The Challenge is a nonprofit organization that provides youth development programs across the UK. According to documents provided: 1) The Challenge has experienced significant growth, serving 10,000 participants in 2012 and aiming for 14,000 in 2013. However, it faces competition from other organizations delivering similar programs. 2) Key stakeholders include teens, government, staff, parents, teachers, and sponsors/donors. Maintaining relationships with stakeholders is important for nonprofit success. 3) The organization developed a new communication strategy to increase awareness, fundraising, and participation. Tactics include improved advertising, public relations, social media, and internal communications.

1. Engaging a new Challenge
Guidelines for an integrated communication strategy

2. An overview on “The Challenge”
(The Challenge, 2012)

3. An overview on “The Challenge”
ACTIVITIES
• The Challenge: a 4 part summer programme (‘The personal
challenge’, ‘The Team Challenge’ , ‘The Real Challenge Design’
and ‘The Real Challenge Action’)
• The Challenge Society: a year-round programme launched
in October 2011 (social action projects, core programme
development and youth led community projects)
• Big events: the ‘Big Sleep Out’, ‘The challenge Festival’ and
‘The challenge sports day’
NUMBERS
• 2009: 158 participants
• 2012: 10,000 participants
• 2013 participants will be 14,000
• In 2011: 97% places filled, 96% retention through
end of 3 weeks full-time programme and 85%
graduated after full 2 months programme
(The Challenge, 2012)

4. Organizational structure
3 offices:
London, Birmingham
& Manchester
Total staff:
over 170 people
(full and part time)
Head-Office: London
Programmes : 55
Marketing: 45
Staffing: 10
Programmes team:
33 assistant
programme managers,
1/borough
15 programme
managers that oversee
3 APM each
A Senior Programme
Team that includes
people from Manchester,
Birmingham and 3
people from London
(North, South and West

5. Stakeholders
Young people
Government
Staff
Parents
Teachers
Sponsors & Donors
Community
partners

6. Stakeholders
Young people
Government
Staff
Parents
Teachers
Sponsors & Donors
Community partners
• 96% increased confidence
• 91% better understanding of people different to them
• 86% more likely to get actively involved in their community
• The Challenge have secured fundings for next 2 years
• Based the NCS on The Challenge
• Over 50 people in the head-office
• 1,200 seasonal staff around UK in 2012
• 97% say it is a good use of Government tax money
• 99% say good use of own money
• 91% said students benefitted significantly
• 100% had better or same perception of young
people (55% had a better perception)
• 85% wants to volunteer again
Score the partnership 8/10 in its ability to
further their missions

7. The “market”
Main competitors:
• Petroc (College): operates in 2 regions
• Reed in Partnership: operates in 2 regions
• The NCS Network - led by Serco: operates in 6 regions and includes 4 charities:
Vinspired, NYA, UK Youth and Catch 22
• Every provider is allocated to a different area due to the bids they put in
• Everyone is separated and nobody is allowed in the same area
• The Challenge is confident in strength of their programme compared to others,
evident in the fact that 2 of their staff are consultants to all of NCS
• The Challenge has 2 years in advance before NCS
(Civil Society, 2012)

8. What works…
… and what could work better
SWOT
Strengths
Engagement with young people,
passion, commitment from staff
behind the scenes. Constant
growth (14,000 participants
expected for 2013)
Weaknesses
How much staff is valued. Lack of
communication between
departments. Systems in place not
explained. Very casual, lack of
strategies (especially about
communication/marketing)
Opportunities
More recognition as a beneficial
organisation for teens boroughs and
staff. Increasing brand awareness
(WoM). Good contacts with officers in
different boroughs. Getting deeper in
boroughs and working with
organizations/partners and also with
young people
Threats
Funding. Competitors (Serco).
What is the contingency plan,
what happens if funding does dry
out? Conservatives are voted out?

9. Pills of theory
Publics consist of all people affected by
the consequences of an organization’s
behaviour—either positively or
negatively
(Grunig, in Muzi Falconi, 2008)
In Non Profit organizations,
stakeholders generally have a greater
importance than in commercial
businesses (Knox & Gruar, 2007)
Corporate alliances bring pressure on NPs
and will expect deeper involvement in the
NP organization and their joint projects
than traditional donors
(Knox & Gruar, 2007)
Knowing which stakeholders really matter
is central to built an effective marketing
strategy
(Knox & Gruar, 2007)
Some theory

10. Pills of theory
Publics consist of all people affected by
the consequences of an organization’s
behaviour—either positively or
negatively
(Grunig, in Muzi Falconi, 2008)
In Non Profit organizations,
stakeholders generally have a greater
importance than in commercial
businesses (Knox & Gruar, 2007)
Corporate alliances bring pressure on NPs
and will expect deeper involvement in the
NP organization and their joint projects
than traditional donors
(Knox & Gruar, 2007)
Knowing which stakeholders really matter
is central to built an effective marketing
strategy
(Knox & Gruar, 2007)
Stakeholders
are the key
Some theory

11. Pills of theory – The 3 Steps
Know the relevant
stakeholders
Build long-term and profitable
relations to involve them
Choose and use the right means
(approach+media) for the right public
1
2 3
Stakeholder theory
Relational marketing Two-way communication
Some theory

12. Some theory
1° Knowledge – Mitchell’s Stakeholders Theory
• Identify the stakeholders by their role and nature.
3 criteria: Power, Legitimacy & Urgency
• Classify the most relevant stakeholders by their saliency.
3 categories: Latent, Expectant (Dominant, Dangerous,
Dependant) & Definitive
(Mitchell, 1997, in Muzi Falconi, 2008)
“The Challenge”
DEFINITIVE  Teens & Government
DEPENDENT  Staff, Parents & Teachers
DISCRETIONARY  Sponsors donors & Community partners

13. Some theory
2° Involvement – Relational Marketing
• Involves creating, maintaining and enhancing strong relationships with
stakeholders
• Aims to deliver long-term value to stakeholders and costumers
• Focuses on collaboration and interaction
(Kotler, 1999, in Muzi Falconi, 2008; Childers, 1989)
3° The Right Means – Two-way communication
Asymmetrical
• Mostly persuasive
• Focuses on achieving short-term attitude change
• Used by an organization interested in having its publics come around to its
way of thinking rather than changing the organization, its policies, or its views
Symmetrical
• Open two-way communication and mutual give-and-take
• Organizations are willing to make significant adjustments in how they operate in
order to accommodate their publics
• Used more by non-profit organizations than by profit-driven companies

14. The Strategy
Objectives
•Increase brand awareness
•Improve fundraising:
private donors up £300K
by end 2013
•Participants up to 20,000
by end 2014
•Win the competition (8
regions in 3 years time)
•Enrolment of staff –
planning in advance
Means
•Define a budget. Plan in
advance
•Improve adv and PR (paid
& earned media)
•Better usage of existing
owned media
•Research on a regular basis
•Annual report
•Communication with the
partners/sponsors
•Improve internal
communication

15. Timeframe
The Strategy
• FB
• Twitter
Weekly
• Blog
• Press Releases
• Newsletters
• E-Shots
Monthly
• Advertising for Enrolment
• Workshops for Teens (Trial session)
• Sponsor Easter, Halloween, sports day
Semester
• Corporate Advertisement
• Radio Discussions with Celebrities
• Dinner hosting at Schools
• Conferences
Annual

16. Internal communication
The Strategy
• Develop a strong strategic narrative
• Provide line of sight between people’s jobs and the
organisational vision
• Get managers to communicate clearly and listen to people
• Encourage employees to voice their opinions
• Give people easy access to the information they need to do
their job

17. Level Directions Participants Contents
Top
management
One way
communication
All employees
The Challenge issues, goals,
objectives, new
developments, activities & achievements
Project group
colleagues
Two way
communication
Employee-
employee
Project information, project issues, project
development
Team
colleagues
Two way
communication
Employee-
employee Team task discussions
Line
managers/
supervisors
Two way
communication
Line
managers-
employees
Employees’ roles
Personal impact, e.g.
appraisal discussions,
team briefings
Internal Communication
The Strategy
(Grunig, 1992)
Stakeholders: Staff

18. Public Relations
The Strategy
Stakeholders Activity Content Frequency
Dependent:
Parents
Teachers
Discretionary:
Local Partners
Newsletters
Updates for coming activities &
Events for recruitment
Monthly
Discretionary:
Prospects Donors
Press Releases/Press office
Networking
About TCN
Annual reports
Monthly
Dependent:
Public
Definitive:
Teens
Discretionary:
Prospects Donors/ Partners
Radio Discussion to raise PR
Social Networks
Morning show with Celebrity
Endorsement Like Tinnie Tempah
What’s coming up next for our young
generation
Twice Yearly
Dependent:
Staff
Definitive:
Teens
Activities for interaction
Workshops for training
Building Skills
Getting involved
Throughout
programmes

19. Events
The Strategy
Stakeholders Venues Functions Activities Giveaways
Teachers
Parents
Trainers & Coaches
Teens
Local schools
• Sports days
• Summer fete
• Easter & Christmas break
• Halloween Ball
Parents & Teachers
meeting (Dinner Host)
Interaction leading to
Enrolment
Branded gadgets:
Key rings / pens/
bracelets/ USB
sticks
Potential Business
partners
Local Chamber of
Commerce
• Seminars
Networking &
Fundraising
Brochures,
Leaflets, Annual
reports
Government officers/
Council departments
Government
Authorities
• Conference
(Delivers Brand exposure
to Educational authorities)
Through workshops
and lobbying
Brochures, Annual
Reports
Teens
Parents
Public places • Parks/ Sports clubs Enrolment
Key rings /Pens/
Bracelets/ USB
Sticks

20. The Strategy
Marketing and Adv
Guerrilla
Facebook Ads
ATL
Radio
Low budget
Buzz & WoM
Newspapers&Magazines
Webzines
Creative
STAKEHOLDERS
Teens
General Public
Staff
Parents
January-June
July-September
All year long
TIME
Enrol
Involve
Awareness
OBJECTIVES
INTEGRATED MRKT
SYMMETRICAL &
ASYMMETRICAL
Inform

21. The Strategy
Marketing and Adv
Guerrilla
Conventional
Facebook Ads
ATL
Radio
Low budget
Buzz & WoM
Newspapers&Magazines
Webzines
Creative

22. The Strategy
Web & Social Media
Aim & Approach
• Improve owned media to gain visibility on earned
media
• Inform & involve (symmetric communication)
Stakeholder: General public
Improving the website
• Highlight important information
• Making it more interactive and
interesting
• News regularly updated
Social Media
Blog
• Post once/3 weeks
• Encouraging students to have their say for us
Facebook page says it all
Updating the recent activities and photos of students once/1week
Twitter
• Tweets twice/1week
• Following the related people like Partners and other Business people

23. Suggestions

24. THANK YOU!

25. Note
This presentation was designed to present a group project developed between October and
November 2012 by Sara Belardi, Kowstubbha Chunduru, Anthony Majekodunmi and Preeshy
Munisami.
The project was developed for the “Corporate Advertising and Media relation” module taught by
Gloria Walker at the University of West London (Academic year 2012/2013).
Clearly the presented strategy simply represents a trial and a "scholastic" exercise.
The parts of the project and the group members’ roles have been organized as follows:
CONTENTS
• Sara Belardi: Theoretical background, Marketing and ADV strategy
• Kowstubbha Chunduru: Objectives and Means, Web & Social media
• Anthony Majekodunmi: Introduction, Stakeholders’ analysis, Swot analysis
• Preeshy Munisami: Internal communication, Public Relations and Events
EDITING and DESIGN
• Sara Belardi
GROUP COORDINATION
• Sara Belardi