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2010
Marketing: Principles and
Practices
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Contents Page no.
Introduction………………………………………………………..2
Name and profile of the organization…………………………….3
About Direct Relief ………………………………………………...4
Cause of the organization………………………………………….5
Primary and secondary research on the activities of Direct Relief
Marketing activities………………………………………….5
Fundraising activities………………………………………..6
Delivery of services…………………………………………..7
Our suggestions on how to promote the cause of the organization
Increased advertising………………………………………...9
Increased transparency……………………………………....10
Free clinic programs………………………………………….10
Preventive health education programs………………………11
References……………………………………………………………13
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INTRODUCTION
Our group was approached by a nonprofit oriented organization as consultants to promote its
cause in the country. In order to do this we conducted a primary and secondary research on the
activities of the organization and critically analyzed them and proposed strategies in which could
help the organization improve.
WHATS A NONPROFIT ORIENTED ORGANIZATION?
A nonprofit oriented organization is one that does not dispense its finances to owners or
shareholders. Its uses it finances or resources to help archive its goals example of nonprofit
oriented organizations are charitable organization and non governmental agencies. Most of such
organizations are known worldwide and most of them are charitable organization who reaches
out to victims of disaster, war, disease plagued areas and financial aids. Notable nonprofit
organizations include UNICEF, direct relief international, Red Cross, bill gates and Mandela
foundation.
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NAME AND PROFILE OF THE NONPROFIT ORIENTED
ORGANIZATION
Organization name: Direct relief international.
Year founded: august 1948.
Place of origin: Santa Barbara California USA
Founder: William Zimdia.
Cause: dedication to improvement of health accessibility and increasing
the availability of health care services.
Focus: improving health for people, strengthening fragile health
systems, maternal and child health, primary health care clinics, HIV and
AIDS, special initiatives.
Area of service: Globally
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About Direct Relief
Direct relief international is a nonprofit organization, it’s a medical and disaster relief assistance
agency that was established in august 1948 as a Californian nonprofit organization by William
Zimdia an immigrant from Estonia who had amassed a considerable wealth sending food,
clothing, medical assistance to relatives and friends who were victims of the world war 2. After
William had died in 1951 his friend and business partner Dennis karczag took over the
management of the organization and changed its name to direct relief foundation in 1957 and by
1982 its name was changed to direct relief international.
Direct relief international is based in Santa Barbara California since its founding in 1948 its
provided assistance to various indigenously run healthcare projects and facilities supplying
pharmaceuticals nutritional supplement and medical equipments, its aim is to reach out to the
poor and victims of natural or manmade disasters without exception.
Direct relief gets its funding from the support of private individuals, foundations, organizations
and businesses that provide it with needed resources to achieve its humanitarian goals of
reaching the poor and needy.
Since 1950 direct relief as provided assistance related to health within Europe and beyond in
1962 it became a licensed wholesale pharmacy securing prescriptions medicine for use abroad.
It’s provided aid relief to countries in a state of emergency and to various refugee areas from the
post war era in Europe and Greece it’s also been in assistance to Tibetan refugees for over
40years and the Peru earthquake of 1970; today direct relief international provides assistances in
form medical equipment and resources in about 59 countries.
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Cause of the organization
Direct Relief is dedicated to improvement of health accessibility and increasing the availability
of health services in the many places where it operates. They focus their efforts on providing
necessary equipment to health professionals in communities where there is a lack of resources.
The organization also puts special focus on maternal and child health through training and proper
equipment of midwives and increasing access to services such as immunization services to even
emergency care. They are also involved in the provision of primary healthcare services in remote
areas in many different countries. Direct Relief also focuses on HIV/AIDS with a primary focus
on prevention but also with efforts in aiding treatment and care for patients.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH ON THE
ACTIVITIES OF DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL
Marketing activities of Direct Relief
Our research on the marketing activities of Direct Relief showed that the organization is mainly
involved in marketing activities on the World Wide Web. The main medium the organization
uses on the internet is its website which is well organized into different sections and is easy to
browse through. Direct Relief uses the site to provide qualitative information about the
organization itself, its activities and the challenges it faces. It also includes links that guide
people who want to volunteer or those who want to donate to the organization. They also provide
contact information and addresses of the organizations different locations and also of their
partners. What this website does from a marketing perspective is let people in on the
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organization and its activities and also make them aware of its cause and how difficult meeting
some of the challenges is. It also helps raise money for the organization and helps it connect with
people who want to help through volunteering.
Direct Relief also makes use of social media sites to market itself and its activities. The
organization has a YouTube channel where subscribers are updated frequently on current
activities and operations and is also used to make appeals and calls to action to possible
volunteers and donors. They also have a Facebook account through which they also release
updates on their current activities and also provide links to their press releases. They also make
use of Twitter- another social media site. Because social media are now very popular, they have
also become useful tools of marketing. The use of these kinds of media by Direct Relief shows
the organizations awareness of the current potential that exists in internet and technology
advertising.
The organization also makes use of advertisement through Google. This is through its advertising
partnership with the company.
Another thing we discovered through our research was that Direct Relief is not directly involved
in TV and other forms of advertising other than through the internet. In fact, the organizations
total marketing and advertising expenditure was just $8000 in 2008 (Direct Relief 2008).
Fundraising activities
Direct Relief International was able to get up to $166million worth of cash and support materials
and donated services. Of all the support it received, only five percent was cash (about $8.1
million). The organization receives donations in form of medical materials and equipment
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mainly through its partnerships with many leading global companies, some of which are
healthcare companies. It also receives donated services like transportation. In 2010, it received
donations in form of transport services from FedEx after the earthquake in Haiti (FedEx 2010).
The organization’s fundraising expenses are less than one percent of the total support it receives
(Charity navigator 2009). This is an indication of its utilization of some of its partnerships to
raise funds and thus get as much as it does with just a fraction of the money it receives. Direct
Relief also uses raises funds through direct mail, grant proposals, appeals on the internet and
special fundraising events.
Delivery of services
Strengthening fragile health systems
direct relief international puts focus on strengthen of the existing health systems in very poor
communities who don’t have access to medical health care facilities or can’t afford to pay for
treatment, providing them with resources which would help the efforts of health workers on
ground tackle the needs of the people. The medical assistance provided by direct relief
international equips the health professional working in poor communities to meet the challenges
of treating and caring for the people without any form of discrimination.
Maternal and child health
From our research we found out that in conjunction with the united nations millennium
development goals direct relief supports over 130 partners globally who help in improving of
health care services for both women and children, safe delivery for pregnant women family
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planning and admittance of basic medicine, they also support programs that train midwives
responsible for the safe delivery for pregnant women, helping with training and equipment for a
safe delivery.
HIV and AIDS
Direct relief international works with both nongovernment organization and ministry of health in
over 60 countries providing access to medical supplies for HIV and AIDS testing, drug for
treatment and educating on the prevention and spread. In support of the preventing the spread of
HIV direct relief in 2010 carried out over 3million HIV test which focus on the prevention of
mother to child transmission of the disease.
Emergency response
Direct relief international has certain ways in which they respond to emergencies which is stated
in their principle of emergency response. Direct relief approach to emergency is to support the
immediate needs of victims of disasters by collaborating with local partners that are best
positioned to determine the amount of damages, respond and get ready for the long term
recovery process. Their response to emergence based on local information and condition, they
collaborate with local, national, international organization and government authorities to ensure
that resources are used efficiently. In 2010 for example, it donated $5million worth of badly
needed medical materials to the victims of the floods in Pakistan (Philanthropy Journal 2010).
All the above activities form the greatest part of the organization’s expenses. In 2008, 98% of
Direct Relief’s total expenses went to its programs in all of the above areas of its delivery of
service (Better Business Bureau 2008). This shows that the organization is highly focused on its
programs and initiatives and is also using almost all of it resources on those programs. The
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efficiency with which the organization delivers services was one of the main reasons why it
received an A- rating from the American institute of philanthropy (2010).
Our suggestions on how direct Relief can further promote its cause
In order for direct relief to further promote its cause, we suggest they take the following steps:-
Increased Advertising
Direct Relief International is already doing internet advertising. We suggest that they should
increase their ways of advertisements by introducing in more methods, i.e. TV, mobiles, public
relations and the radio.
Mobile advertisement is not costly and therefore won’t cost much for Direct Relief International.
Nowadays it’s one of the most effectual ways of advertisement, because a message on the phone
is usually not ignored. They should send messages to attract more potential customers.
Public relations advertisement is an advertisement method that is often used by company these
days. They do it to keep in contact with their customers, employees and investors as well. Direct
Relief International should maintain and develop public relations with their clients and
employees because it will help sustain their identity.
TV advertisement is another effective way of advertising. Direct Relief International should
advertise on the TV to attract more potential customers as many people watch it these days and
they can collaborate with any media outlet so as that outlet can offer their services as donations
to them.
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Direct Relief International should also use radio advertisements in order to get their messages to
a large, extensive market. It’s very cheap compared to TV advertisements. They should do it in a
way that their target customers will be aware or it renders no welfares.
Increased transparency
Direct relief can build on its image as a credible non-profit organization by increasing the level
of transparency of its activities and operations. This would involve making relevant information
about their day-to-day activities and all of their programs more easily available and accessible.
They should use their website and social media to publish information on a regular basis about
each and every one of their program. This should include a regular update on how much of the
organization’s resources have been used on each of the programs and operations and also an
evaluation of the impact of those operations and programs on the health problems towards which
they are targeted.
This would help improve the good image the organization already has. This is important for a
non-profit organization because donors and the public would trust an organization more when
they feel they know about it and its activities. It assures donors that the contributions they make
are making a difference and reassures the general public that the organization is doing its best to
help tackle the problems it says it is trying to help tackle. Increased transparency is certainly
going to help improve Direct Relief’s already good public image and will increase its cr edibility
in the eyes of all stakeholders.
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Free health service programs
In order for direct relief international to promote their cause we suggest that the organization
should run free health clinic programs in poor communities where people cannot get access to
medical services, there are a lot of such poor communities were the people can’t afford to pay
medical bills or don’t have enough medical practitioners on ground to cater for their needs as
such most of them die of the easiest curable diseases. Direct relief in accordance with its focus
on improving health for people can reach out to such communities running free clinic services,
providing services such as free medical treatment of minor illnesses, provision of medications
such as vaccines for children and medical check-ups. Direct relief can get volunteering
physicians, nurses and doctors to help with the program through their already large network of
volunteering medical practitioners who will be ready to attend to patients without charge. They
would set up these clinics for a few days in each of the vulnerable areas they select. This free
health service will go a long way to improving the health of such communities and promote the
cause of direct relief international in the process.
EDUCATION ON PREVENTIVE HEALTH MEASURES
Talking about health education on preventive health measures Direct Relief should try
make use of different methods like counseling, public information ,treatment and prevention of
drug abuse. People should at least have access to appropriate testing ensure that they are aware
of their health status. Others are exposed to infections because of different problems like lack of
proper hygiene. They should be educated at every level in order to help them understand the
preventive measures they need to take. The government should also be encouraged to try and
contribute to the promotion of health of the people through things such as inspections of goods
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and persons entering the country to be sure that they are free from contagious diseases so also
they should try and create a public health offices that will be oversee these kind of regulations.
These programs will enable people to know much about preventing themselves from different
diseases and as a result of that there will be a decrease in the number of cases of some diseases.
This in turn will help the organization’s cause of improving good health, having good facilities
and having a good treatment it will also help prevent the spread of epidemics. This will also help
in protecting people from being infected generally.
2430 Words
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Bibliography
‘Forbes.com’ 2007, Direct Relief International, Viewed 29 November 2010,
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/14/pf_07charities_Direct-Relief-International_CH0057.html
‘Better Business Bureau’ 2009, Charity Review of Direct Relief International, Viewed 29 November 2010,
http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/relief-and-development/direct-relief-international-in-
santa-barbara-ca-307
‘Direct Relief International’ 2008, Annual Report, Viewed 1 December 2010,
http://www.directrelief.org/uploadedFiles/Our_Finances/Related_Documents/AR_low.pdf
‘Charity Navigator’ 2009, Charity Rating: Direct Relief International, Viewed 8 December 2010,
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3626\
‘Philanthropy journal’ 2010, Direct Relief International, WalMart Foundation, Best Buy and More,
Viewed 8 December 2010,
http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/news/aug-12-direct-relief-international-walmart-foundation-best-
buy-and-more
‘FedEx’ 2010, Community and Disaster Relief , Viewed 11 December 2010,
http://citizenshipblog.fedex.designcdt.com/node/761?page=1
‘American Institute of Philanthropy’ 2010, Top Rated Charities, Viewed 11 December 2010,
http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html
Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G, (2006). Principles of Marketing 12th
edition. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice
Hall.
Kotler, P., Fill, C. And Page, K., (2008) Marketing, Oxford: Oxford University press
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