9. From what you know of Amnesty International, how would you rate its effectiveness in defending human rights relative to its peers?
The manner in which the survey is set out in my opinion is quite effective. The initial questions inform the responder of what Amnesty does and the questions then progressively move into various ways to support the cause. This approach positions the responder to be initially informed and opposed to being forced to make a donation. They feel more inclined as they have become aware of what Amnesty does. The subtle lead into the desired outcome (collecting donations/future support) positions the responder to feel as their contribution will be effective and is their own choice as opposed to been forced into making a donation due to guilt.
In regards to question 7 it is apparent that Amnesty International is seeking insight into what people perceive their brand image as. Answers such as “Amnesty has a clear, focused mission and doesn't take on more than it can accomplish” allows the responder to answer in accordance to their beliefs about the company. This allows Amnesty to become aware of what people see when they look at Amnesty.
Furthermore the content of question 9 positions the responder to reflect not only on the company but compare it to a number of other similar companies. The use of ‘peers’ shows a more collaborative approach to fixing and maintaining violations of human rights as the various groups (eg. Red Cross, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam) are working as a collective rather than competing. The use of the word ‘effectiveness’ places emphasis upon Amnesty’s strive to maintaining their mission statement. It allows the responder to judge how valuable Amnesty’s contribution in regards to helping those whose rights are being compromised.
The information that the survey is attempting to achieve is both what people’s perception of what Amnesty does and that of educating them so they feel inclined to help by donating, therefore promoting healthy brand awareness and of their brand image.
LECTURE 10 BRAND PORTFOLIO QUESTIONS
- Outline one key benefit of and one key problem with advertising in magazines. Select one of your brand’s magazine advertisements [include ad if possible] and offer your own suggestion as to which market segment it is targeting [and explain why you think this is the case].
ADVANTAGE:
Target a specific customer base: Magazines and trade publications give you the opportunity to reach your target audience with concise precision. Magazines offer large, defined readers that allow you to focus on your particular demographic or group. While many people read the local newspaper, only those individuals who are interested in a specific topic or industry (eg. electronics, cars, fashion or holidays) will subscribe to a particular magazine.
DISADVANTAGE:
Limited flexibility: Magazines generally do not offer the same flexibility in terms of ad placement or format. Most magazine advertisements will be of the same size (A4) and when compared to television, radio and even billboards magazines fall short. Television, radio and billboards have a wide variety of advertisement opportunities, advertisement sizes and placement options. Thus magazines tend to be far more limited in what they are able to offer.
The chosen advertisement focuses on the torture of a young girl by soldiers in Mexico. The eighteen year old (Julieta Flores Castillo) is saying, “Kill me! It is better than being tortured!” the advert continues, “The men who raped and tortured Julieta are unpunished.” The style of writing allows one to view the advert as a story and include emotive imagery and words.
In relation to the effectiveness of this advertisement it is clear that the use of a distraught girl being tortured is quite powerful in conveying a message of injustice. The advertisement offers insight into these injustices and therefore increases the brand awareness of Amnesty international. This brand awareness allows the responder to be informed that Amnesty is attempting to help resolve such injustices illustrated in the advertisement. In contrast the use of the young girl being tortured is quite a distressing image. For me at first glance I would be put off and therefore fail to become involved in what the advertisement has to offer. People may not want to acknowledge these injustices and therefore they may fail to realise what the advertisement is stating, therefore a fall in brand awareness for Amnesty international and a negative connotation for Amnesty’s brand image (as a tortured girl is remembered when Amnesty is mentioned).
As this magazine was published in Human Rights Magazine I believe the target market for this advertisement is in fact people who wish to either be informed of these injustices or possibly put a stop the unfair treatment of undeserving individuals. Therefore the target audience correlates with the placement of this advertisement. People who are inclined to read the magazine would possibly be inclined to help the cause and fight against the injustices Amnesty attempts to resolve.
LECTURE 13 BRAND PORTFOLIO II QUESTIONS
- The lecture discusses the concept of corporate social responsibility [CSR]. Explain this term in further depth. By seeking out evidence of this principle in your brand’s mission statement OR vision statement, demonstrate how your organisation adheres to this concept.
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. Consequently, business would embrace responsibility for the impact of its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Therefore it proactively promotes the public interest by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. (Crowther and Rayman-Bacchus, 2005) According to Mission Australia Corporate social responsibility can be defined as “a company’s commitment to operating in a way that takes into account not only the financial implications of business decisions, but also the social and environmental impact it has on the community.”
Amnesty International’s vision is of “a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments. In pursuit of this vision, Amnesty International’s mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of these rights”.
Due to globalisation the manner in which the world interacts has become more and more interdependent. Therefore the way that groups such as Amnesty International work has become expansive when attempting to resolve injustices in all countries. Thus the standards of human dignity need to be met and an understanding of how human rights intersect within the global economy (aid, trade and commerce) also need to come into account.
In regards to Amnesty and how it adheres to the concept of CSR it is apparent that Amnesty works in conjunction with the concepts of CSR. The manner in which Amnesty goes to countries in order to put a stop to human right violations is a clear indicator of trying to put a stop to social impacts that are apparent in their country. This also reflects the positive steps towards a more fair economy as the idea that Amnesty pushes of how government’s need to consider more than the legal minimum standards helps to create a just societwy.
The way in which Amnesty’s mission statement reflects the ideas of corporate social responsibility is apparent with elements such as “a world in which every person enjoys human rights”. Amnesty strives for a better world one that operates in a manner not interested in financial implications but one that supports positive social and environmental impacts for all members of the community.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
- Hope, 2010, Introduction to Professional Communication, Pearson Education, Sydney
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Caples and Hahn, 1998, Tested Advertising Methods, Prentice Hall; 5th edition, Prentice Hall Business Classics, England
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Noy and Douglas, 2005, Building surveys and reports, Blackwell Publishing; 3rd edition, Blackwell Publishing LTD, Hong Kong
- Crowther and Rayman-Bacchus, 2005, Perspectives on corporate social responsibility, Gower House, Ashgate Publishing Limited, England
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Pickton, Broderick, 2005, Integrated marketing communications, Financial Time Prentice Hall; 2nd Edition, Pearson Education, Sydney
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Fink, 2002, The survey handbook, Sage Publications Inc; 2nd Edition, California
INTERNET
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Dickson College Bibliography Annotation 2007, viewed 13th May,
2010, <>
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Survey Money 2007, viewed 8th May 2010, <>
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Mission Australia 2010, viewed 13th May 2010, <http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/corporate-partnerships/371-corporate-social-responsibility>
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Amnesty International (Australia) 2010, Viewed 5th May <http://www.amnesty.org.au/>
