Erin Crowther

Cammie French
Marlene Guzman
Parneet Otal
Bethany Segraves
May 4, 2015

Literature Review

This review of recently published literature addresses the formation of sustainable environments,
community involvement, media usage, nonprofit marketing techniques, and general marketing
strategies.

Formation of Sustainable Environments

According to John Broome (2008) Local communities do many different things to create a
sustainable environment. The global climate is changing very quickly and there are things that
the community can do to help make for a better future for generations to come. According to
John Broom (2008) in The Ethics of Climate Change, it is an ethical issue that needs to be
changed to protect the global population. Broome states if there is not something done now about
the pollution that is being put into the air many people who are living and some that have not
been born yet will die from the effects of climate change.

There are many organizations that have been created to help protect wilderness conservation and
environmental conservation. Annemarie Lankard and William McLaughlin (2003) discuss the
different types of organizations that helped develop acts that were put in place to help conserve
the environment. Many organizations look for help from the public for environmental support.
Lankard and McLaughlin (2003) state that air and water pollution along with destruction of
natural resources are the biggest concerns with global climate change. As Americans began to
recognize the extent of our ecological problems, we explored the possibility that we had a moral
and ethical obligation to do something about them (p. 3).

Broome (2008) explains that there can be things that can be done by the current generations
around the world today to save more people in the future. The present generation will have to
make sacrifices to reduce the greenhouse gases that are being put into the air. The current
generations will have to travel less, eat less meat and live less lavishly. The benefits are better
lives that future people will lead (p.8). If people want to change what is wrong with the
environment now, working as a community to change the current problems is crucial so that
future generations can be protected. It comes down to the current population doing what they can
to save the environment for future generations.

Indianapolis Prize (Indianapolis Zoological Society, 2014) is a local organization that started in
Indianapolis, Indiana that awards people that make an effort to try and save a species or group of
species that are becoming extinct. Similar to the views that Broome (2008), Lankard and
McLaughlin (2003) have, the Indianapolis Prize (2014) works on involvement within the
community of Indianapolis. Lankard and McLaughlin (2003) discuss different organizations that
were put in place to conserve the environment, the Indianapolis Prize is doing the same thing
because they are getting people in the community to put forth effort to save animals that are
becoming extinct because of global climate change. The more information that community
knows about the Indianapolis Prize the more involved the community can be.
 Crowther, et al. 2

Community Involvement
Many of the different sources suggest several ways and techniques on how to get the community
involved for any cause or purpose (Chen, 2015; Yang, 2009; Broome (n.d.); Hall, 2006). Chen
(2015) explored techniques related to volunteers and local businesses working together while
Yang (2009) mainly focused on the role of social media for young teens and adults. Like Chen,
Broome (n.d.) also explored techniques on how the community must work together to understand
a problem and how to address it. While most of the sources targeted the community members
and how to get their attention, Hall focused on the effective marketing that is needed to get
people more aware of certain issues in a community. The Indianapolis Zoo (2013) provided
examples on how educating the community can lead to better community involvement. The more
people know about a cause, the more likely they are to volunteer their time and effort to get
involved.

In todays society, people are using social media and technology more than ever and a few of the
sources acknowledged that as a way to increase community involvement. Chen (2015) stated that
people need to get social via social media. The old ways of just talking to neighbors and
community members just does not work the same anymore. A survey was done to determine the
best method to inform young people of what is going on in the community and the results
concluded that emailing was the best method. It is easy to understand why emailing would be
preferred over other forms of media. Emailing is fast, easy, and can be done from anywhere as
long as you have Internet. Society is changing and so it the form of communication with people.
If companies and organizations dont keep up with change, their business and community
involvement will lack.

A few of the sources acknowledged methods that are more effective when trying to get more
people involved. Chen (2015) and Broome (n.d.) had similar thoughts when it comes to how
individuals should work. Chen (2015) stated that Instead of trying to fight the good fight by
your lonesome, align yourself with like-minded individuals, businesses, groups, organizations,
and corporations. Working together not only makes something easier, but more enjoyable. An
organization should also think of other local businesses when trying to get the community
involved. Local businesses not only want to get involved-they need to from a PR perspective.
Other businesses contribute to the first point of working together. Just like Chen, Broome (n.d.)
also acknowledged the importance of working together. If people work together, everyone only
has to do their own small part rather than a lot of work on their own. Working together brings a
community close and gets them more involved in local organizations and businesses.

Media Usage
Being socially engaged has the ability to play a major role in the promotion of an organization.
Although there are many different ways to get people involved, social media has begun to play
an important role in the lives of individuals. After seeing a large growth in technology over the
past few decades, media now has the potential to help an organization thrive by informing people
about the struggles that it is facing and encouraging them to promote the organization. Three
specific sources discuss the positive impact that the use of social media can make on an
organization, which are Chen (2015), Mwambui (2011), and Yang (2009). All of the listed
authors provided their opinions about the impact that social media can have on an organization,
 Crowther, et al. 3

and they all had very similar views. The authors all agreed on the fact that social media can assist
an organization with gaining more support.

According to Chen (2015), there are a variety of ways that a community can get involved in
order to help an organization succeed, all of which are based around the idea of being social.
Being social helps with the promotion of an organization because it helps spread the word about
the cause, leading to more donations and more volunteers who support the organization. Using
social media to keep people updated about the progress of an organization encourages people to
want to continue to stay involved as opposed to leaving people wondering where their money
and effort goes. Chen (2015) believes that the volunteers of an organization are its most valuable
resource because they are extremely passionate so it is very important to thank them and make
them feel appreciated. That way, they can help spread the word about the organization, leading to
more success.

Similar to the beliefs of Chen (2015), author Mwambui (2011) also supports the use of social
media. Over the past few years, social media has changed the way that we work and the way that
we communicate. Social media has become very popular among individuals, and using it
effectively allows organizations to gain more volunteers and become more successful. Media
usage helps organizations share their goals and issues that they are trying to correct, which
encourages more people to support the organization. Mwambui (2011) wrote an article on the
impact that social media can have on an organization, and the article was written from firsthand
experience. Mwambui (2011) discusses the organization called Wildlife Direct, which allows
people to make donations in order to help with the conservation of wildlife. The organization has
been very successful due to the effective use of social media. As Chen (2015) stated, sharing the
progress that an organization is making encourages people to keep donating to the cause. That
was proven by the organization Wildlife Direct, which was discussed by Mwambui (2011).

A third author, Yang (2009), also had similar views on media usage as Chen (2015) and
Mwambui (2011). According to Yang (2009), the use of media leads to more involvement and
participation of individuals since technology has become an important part of peoples
lives. Yang (2009) brought up a new point that Chen (2015) and Mwambui (2011) did not
mention. Yang (2009) discussed the fact that there are a variety of different mediums that can be
used to appeal to different age groups. A range in mediums gives organizations the opportunity
to target different age groups in order to try to get them involved. However, all of the authors
agreed that the use of media helps does create a positive impact on organizations by helping
them thrive and gain more support.

Engagement of Particular Groups

Many sources suggest ways on how to engage different groups of people to help accomplish a
specific goal (Barletta, 2003; Hall, 2006; Mwambui, 2011; Network for Good (n.d.); Yang
2009). Barletta (2003) explored marketing strategies that attracted women to purchase certain
products. In comparison, Yang (2009) did not research marketing to engage people, but rather to
examine what types of media sources are most effective to engage people with civil-related
duties. Like Barletta, Hall (2006) explored marketing techniques, but he described the new
strategies and his target group were all people, not just women. Network for Good (n.d.)
 Crowther, et al. 4

provided examples of ways to engage people, while a case study by Mwambui (2011) claimed
that blogs had their own methods to engage donors with conservational efforts.

A variety of sources acknowledge the methods that are most effective when trying to engage
certain groups of people (Barletta, 2003; Hall, 2006; Network (n.d.) for Good; Yang, 2009).
According to Hall (2006), the most effective new trend for nonprofit marketing is word-of-
mouth marketing. In fact, he contributes word-of-mouth marketing to consumers' distrust of
traditional advertising, growing competition among charities for donors, and the increase in
online peer-to-peer communications, and the use of word-of-mouth strategies in political
campaigns. Another source, Network for Good (n.d.), also demonstrated that the word-of-mouth
method of engaging others could be applied by making your supporters your messengers (p.
13). This organization also gave other pointers for engaging others by making marketing a
conversation, show accountability, make it easy for people to find you, and segment your
way to success (p. 13).

Contrasting the ideas of word-of-mouth marketing methods from Hall (2006) and Network for
Good (n.d.), Barletta (2003) illustrated from her research the most effective ways to engage
women specifically. Engaging women can be achieved by showing how your product has
relevance to women and appeals to a womans emotions (p. 137-138). These methods contrast
with the research findings of Yang (2009) who studied only groups of young people ages 15-25
(p. 35). According to Yang (2009), the most productive method for engaging young people in
civil activities was emailing on important issues because it helped instill a sense of
community among recipients and provided essential knowledge for discussion safely and
efficiently among them (p. 41).

Contrary to the authors listed above, Mwambui (2011) asserted her own methods for engagement
where her target audience was focused entirely on bloggers and/or donors who read
conservational blogs. According to her research, some blogs had less success with fundraising
which could have been because of infrequency in blogging caused by connectivity issues,
particularly in rural areas, and due to the inability to invest the staff, time and resources needed
to keep the blog going (p. 4). This means that a blog must keep posting new material to
continually engage and potentially gain more fundraising from donors online.

Several sources indicate that there may be consequences if people are not engaged in a particular
situation (Broome, 2003; Mwambui, 2011; Yang, 2009). For example, in the case study by
Broome (2003), if someone does not engage the current generation of people to change to
become more green, it will hurt future generations (p. 97). He describes the need to persuade
the current generation when he said, if the world is to do something about climate change, some
people-chiefly the better-off among the current generation-will have to reduce their emissions of
greenhouse gases to save future generations from the possibility of a bleak existence in a hotter
world (p. 97). The research by Mwambui (2011) did not discuss climate change, but rather
illustrated the consequences if a blog does not engage donors when she declared, alongside
poaching, severe climatic conditions, and a reduction of the conservation area, limited funding
for conservation contributes to declines in wildlife and habitats (p. 3). Another consequence is
related to the study by Yang (2009) where civil disengagement is a problem especially among
young people in the United States. Civil engagement is necessary in a democracy and those who
 Crowther, et al. 5

eschew political involvement are useless citizens in a democracy and their self-interest would be
harmed if the public policy is dominated by a few (p. 29).

Nonprofit Marketing Techniques

According to several sources, nonprofit marketing is a multifaceted topic. Hall (2006) and
Mwambui (2011) agreed that nonprofit marketing can be more difficult than marketing in the
for-profit sector due to the more complex target audiences and result measurability of
nonprofits (Hall and Mwambui). However, both authors, in addition to Network for Good and
Chen (2015), have laid out information correlated with nonprofit marketing success. Chen (2015)
and Hall (2006) expressed the importance of utilizing community resources, whether engaging
volunteers and donors in fundraising efforts or encouraging word-of-mouth advertising from the
same group. Hall (2006) has written, More and more charities are realizing the benefits of
word-of-mouth marketing, in which employees, donors, volunteers, and other individuals
become advocates who urge others to support a nonprofit cause (p. 2). Chen (2015) agrees
with Halls observation, having suggested that organizations reach out to your current
volunteers and donors to do promotion for you. Nobody will be as convincing as they are.
Word-of-mouth marketing characteristically encourages trust of an organization, as the
information source is a real-life friend or family member, rather than a paid advertisement (Hall,
2006, p. 2). Additionally, both Hall (2006) and Network for Good identified the benefits and
encouraged the establishment of a call to action within an organizations marketing efforts. Calls
to action effectively connect community members to a cause and create an outlet for them to
show their support, allowing organizations to measurably advance your mission (Network for
Good, n.d., p. 11).

Mwambui (2011) and Network for Good address the importance of understanding and engaging
the specific audience of an organization when communicating a message. Considering ones
audience before beginning the marketing process can help an organization choose the
development strategy that will garner the greatest response. Network for Good recommended
that an organization determine its constituents, particularly the common demographics and
psychographics, or personalities, values, opinions, and attitudes, of ones volunteers, donors, and
target audience (p. 4). They focus on the concept of me marketing, or audience-focused
marketing, having argued that most people are tuned into what matters to them. They care about
messages that speak to their needsthis approach forces you [an organization] to find the
benefits of what you are offering to people (Network for Good, n.d., p. 11). Understanding
ones audience and their values can help a nonprofit define its marketing strategies. Furthermore,
defining the unique feature of ones organization can intrigue those exposed to the message,
engaging them in organizational efforts (Network for Good, p. 9). Mwambui explained how, in
the case of blogs, the audience can follow the activities of the authors or subject, effectively
becoming connected to and engaged in the stories presented. Blogs, in addition, encourage
audience participation through the availability of comment boxes (p. 1).

The use of social media in nonprofit marketing is discussed and recommended by Chen (2015)
and Mwambui (2011). Mwambui (2011) has written that social media allow[s] people to create
their own content and share it widely (p. 2). Chen (2015) supports taking advantage of the
social media available to organizations, having stated, Leveraging local friend networks has
never been so easy. Social media has effectively opened up new channels through which to
 Crowther, et al. 6

communicate messages or missions to a community. Mwambui (2011) specifically argued the

benefits of blogs, explaining their ability to draw readers in to a mission by telling a story (p. 5)
However, when utilizing a blog, the time-sensitivity and audiences interest in an issue and
significantly contributes to the attention it receives. Urgent issues within an audiences scope of
interest are more likely to receive a higher response than those affecting matters years into the
future (p. 5). If an organization chooses to create a blog for marketing purposes, a commitment
to regular posting is required. According to Mwambui (2011), infrequent blogging can lead to
disinterest in a cause and garner minimal results (p. 5).
Mwambui (2011) and Chen (2015) expressed the importance of social media marketing in a
nonprofit setting, yet Network for Good specifically addressed the importance of balancing
online and offline marketing efforts. They explained that there is no single recipe for success
when it comes to determining a nonprofit marketing mix (p. 15). Solely relying on social media
or internet resources for marketing can have negative results. By dividing marketing materials
among online and offline mediums, an organization can reach a greater number of people.
Mwambuis (2011) study findings support Network for Goods recommendation. In her article,
Mwambui (2011) shared Katharine Brodocks perspective that economic, social, and political
factors determine whether and how people use technology (p. 8). Internet access throughout the
world is limited, therefore a mixed media approach to marketing is most likely to touch greater
numbers. Providing marketing resources that encompass both online media and external
resources allows a message to reach those bound by technology or educational gaps.

General Marketing Strategies

Specific sources discuss general marketing techniques applicable to organizations in any sector,
whether private, public, or philanthropic. Barletta (2003), Klie (2013), Lankard and McLaughlin
(2010), and Martensen, Grnholdt, Bendtsen, and Jensen (2007) specifically express the
importance and benefits of emotional marketing. According to Klie (2013), emotional
engagement is the new holy grail of marketing today, contributing to more customer loyalty and
profitability than many other factors (p. 1) Identified as anything that the brand does or stands
for that elevates it beyond competitors when all other factorsare basically the same,
emotional appeals can uplift an organization, offering a way to separate oneself from the rest of
the group (Klie, 2013, p. 1). Additionally, Klie (2013) expressed that when making purchases, a
customers decision-making process leans considerably more towards the emotional connection
made than rational thought (Klie, 2013, p. 1). In agreement, Barletta has described, while its
true that women are generally more pragmatic than men, they are also more emotional, and
therefore are likely to tune in to emotional benefits over functional ones (2000, p. 137).
Marketing to generate an emotional response connects people to a company or organization,
often leading to an increase in customer or community support, particularly from women.

The Wilderness Societys marketing model portrayed in Lankard and McLaughlins (2010) case
study is a real-life example of Klies analysis in action. By informing supporters that the
sustainability of the areas they support was in jeopardy, the Society was able to reconnect people
to and emotionally invest people in their work (p. 430). Martensen, Grnholdt, Bendtsen, and
Jensen (2007) add to the argument that providing an audience with the opportunity to become
actively involved in an effort consistently correlates with the level of investment a person has in
a cause or product, producing a positive emotional response.
 Crowther, et al. 7

Yang (2009) has explained the benefits of mass media in marketing, including its ability to
create common interests and instill a sense of community and provide essential knowledge
about important political and social issues... (p. 32). Utilizing mass media in marketing efforts
can help a company establish a community around its product or mission and encourage civic
awareness, furthering its ability to spread the intended message (Yang, 2009, p. 32). However,
both Yang (2009) and Klie (2013) agree that mass media marketing can lead to negative
consequences and must, therefore, be managed. Yang (2009) explains its ability to both
overwhelm individuals and absorb large amounts of time that will adversely influence political
and civic actions (p. 32), while Klie (2013) has discussed that while regular chatter about a
product is beneficial in raising awareness, negative chatter can hurt a product just as significantly
(p. 1). As the entertainment aspect of mass media is significant and can often overshadow
important political and social messages, controlling the nature of a products media presence is
critical to product success.

According to Lankard and McLaughlin (2010) and Martensen, Grnholdt, Bendtsen, and Jensen
(2007), building trust in an organization or company through marketing efforts is critical to
achieving success. In their case study of the Wilderness Society, Lankard and McLaughlin
(2010) stated that in the 65 years since TWS was founded, the organizations mission has
evolved, but has never deviated far from its original goals (p. 422). Because of a lack of
mission-shift over the years, trust has been built up under the Wildlife Societys specific goals.
Its audience understands that by supporting their current activities, they are supporting the same
mission they believed in twenty years prior. Martensen, Grnholdt, Bendtsen, and Jensen (2007)
have taken the issue of trust a step further by explaining the importance of brand equity when
marketing a product or mission (p. 285). Their article states that brand equity is defined as the
consumers perceived value of a product, based on a products name and its image (p. 285).
Positive brand equity, just as a consistent company mission, has the potential to build trust
between consumers and their products of interest.

Conclusion
Overall, the review of literature presents many important factors to consider when discussing
sustainable environments, community involvement, media usage, nonprofit marketing
techniques, and general marketing strategies. There are a variety of sources with different
content information and authors; however, they each provide applicable information in regards to
marketing strategies.
 Crowther, et al. 8

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