Kamal Al-Shugaa from Yemen Sana’a, Student in Malaysia , Subject Case Study Essay Example

potential contributors. The website features comprehensive accounts of Oxfam's past and current undertakings, and gives visitors the opportunity to donate to the cause. While Oxfam appreciates every donation, it desires to foster long-term connections by inspiring regular donations from its supporters. In return, it regularly updates supporters about its work through the website and a monthly e-newsletter sent via email. The website also contains a page for signing up for this newsletter, which is distributed to over 200,000 backers.

Since the 1970s, Oxfam has been an active participant in Sudan's relief work, providing aid to Ugandan refugees in the country's southern region. In the aftermath of the 2004 crisis, Oxfam was quick to respond. It established sanitation facilities and ensured the availability of safe drinking water in camps for displaced persons who had escaped from Arab militias supporting the government. As the needs in Sudan quickly outstripped Oxfam's resources, they chose to leverage e-mail as a tool to gather support for the project.

Oxfam had strategized an email initiative to dispatch three HTML-styled emails over a span of six weeks to its existing patrons. The initial email incorporated an image of youngsters in one of the camps. The written content of the email message emphasized Oxfam's initiatives to supply clean water to the displaced inhabitants in the Sudanese camps. The email incorporated hyperlinks in two areas which directed recipients to a specially designed webpage for those replying to that specific email. This webpage facilitated donations and requested respondents to furnish their email addresses which would be utilized to share updates concerning the Sudan project.

Twice more following the initial message, e-mails were dispatched to those who hadn't answered

on the list. The second e-mail featured an auto-playing video file when opened, communicating that Oxfam had provided $300,000 worth of aid to camps, yet an intensified need for help was evident in the area. This e-mail contained three links directing to the webpage made for the initial e-mail. Another fortnight later, a final e-mail was issued to those who had not responded to the first pair of messages. This concluding email sported an audio track where Oxfam's Executive Director earnestly advocated for the cause. Additionally, text in the e-mail illustrated examples of the potential aid supplies given for varying donation amounts.

Oxfam's trilogy email campaign was deemed successful based on direct marketing benchmarks. The initial email was opened by a third of the recipients, roughly 32 percent, and had an 8 percent click-through rate. The second email saw marginally better results with a 33 percent open rate and a 10 percent click-through rate. Out of those who opened the email, 90 percent viewed the video. The final email followed the same upward trend in open rates (34 percent) and engagement (94 percent listened to the audio) but saw a notable rise in the click-through rate (14 percent). Furthermore, each sequential email observed an uptick in the donation amount. Over its six-week span, the email campaign gathered more than $450,000.

Oxfam synchronized the task of sending this email with the other consciousness activities it was implementing simultaneously. This body communicated with advocates who had not given their email addresses through letters, and concurrently promoted messages alike to those in the emails via advertisements in two news publications (The Independent and The Guardian).

1. Oxfam opted against utilizing

web-based banner ads for this particular venture. Please briefly elucidate, in approximately 100 words, the potential benefits and drawbacks Oxfam could have encountered if they had decided to employ banner advertising to fulfil the campaign's objectives.

Banner ads, rectangular digital elements utilized for advertising on websites, are effective tools for drawing viewer attention towards a specific company, product, or webpage. Emphasized through vibrant colors and engaging video clips or animations, banner ads are highly effective at capturing interest. For an organization like Oxfam, these ads can be strategically positioned either on their own website or others for a nominal fee. Oxfam could position the banner ads at the topography of a webpage or the side in a fixed position that remains visible during scroll, ensuring constant viewer exposure. Enriched with hyperlinks, these banner ads can efficiently lead customers to Oxfam's targeted content with just a simple click.

Oxfam ought to take into account that while banner ads are prevalent on specific websites that viewers frequent, these ads could potentially deter and irritate some viewers. Once effective advertising devices, banner ads now require the careful application of stimulating video clips or animation by Oxfam to retain viewer interest. Otherwise, the charity risks being categorized as simply another bothersome company rather than attracting supporters. As a voluntary organization reliant on user subscriptions, any funds spent on banner ads could result in a substantial loss of potential donations.

Despite the challenges, banner ads have demonstrated their value — their advantages often outweigh the difficulties. This is true even for larger corporations such as Oxfam.

2. As for Oxfam's strategy of using only its current email list for this initiative and not obtaining

any additional contact information from other non-profit organizations, let's analyze this decision. Kindly provide a 300-word evaluation discussing the potential positives and drawbacks tied with acquiring additional email address for similar campaigns.

By only utilizing email as a promotional tool to existing customers, Oxfam has created a sustainable and cost-effective marketing strategy. Their refusal to acquire external email lists ensures messages are sent to an audience familiar with the company, increasing the likelihood of engagement and reducing the risk of being labelled as spam. The relative affordability of this approach, potentially costing under a penny per email, further reinforces it as a cost-efficient method.

While exclusively targeting existing customers has its benefits, expanding their reach by sourcing additional emails could prove beneficial in several ways. Notably:

1. It may provide access to a wider pool of potential donors and volunteers.
2. Based on their impressive email response rates, a larger audience could equate to more new clients.
3. It can streamline the distribution process and increase the impact on recipients.
4. It allows for more targeted audience segmentation.

However, this expanded reach may come with certain drawbacks for Oxfam. Chief among these is the risk that potential donors or volunteers could perceive these emails as spam.The increased usage of the Internet and email has led to a rise in SPAM emails, leading to a potential tarnishing of Oxfam's reputation. Furthermore, recipients may dismiss and delete these emails without noticing their content, resulting in total wastage.

• The expense of purchasing emails from other businesses can be considerably high, particularly given that many customers on the list may not even take such emails into account.

• It is not guaranteed that emails obtained from

external sources are authentic. Many of these emails may not even be utilized by numerous clients.

3. Oxfam opted to incorporate HTML, audio, and video features in their campaign emails as opposed to utilizing simple text emails. In approximately 100 words, outline the pros and cons of employing such formats rather than straightforward text in email campaigns of this sort. Ensure you pinpoint any specific compromises that Oxfam encountered due to their decision against using plain text emails.

Oxfam maintains a firm stance on prioritizing transparency, accessibility, and integrity in executing their humanitarian efforts. They aim to convey their campaign issues in the sector with absolute clarity. It's Oxfam's conviction that their credibility will draw more contributors and volunteers towards their noble cause. Oxfam has opted for HTML emails over simple text emails for their campaigns. The benefits of using such rich media emails are manifold. Many clients may not have the interest or the time to read extensive text content, hence they would relish the emails equipped with animations, sound bites or videos, offering a more immersive experience than just plain texts.

Presenting video and audio clips simultaneously can create a much stronger impression on the clients than using only text. Oxfam, however, should acknowledge that employing media-rich HTML emails may come with some downsides. For instance, this type of emails might require more time to load due to the larger size of media content compared to simple texts. In addition, accommodating these bulky emails would demand more advanced email servers and potentially more investment in server space; this could significantly increase the overall cost.

In its initial campaign, Oxfam utilized HTML for its inaugural email, integrated

video content in the subsequent one, and incorporated audio in the third. Explore the application of diverse email formats for this form of communication and contemplate about the chronological order that Oxfam applied in this endeavor. Within the span of approximately 300 words, provide a concise summary of the considerations that could impact the decision to employ a specific consecutive email layout for a campaign similar to this. Also, offer an assessment of the sequence followed by Oxfam.

As a philanthropic institution, Oxfam initiates campaigns to draw contributions from supporters with the aim of aiding those in a state of need. The typical approach of mass-emailing subscribers may not yield significant results. Nevertheless, when emails, filled with rich HTML media content, are dispatched in a specific order, the outcome might be much more impactful. Oxfam makes it a point to evaluate the potential impacts of these emails on the recipients, for mindlessly dispatching a batch of emails serves no effective purpose.

It is critical to contemplate the elements that could have the most potent influence on the clients. Moreover, the approach in which emails can help clients ascertain that Oxfam is the organization they should support is also crucial. Therefore, executing the campaigns that enhance external party participation is important. The choice to utilize HTML and media-rich mailing was a significant method of communicating their purpose, operations, and assistance to their viewers.

The strategy of arranging the emails - initially an HTML, followed by a video, and finally an audio message, was outstanding. This particular ordering ensured the intended message was effectively relayed to the recipients and was instrumental in generating a substantial amount of donations

from them. The initial HTML message fell short for some clients, so an additional video was forwarded to exhibit Oxfam's charitable operations and beneficiaries. For those who remained unconvinced, another email featuring a persuasive audio message was forwarded, successfully emphasizing that supporting Oxfam's initiatives was indeed a noble act.

5. An executive at Oxfam may prematurely infer that the rise in charitable contributions over the campaign's six-week duration is connected to the various arrangements used in email communications. Here are at least two justifications, in approximately 100 words, why such a conclusion would be faulty.

The act of campaigning has a long-standing history. The primary purpose of campaign organizations, which have been present for an extended period, is specifically to campaign. These organizations have grown more noticeable over time due to their real importance and long-lasting effects. An incorrect assumption would be to undermine the interactive nature of Oxfam's campaign. Oxfam possesses the capabilities to formulate a plan and concurrently to join an existing one. A significant part of Oxfam's resources goes towards communication, as it is seen not as a mere tool, but as the main business component. The campaign of Oxfam is dialectic in nature, meaning it often leans towards being confrontational. This aspect draws those with similar characteristics, thereby boosting their participant count and concurrently elevating donations.