Saving Services Rescues, Routledge, London. RNLI 2009, RNLI 2009 Annual Report and Accounts, viewed on 3 Nov. 2010, http://www.rnli.org.uk/assets/downloads/Annual%20review,%20reports%20and%20acco unts/RNLI2009_Report_and_Accounts.pdf RNLI 2010, The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea, viewed on 3 Nov. 2010, http://www.rnli.org.uk/how_to_support_us Robert, M 2006, Stakeholder Analysis: The Key to Balanced Performance Measures, viewed on 3 Nov. 2010, http://www.bptrends.com/publicationfiles/04-06-WP-StakeholderAnalysis- Curtice.pdf Roger, M 2006, Rough Weather Seamanship for sail and Power: Design, Gear, and Tactics for Coastal and Offshore Waters, McGraw-Hill Professional, New York. Royal Society of Arts 2008, ‘Royal National Lifeboat Institution’, Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Vol. 123, no. 4, pp. 45-89. Samir, K 2007, Accidents at the sea, Routledge, London. Ted, H., James, M., Pamela, G & Christopher, C 2006, Major donors: finding big gifts in your database and online, John Wiley and Sons, New York. William, C & Robert, C 2007, ‘Saving life on seashores’, Chambers’s Journal, vol. 9, no 3. pp. 56-67. Read More