Charities such as the Red Cross, Amnesty International, or Greenpeace are some of the most widely recognized organizations in the world. However, charity organizations often have fewer resources, personnel, and marketing budgets than their consumer-goods counterparts and thus need to be more creative to generate awareness for their campaigns, attract new donors, and retain existing ones. The aim of the course is to learn more about the challenges associated with the marketing of charity organizations that aim to further social causes.

The course examines the underlying fundamental principles and methods of strategic marketing in the charity sector, and will introduce students to marketing as a pervasive societal activity that goes beyond the selling of commercial products and services but communicating the mission and purpose of charity organizations. The course is structured as an empirical research seminar in which students will be actively involved in an empirical research project. Within the course, students will also acquire insights, knowledge, and skills regarding (experimental) research design and data analysis.

After successfully completing the course, students will be able to:

• understand the challenges and complexities associated with the marketing function in charity organizations.
• formulate communication strategies for charity organizations and discuss how these communications can be amplified by integrating donors and using social media.
• discuss how charity organizations can increase transparency and overcome consumer skepticism.
• design and execute an experimental research study to test and compare the effectiveness of different donation appeals.
• analyze experimental data in order to draw implications for charity organizations.

Attendance during the course is compulsory (min. 80% to pass).

The course follows a research-based teaching and learning approach. The course introduces students to recent research insights on prosocial consumer behavior and charitable marketing practices. The project-based character of the course enables students to take agency for developing new research ideas and empirically testing these ideas. The supervisor guides through this process by providing tightly focused theoretical inputs, expertise on experimental research design, and knowledge on appropriate tools and approaches for data analysis. The sessions are interactive and facilitate critical discussions and problem-solving capabilities.

To complement this research-based learning approach with a practical perspective, the course further features guest speakers who will give additional insights into the challenges associated with marketing in different charity domains.

Grading will be based on the following criteria:

• In-class participation and literature quiz (20%, individual level)
• Case study exercise (30%, individual level)
• Research project (50%, group level)

In-class participation and literature quiz (20%, individual level):

Active class participation is an essential part of the learning experience and is encouraged throughout the course. Class participation will be graded on a per-session basis and will factor 10% into the overall grade. 2-3 small quizzes will focus on readings or other materials (e.g., videos) that should be prepared at home. Quiz performance will also be included in the overall grade at 10%. 

Case study exercise (30%, individual level):

The course uses many examples to illustrate current challenges in charitable marketing. In the case study exercise, students will immerse themselves in the role of a marketing manager for a charity and develop a new marketing intervention based on theoretical insights.

Research project (50%, group level):

Students will work in groups on a small empirical research project for which they will design and conduct a small study or experiment. The study design will be presented in an interim presentation and will count for 20% of the overall grade. Each group will present and discuss the results of their research project in the last session of the course. The final presentation accounts for 30% of the final grade.

This course is part of the portfolio of elective courses of the Master of Science in Marketing program at WU. The course imparts in-depth knowledge in one or multiple selected specialized fields of marketing. The course builds on a strong foundation in marketing knowledge and skills which students acquire during the first year of WU's MSc Marketing program (this first year comprises 62.5 ECTS credits in total).

Specifically, students who wish to attend this course should be familiar with foundational marketing theories and concepts. Moreover, students should have basic knowledge of using methods and software for quantitative data analysis.

For MSc Marketing students, the successful completion of the following courses is a prerequisite for the admission to this elective course:

• Management by Experiments (5 ECTS)
• Marketing Analytics (7.5 ECTS)
• Digital Marketing (5 ECTS)

Additionally, MSc Marketing students are prepared for this elective course by taking courses in the following fields during their first year:

• Global Marketing Strategy (5 ECTS)
• Qualitative Insights (5 ECTS)
• Consumer Psychology (5 ECTS)
• Consumer Value Management (5 ECTS)
• Retailing & Sales (5 ECTS)
• Business Modelling & Innovation (5 ECTS)

Moreover, this elective course builds on 45 ECTS credits in business administration which students had completed in order to be admitted to WU's MSc Marketing program.

If you have any further questions regarding the course content or organization, feel free to contact us anytime. During the course, we will also be available for questions in the classroom after each session. If you have any questions upfront, please write to pascal.guentuerkuen@wu.ac.at