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Chabad House Johannesburg:
The Role of Integrated Marketing Communications in Outreach and Fundraising
A Case Study Research Report
Presented to
The Graduate School of Business
University of Cape Town
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
Masters of Business Administration Degree
By
Saul F Abrahams
29 November 2000
Supervisor: Dr Amy Seidel Marks
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Acknowledgments
This case study is not confidential. It may be used by the Graduate School of Business
for teaching purposes.
I wish to express my gratitude to Rabbi David Masinter of Chabad House
Johannesburg for making this research report possible and to Dr Amy Marks for her
support and guidance throughout the development of the report. I also wish to thank
my wife, Jenny, for her constant encouragement, support and love during the MBA
process.
I certify that except as noted above the report is my own work and all references used
are accurately reported.
Signed:
Saul Frank Abrahams
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Chabad House Johannesburg:
The Role of Integrated Marketing Communications in Outreach and Fundraising
ABSTRACT
Chabad House Johannesburg is a religious Jewish outreach organisation. Under the
directorship of Rabbi David Masinter the organisation has initiated an extensive
marketing campaign. The campaign aims to raise the awareness of the various
outreach programmes the organisation runs for members of the Jewish community. A
key component of the campaign has been the use of newspaper and billboard
advertising targeted at secular Jewish youth who are considered to be out of touch
with their Jewish faith. The advertisements have been described as both innovative
and risqué and are certainly a departure for an orthodox Jewish organisation.
This study takes an integrated marketing communications (IMC) perspective of a
social marketing situation. The case looks at the requirement for consistency in
delivery of the marketing message across the promotional mix.
KEYWORDS: Integrated marketing communications (IMC), promotional mix, social
marketing, behaviour change, segmentation, fund raising.
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................1
2 Integrated Marketing Communications..............................................................1
3 Marketing Strategy and the IMC Strategic Plan ...............................................3
4 The Role of the Coordinator and Consistency of the IMC Message ................6
5 Customer Orientation and Segmentation ...........................................................8
6 Behaviour Change and Social Marketing .........................................................10
6.1 PRECONTEMPLATION STAGE............................................................................11
6.2 CONTEMPLATION STAGE .................................................................................11
6.3 ACTION STAGE ................................................................................................11
6.4 MAINTENANCE STAGE.....................................................................................12
7 Aligning Social Marketing and IMC .................................................................12
8 Conclusion............................................................................................................14
Appendix One.............................................................................................................16
Appendix Two ............................................................................................................19
References...................................................................................................................20
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Theoretical Overview 1
1 Introduction
This overview provides theoretical insights into some of the key requirements for
constructing an effective integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaign in a
social marketing context. The overview uses examples from the marketing and fund
raising initiatives of Rabbi David Masinter, director of The Lubavitch Foundation’s
Chabad House1 Johannesburg, to illustrate the various elements of the integrated
marketing communications mix and their application.
The overview begins with a description of the various elements of the integrated
marketing communications mix. The role of marketing strategy, an IMC strategic
plan is discussed. The role of the coordinator, consistency in IMC and the use of
target audience segmentation is then explored. The overview concludes with insights
on behaviour change from social marketing theory and the alignment of IMC and a
behaviour change model.
2 Integrated Marketing Communications
Marketing theory groups the various tools of promotion as follows:
Advertising
Direct marketing
Sales promotion
Publicity / public relations
Personal selling
1 Chabad House, is the name used to describe the Lubavitch outreach centres located throughout the world. Chabad House
Johannesburg is one such centre.
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Theoretical Overview 2
Table 1- Description and examples of the elements of the IMC / promotional mix
IMC Element Description Example from Chabad
House
Advertising
All forms of paid for non-personal
communication about an organisation,
product, service, or idea by an identified
sponsor.
The use of posters and newspaper
advertisements to promote Chabad
House’s education and outreach
programmes.
(See appendix 1 for examples)
Direct marketing
Direct communication by an
organisation with an existing customer
or prospect through a combination of
database management, direct selling,
telemarketing and direct-response
advertising through direct mail and
other forms of advertising media , with
the objective of Initiating a response or
transaction from the customer /
prospect.
The distribution of personalised
invitations by mail to members of the
Jewish community on the Chabad
House database to attend specific
education and outreach
programmes.
Sales promotion
Marketing activities that provide extra
value or incentives to the sales force or
the ultimate consumer to stimulate
sales.
Offering attendees to a lecture or
function the opportunity of entering a
draw for a prize, such as a trip to
London.
Publicity /
Public relations
Non-personal forms of communication
regarding an organisation, product,
service or idea that are not directly paid
for or run under identified sponsorship,
usually appearing in the form of a news
story or media feature. If such publicity
forms part of a systematic and planned
campaign to manage the image of the
organisation, it is considered public
relations.
Articles that have been published
about Chabad House’s activities in
the communal and national press.
Personal selling
Person-to-person communication that
attempts to assist or persuade
prospective customers to purchase a
product or service, or adopt a specific
form of behaviour.
Chabad House makes use of one-
on-one meetings to motivate Jewish
people to learn about and adopt
Jewish customs ,practises and
observance.
Source: Belch, George. E: Belch, Michael. A. 1999. Advertising and Promotion, An integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. Fourth Edition, Singapore: Irwin/ McGraw-Hill. Pages 14 to 21.
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Theoretical Overview 3
Together the above make up the integrated marketing communications mix (IMC) or
what has also been termed, the promotional mix. It is, however, important to see IMC
not just as a set of tools but also as a process for “interactive dialogue” between the
company and the target audience (Kotler, 2000). In a social marketing context this
dialogue facilitates the stages of behaviour change in the consumer, from
precontemplation to contemplation, action and finally maintenance (Andreasen,
1995). The intelligent coordination of an integrated marketing communications
programme and the delivery of a consistent message can successfully position both
the organisation and the product in the eyes and mind of the consumer (Belch, Belch,
1999).
The competitive landscape of the commercial world has seen product differentiation
and price advantage dissipate as means of creating competitive advantage. (Schultz,
Tannenbaum, Lauterborn, 1993). Increasingly the success of an organisation will
depend on the position, often through brand awareness, that the organisation or its
product occupies in the mind of the consumer. This positioning will further be
augmented by the interactive relationship that today’s marketers pursue with their
customer.
The 1980’s saw companies realise that the various promotional tools in their
marketing toolkit could be better leveraged through a more integrated and co-
ordinated effort. (Belch, Belch, 1999). An early definition by the American
Association of Advertising Agencies (the 4As) describes IMC as follows:
“a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines – for example, general advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations – and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communications impact” (Belch, Belch, 1999:9).
3 Marketing Strategy and the IMC Strategic Plan
The above definition of IMC emphasises the role of the plan. This so called plan is a
critical element of the overall marketing strategy, the game plan for achieving the
organisation’s marketing goals. Conventional marketing wisdom places the
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Theoretical Overview 4
communications strategy as an element of the promotional component of the overall
strategic marketing planning process (SMPP) (Kotler, Andreasen, 1991). Depending
on the level of maturity and sophistication of the organisation, the communication
plan may be of itself, the marketing strategy. Regardless of the semantics of how we
define plans or strategy, the need for a plan or strategy in the marketing of a
commercial venture or a non-profit / social marketing initiative can not be
overemphasised. It is important to note that a marketing strategy should not only be
considered to be a technique for long term application, for example, for five or ten
years. Strategic planning in a highly simplified format may be as effectively applied
to determining what marketing activities to apply in the immediate short term, for
example, determining what to do tomorrow (Kotler, Andreasen, 1991:64).
Andreasen has developed a six stage framework as the basis for a strategic marketing
process, with planning forming a sub-process (1995:96).
1. Background analysis, this includes listening to the potential target audience by
means of both formal and informal research
2. Planning involves outlining the programme’s mission, objectives, and goals.
In addition to the core marketing strategy identifying the target market and the
specific strategy for influencing behaviour change.
3. Structuring involves the development of the organisation’s infrastructure,
staffing and systems. This stage may include the establishment of strategic
alliances with other organisations
4. Testing the target audience’s response to the social marketing campaign.
5. Implementation of the strategy
6. Monitoring of the programme’s efficacy and feeding back into the planning
stage
We see from the above that in the social marketing context, the lines between
organisational strategy, marketing strategy and planning, and operational strategy and
delivery, become blurred. It is perhaps this holistic approach that would be most
suitable for the development of marketing strategy at Chabad House. A social
marketing strategy could form the basis from which the organisation’s various
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Theoretical Overview 5
operational entities take their lead, such as for the development and delivery of
educational course content.
The rapid development and growth in attendance at the outreach programmes of
Chabad House, has in the main been driven by the promotional campaign. This
campaign, and especially the medium of above and below the line advertising2 will
continue to be the cornerstones of bringing the target audience to future outreach
initiatives (Masinter, 2000). The importance of developing an integrated marketing
communications strategy for Chabad House that coordinates advertising with the
other elements of its marketing and promotional campaign is thus all the more
important. The growth in the organisation, its outreach offering and the number of
people Chabad House interacts with makes the organisation’s image and message
increasingly complex to manage in an ad hoc manner. Therefore a more a disciplined
communications strategy will contribute to the focused delivery of the organisation’s
message in a consistent manner at all defined points of contact with the target
audience. The resultant brand personality will position the organisation appropriately
within the mind of the target prospect (Schultz et al, 1993).
According to Schultz et al, such a communications strategy will encompass the
following deliverables (1993:69):
1 Pinpoint target audience segments, based on target audience behaviour and need
for the product
2 Offer a competitive benefit, based on target audience’s participation or behaviour
change incentive
3 Determine how the consumer currently positions the brand.
4 Establish a unique, unified brand personality that helps the customer define and
separate the brand from the competition
5 Set up real and perceived reasons, why the target audience should believe in the
promise of the brand
2 Above the line advertising refers to the application of advertising to the traditional media, for example television, newspapers and radio. Below the line advertising refers to non traditional applications of advertising, for example, Virgin Atlantic airways using men on stilts at airports to promote their extra-legroom offering in economy class.
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6 Uncover key “contact points” where the target audience can be reached effectively
7 Establish accountability criteria for success or failure of the communications
strategy
8 Determine the need for future research that would further refine the strategy
The above strategic communications framework is more detailed in its specific
deliverables or outcomes than the more generic strategic marketing framework as
presented by Andreasen. There is however overlap between the two frameworks. An
organisation, that by virtue of its resources, addresses marketing purely from an IMC
perspective, can use Andreasen’s plan as a basic strategic marketing tool. On the other
hand, a more mature organisation can use the IMC strategy as a detailed planning tool
that forms a component of the overall marketing strategy.
4 The Role of the Coordinator and Consistency of the IMC
Message
Mature commercial companies that engage in integrated marketing communications
ordinarily have either a marketing department or designated individuals to coordinate
their IMC effort. Alternatively, they might choose to outsource the function to an
expert organisation. The result of the increasing emphasis on an integrated and
coordinated marketing communications effort has also seen the role of the traditional
advertising agency move from mere creative resource to a one-stop shop for
managing their clients communications and promotional needs (Belch and Belch,
1999:13).
The above is not the case for Chabad House Johannesburg. The responsibility for
marketing outreach programmes and fund raising lies with Rabbi Masinter. There is
however no marketing department at Rabbi Masinter’s disposal, from where a
coordinated effort takes place. The Chabad House scenario is not unlike what one
might find in an entrepreneurial start up, where the CEO has a hands on role in
marketing, necessitated by budget limitations and the limited size of the organisation
(Sahlman, William A., Stevenson, Howard H., Roberts, Michael J., Bhidé, Amar.
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1999:77-78). Despite these same limitations, Rabbi Masinter has leveraged the
expertise of outside individuals and corporates in the marketing and advertising
industry to good effect. These individuals give of their professional time either as a
result of their own involvement in the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish community or as a
result of their own organisation’s social responsibility programmes.
However the disparate nature of the assistance that Rabbi Masinter is receiving,
negatively impacts on the consistency of the organisation’s message, positioning and
brand. This is illustrated by assessing a sample of recent promotional posters and
advertisements. One will see a very different aesthetic look and feel in each poster or
advertisement. In addition, the prominence and clarity of the Chabad House logo
differs from one poster to the next. The above situation has resulted from the use of
different organisations for copy and artwork at different opportunities. (See Appendix
One, page 16 for examples)
Mike Schalit, Creative Director NET#WORK BBDO advertising agency, commented
that he felt he was doing Chabad House a disservice. As a result of the limitations of
their pro-bono creative contribution to the Chabad House marketing campaign they
could not play the role of brand custodian as they would do with a commercial client.
Schalit believes that in the long run this will undermine the efficacy of the campaign
(2000).
Robert Brozen, CEO of the fast food chicken company Nandos, has been a student of
Rabbi Masinter for a number of months. He recently volunteered to assist Chabad
House in his personal time with advice on their promotional campaign. Brozen
comments that Chabad House’s marketing communications are not consistent. As he
puts it, “If you look at a Nandos advertisement, you know it’s an advert for Nandos
even before you start to read the copy. This is what Chabad House needs to achieve”
(2000).
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Theoretical Overview 8
5 Customer Orientation and Segmentation
All marketing or communications strategies begin with understanding the customer or
target audience. Some view the very concept of marketing as a process of satisfying
the needs of customers (Peter, Olson, 1996). The point of departure for social
marketing, though, is that the bottom line is measured in the action and maintenance
of the desired behaviour change in the target audience. For Chabad House the ultimate
behaviour change targeted is return of Jews to living their lives in accordance with the
laws of Judaism and in the Lubavitch tradition. Andreasen describes the process of
listening to the customer through the application of informal and formal market
research (1995). In the arena of commercial marketing Kotler directs the marketer to
the segmentation of the target audience as a starting point for the formulation of
marketing strategy (2000). We thus see that it is imperative for the marketer to
segment the market into coherent groups that will allow for an improved
understanding of the motivations and behaviours of the target audience.
Chabad House has segmented their target audience by age and has developed
associated products for each segment with related promotional material. Campaigns
are also directed at calls to action on specific Mitzvot (deeds) prescribed by Jewish
law and tradition, for example the lighting of candles on a Friday night to welcome in
the Sabbath. This campaign included the distribution of postcards targeted at young
women, aimed at raising their awareness of the practice of lighting candles on a
Friday night, explaining its significance and inviting them to enquire about candle
lighting times or other issues.
The postcard is directed at young women and the front of the postcard plays on the
notion that lighting up on Friday night is about candles and not cigarettes (Jews are
forbidden to smoke on the Sabbath). The copy, against the background of a young
women lighting a cigarette, reads “is this how you light up Friday night?”. (See Figure
1 page 9)
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Figure 1 - Postcard promoting the Jewish custom of lighting candles to welcome in the Sabbath . Source: Chabad House
While this campaign may have been successful, it is not clear that Chabad House’s
segmentation efforts are being applied appropriately as a basis for building a
marketing strategy. Segmenting simply by a demographic like age does not
necessarily provide insight into the behaviour, motivations and constructs that a
specific segment of Jews may or may not have about Judaism. Thus while Judaic
tradition may lend itself towards the creation of educational material by age, it is not
necessarily a solid foundation on which to build a marketing strategy. In order to
facilitate a more structured and effective approach to marketing and IMC strategy, the
organisation has to expand its segmentation bases beyond demographics to
psychographic considerations such as current behaviour, values and motivations.
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Theoretical Overview 10
An example of where Chabad House has done this well, comes from within its own
established community. Here they have identified the teenage children of some of the
existing members of the Chabad community as being disillusioned with the existing
educational offering and running the risk of becoming alienated from the community
and Judaism. Informal meetings with some of these teenagers have highlighted their
specific values and motivations and allowed Chabad House to develop an outreach
programme directed at this specific segment. A suitable promotional campaign can
now also be developed.
In commercial marketing appropriate segmentation and customer orientation assist the
marketer in getting closer to the customer or target audience to create a product
customised to their needs. For Rabbi Masinter of Chabad House, this process is not
that clear cut. Judaism remains a normative offering in the orthodox sense and the
product, as such, can not be changed to suit the customer needs. However, this does
not preclude changes to packaging that make the religion more accessible to a Jewish
audience that has not previously engaged with Judaism or on previously trying, found
the religious message and teachings inaccessible. The customised product, thus
becomes the educational programmes and content, in addition to the manner of
outreach delivery. Customising these products to coincide and connect with the
audience’s existing values and motivations allows for the repositioning of Judaism
within the mind of the target audience.
6 Behaviour Change and Social Marketing
The previous section focused on behaviour from the perspective of the target
audience’s current behaviour, relative to the desired behaviour promoted by a
particular social marketing initiative. Behaviour or behaviour change as an end in
itself is the goal of social marketing. Social marketing is not just about disseminating
information or educating for education’s sake. The success or failure against which
any social marketing campaign is judged is whether the campaign was able to deliver
the required behaviour change in the target audience (Andreasen, 1995. Kotler,
Andreasen, 1991).
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There are a number of models for behaviour change in a social marketing context, one
such model being Andreasen’s Modified Stages of Behaviour Change Model (1995.
see also Prochaska and DiClemente, 1983). The model provides a generic outline of
the stages through which the target audience must be taken in order to facilitate the
ultimate goal of behaviour change. The stages of Andreasen’s model are,
precontemplation, contemplation, action and maintenance. An explanation of each
stage follows (Andreasen, 1995).
6.1 Precontemplation Stage
At this point the target audience has not considered the behaviour change propagated
by the social marketer, and may even not be aware that such a behaviour exists.
During this stage the marketer’s challenge is to make the target audience aware of the
new behavioural possibility, stressing that such behaviour is not necessarily in
complete contrast to their current value set.
6.2 Contemplation Stage
During contemplation the target audience may well have an awareness of the desired
behaviour and may begin to consider trial of this behaviour. At this point it is critical
for the social marketer to build on an awareness and understanding of the complex
internal negotiations, dialogue and trade-offs that a prospect may be confronting as
they contemplate action. The social marketer may use person-to-person
communication during the contemplation stage to encourage the prospect.
6.3 Action Stage
At the point of action on the desired behaviour, the target audience needs to be
assured of their own capability or self efficacy in following through with the
behaviour change. The social marketer must appropriately develop within the target
prospect’s mind the notion that he or she does indeed have the ability to adopt and
maintain the desired behaviour.
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6.4 Maintenance Stage
It is rare for a social marketer to be focused only on a single, once off action. Hence
the challenge does not end at the action stage, and the social marketer pursues
maintenance of the newly adopted behaviour change. Social marketers can achieve
maintenance in much the same way that their commercial colleagues do. Firstly, an
awareness of the effects of cognitive dissonance, an anxiety that develops following a
high involvement decision or choice, is needed. Here it is appropriate to re-assure the
target audience of the legitimacy of their chosen action. Secondly, buttressing the
newly adopted behaviour with a meaningful reward will ward off negative post-action
cognitions (Andreasen, 1995).
An awareness of the stages of change in the target audience will enable the social
marketer to focus the marketing effort appropriately at each stage. The appropriate
marketing tasks per stage are outlined by Andreasen as follows:
Table 2- Andreasen behaviour change model with appropriate marketing task
Marketing Task Andreasen Modified Stages
Create awareness and interest
Change values
Precontemplation
Persuade and motivate Contemplation
Create action Action
Maintain change Maintenance
Source: Andreasen, Alan. R.1995. Marketing Social Change, Changing Behaviour to Promote Health, Social Development, and the Environment, San Francisco. Jossey-Bass Publishers. Page 148.
7 Aligning Social Marketing and IMC
An integrated view of the behaviour change model, the marketing tasks, identified in
table 2, and the elements of integrated marketing communications, which is directed
at aligning social marketing and IMC, will deliver significant benefits for a social
marketing campaign and the organisation undertaking the initiative. These benefits
include financial and cost savings, product and organisational positioning, and the
motivation of behaviour change in the target audience.
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Theoretical Overview 13
The integration of Andreasen’s behaviour change model, the appropriate marketing
tasks and elements of the IMC can be represented as follows:
Table 3 - Andreasen behaviour change model with appropriate marketing task and related IMC element
Marketing Task Andreasen Modified
Stages
Appropriate IMC
element
Create awareness and interest
Change values
Precontemplation Advertising and publicity
Persuade and motivate Contemplation Personal selling and
promotion
Create action Action Personal selling
Maintain change Maintenance Advertising and publicity
Source: Andreasen, Alan. R.1995. Marketing Social Change, Changing Behaviour to Promote Health, Social Development, and the Environment, San Francisco. Jossey-Bass Publishers. Page 148. Belch, George. E: Belch, Michael. A. 1999. Advertising and Promotion, An integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. Fourth Edition, Singapore: Irwin/ McGraw-Hill. Pages 14 to 21.
Table 3 can be developed further to include examples from the previously mentioned
candle lighting campaign (see section 5) to illustrate the different elements of IMC
undertaken by Chabad House.
Table 4 - Examples from Chabad House of elements of IMC applied to the stages of behaviour change
Marketing Task Andreasen
Modified Stages
Appropriate IMC
element
IMC element
case example
Create awareness
and interest
Change values
Precontemplation Advertising and
publicity
Posters, newspaper
advertisements and post
cards promoting Jewish
traditions such as
lighting candles on a
Friday night to welcome
in the Sabbath.
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Table 4 continued
Marketing Task Andreasen
Modified Stages
Appropriate IMC
element
IMC element
case example
Persuade and
motivate
Contemplation Personal selling and
promotion
Supplying match boxes
with candle lighting
times3 to Jewish women
responding to the candle
lighting campaign.
Create action Action Personal selling Inviting women to come
and light candles at
Chabad House on a
Friday Night.
Maintain change Maintenance Advertising and
publicity
Reminder advertisements
in the smalls / classified
section of daily
newspapers, indicating
candle lighting times for
that specific week.
8 Conclusion
Rabbi Masinter has a growing awareness of the strengths and opportunities for
improvement of Chabad House Johannesburg’s marketing effort. As Rabbi Masinter
put it, “we are constantly pushing for ten out of ten”. The Chabad House marketing
campaign in many ways shares the traits of an entrepreneurial venture (Sahlman, et
al,. 1999), leveraging opportunities as they appear or are found. On the positive side
this has lead to a creative “out of the box approach” to marketing and fundraising that
is groundbreaking for an orthodox religious organisation in South Africa (Moerdijk,
2000). The promotional campaigns have delivered growing numbers to the doors of
Chabad House (Masinter, 2000. Katz, 2000). However, it is this very opportunistic
approach that may prove to undermine the effectiveness of the campaign goals as a
whole.
3 Candles are traditionally lit by Jewish women to welcome in the Sabbath and festivals. Candle
lighting times are dependant on the time that the sun sets on the eve of the Sabbath or a festival.
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If the road forward for marketing and delivery of outreach at Chabad House is to be
efficient, cost effective allowing for the maximisation of opportunities to bring about
behaviour change in the target audience, then it can only be built around a more
structured approach. The structured approach must provide for the strategic
integration of the principles of social marketing and integrated marketing
communications. The prescription of more structure may well provoke fears of
placing constraints on creative energy and flair that have been the mainstays of the
campaign thus far. On the contrary, strategic frameworks and a structured social
marketing approach serve to enable further creativity, but in a more focused and
result-oriented manner.
The combination of the above mentioned strategic approach, additional human
resources for Chabad House’s overtaxed ‘marketing department’ and the ever present
creativity, passion and ingenuity, will see Rabbi Masinter and his Chabad House team
scoring “ten out of ten” for years to come.
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Appendix One
Figure 2 - Promotional poster for senior citizens outreach and education
Source: Chabad House
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Figure 3- Newspaper advertisement promoting the Health and Tefillin club
Source: The Star Newspaper February 25th 2000
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Figure 4 - Poster promoting a series of lectures on spirituality
Source: Chabad House
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Appendix Two
The optimisation for maximised cost effectiveness of the relationship between the
IMC elements, sales promotion, personal selling and advertising and publicity
relative to Andreasen’s behaviour change model can be represented as follows:
Figure 5 - IMC cost effectiveness relative to Andreasen's behaviour change model
Source: Kotler, Philip.2000. Marketing Management, The Millennium Edition. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall, Inc.
Sales promotion
Personal selling
Advertising and
publicity
PPrreeccoonntteemmppllaattiioonn CCoonntteemmppllaattiioonn AAccttiioonn MMaaiinntteennaanncceeC
ost
Effectiven
ess
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September 2000.
12. Moerdijk, Chris. 2000. “Teaching the Torah” Business Report, Independent
Newspapers South Africa, August 8, 13.
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13. Net#Work BBDOAdvertising Company, 1999 AAA APEX Entry, Chabad House,
“launch brands or services which are new or have no significant history of
advertising” .
14. Peer, Danny. Chabad Student, personal interview, 19 September 2000.
15. Peer, Danny. Chabad Student, telephonic interview, 10 October 2000.
16. Peter, J. Paul: Olson, Jerry.C. 1996. Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Strategy.
Fourth Edition, Chicago: Irwin/ McGraw-Hill.
17. Sahlman, William A., Stevenson, Howard H., Roberts, Michael J., Bhidé, Amar.
1999.The Entrepreneurial Venture. Readings selected by William A. Sahlman,
Howard H. Stevenson, Michael J. Roberts, Amar Bhidé. United States: Harvard
business School Press.
18. Schalit, Mike. Creative Director NET#WORK BBDO advertising agency,
personal Interview, 19 September 2000.
19. Schultz, Don E., Tannenbaum, Stanley I., Lauterborn, Robert F.1993.The New
Marketing Paradigm, Integrated Marketing Communications. Lincolnwood, Ill:
NTC Business Books.
20. Spira, John, 1998. “One non-profit body that knows how to swim” Business
Report South Africa, August 17, 7.
21. Whitfield, Mike. Executive Vice President, Nissan South Africa Marketing
Division, personal Interview, 20 September 2000.
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Introduction
Researching possible topics for a social marketing course assignment, John Smith, a
student at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, came across
an article in the Business Day newspaper which highlighted the marketing and
fundraising campaign of Chabad House, a Jewish outreach organisation. Intrigued by
the approach of the organisation’s director, Rabbi David Masinter, to marketing and
fundraising in a religious and social marketing context, Smith undertook a two day
visit to Chabad House in Johannesburg to gather information for his social marketing
assignment and to explore the organisation further.
The two days had gone by in a blur of activity, people and conversation and now as
the student gathered his bag and prepared to board his return flight to Cape Town he
pondered Rabbi Masinter’s parting request. “I know that you have come here to learn
from us and to report back to your marketing class, but we too can learn from you and
the theory you have studied. Please report back to us on what we can do at Chabad
House to make our marketing more effective.”
Chabad-Lubavitch - The Organisation
During the eighteenth century the Hassidic Jewish Movement developed in Eastern
Europe. A number of important groups formed around influential rabbis in the cities
and towns where Jews predominated. One of these towns was Lubavitch. It is from
this town that the Lubavitch (Chabad) tradition of today originates.
The word Chabad is a Hebrew acronym abbreviating the words which describe the
higher faculties of wisdom (chochma), understanding (binah), and knowledge (daath).
Chabad House, is the name used to describe the Lubavitch outreach centres located
throughout the world. Chabad House Johannesburg, established in 1976, is one such
centre.
Chabad House’s objective is not to proselytise. The organisation’s objective is to
provide outreach and Jewish education at all levels and to all age groups. The
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organisation is non judgmental, i.e. Chabad House’s members will interact with and
teach without prejudice Jews who do not currently live their lives according to the
guidelines prescribed by Jewish Rabbinic Law. Chabad House is a non-profit
organisation.
There are more than 1400 Chabad-
Lubavitch institutions in some 35
countries. The driving force behind the
establishment of these centres was the
inspirational leadership of Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson, referred
to as The Rebbe. The Rebbe had led the
organisation from 1951 until his death in
1994. He despatched Lubavitch
emissaries worldwide to establish
Chabad-Lubavitch centres that would
serve the spiritual and material needs of
the local communities.
Figure 1 - Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Chabad-Lubavitch in Johannesburg, South Africa
Historically there was always a certain arrogance amongst Jewish scholars of
traditional teachings toward the Hassidic Jewish movement and its more mystical
approach to Judaism, with the scholars viewing it as ignorant. In the latter 1990’s this
was changing, with other Jewish religious organisations and communities teaching
more mysticism in their communication of Judaism. Members of the Hassidic
movement do not compromise on any religious prescripts, following all Judaic
commandments to the letter of the law.
In 1971 the Lubavitch foundation of South Africa was established by Rabbi Lipska.
Rabbi Lipska brought Lubavitch Rabbis from Chabad in the United States to South
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Africa. The early 1970’s saw the hippie culture of the time dominating campus life.
The team of Rabbis began a highly successful campaign of reconnecting Jewish
students on South Africa’s university campuses with their Jewish roots and
established a growing Lubavitch Congregation.
In 1978, a school for the children of the Chabad community was established in
Johannesburg. Between 1974 and 1983 Chabad South Africa, especially in
Johannesburg, experienced unprecedented growth in membership. The organisation’s
ability to attract people back to their Jewish traditions and religion was the envy of
many of the other Orthodox Jewish congregations at the time.
The mid 1980’s saw the South African economy take a turn for the worse,
precipitating a funding crises within the outreach structures of Chabad House and the
school. Despite an ever increasing debt burden to fund the organisation’s activities
and low morale in the community, Rabbi Lipska continued the work of his
organisation resolute in the belief that the organisation would re-establish its
previously sound position.
In 1989 the Lubavitch foundation restructured its management, with Rabbi Lipska
focusing on the school and Rabbi Masinter and Rabbi Katz focusing on Chabad
House and outreach.
Rabbi Masinter
John Smith’s visit to Chabad House took place shortly before the start of the Jewish
New Year Festival. Smith found that Rabbi Masinter’s work day started early. Rabbi
Masinter’s personal morning prayers are followed by a short drive to Chabad House
where he readied himself for his first teaching session of the day. On that morning the
participants in his class were young upwardly mobile businessmen. They were not
dressed in the traditional black trousers, coat and hat of the Rabbi but in a mix of
business suits and casual denim. The men were cleanly shaven and not bearded like
the Rabbi. The men introduced themselves, a property agent, a supermarket manager,
a stockbroker. Despite some of the men not having met before and having different
levels of knowledge about Judaism and things Jewish, the Rabbi’s energy and
enthusiasm quickly placed the men at ease, focussing their discussion and banter on
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the topic at hand, the mystical aspects of repentance. The hour lesson was interactive
and discussion intense, soon it was time for the men to continue on to work. The
banter returned to the secular. The supermarket manager commented on the sudden
surge of activity that he was experiencing at work and the pressure he was under. In
fact, were it not for a Chabad Poster that he saw attached to a lamp post the previous
night he would have forgotten about his morning lesson. As they made their way out
of Rabbi Masinter’s office the classmates prodded the stockbroker for a market
prediction for the day.
The energy and enthusiasm the Rabbi exhibited
while teaching persisted during the course of the
day. His office was a hive of activity, colleagues,
students and members of the Jewish community
entered the office throughout the day, to greet,
ask advice, or update the Rabbi on the progress of
one or another project. Between visitors to his
office and the constant interruption of the
telephone or the mobile phone in his pocket,
which rang to the tune of a famous Hebrew folk
song, the Rabbi related his latest below-the-line
advertising coup with great zeal.
Figure 2- Rabbi David Masinter
“We received a significant sponsorship from Adcock Ingram (pharmaceutical
company). We’ve returned their kindness by distributing honey, in Adcock Ingram
bottles, as gifts for the Jewish New Year to Jewish doctors in Johannesburg.” The
labels on the bottles bearing the Adcock Ingram Healthcare logo, included
instructions on the traditional significance of eating apples and honey during the
Jewish New Year festival meal. The instructions were presented in the same format as
pharmaceutical instructions for taking medicine. Rabbi Masinter was able to provide
Jewish people an opportunity to perform this deed, while providing exposure for
Adcock Ingram.
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The interruptions persisted during John’s meeting with the Rabbi. Eventually though,
realising that John’s information gathering was not progressing, the Rabbi asked his
ever present assistant to hold his calls. Rabbi Masinter was now able to reflect
uninterrupted, with the exception of John’s enquiries, on his involvement with
Chabad.
The early years
David Masinter did not come from a very religious background. He was born in
Parys, a small town in South Africa. As a teenager he was introduced by a friend to
the Chabad Lubavitch community in Johannesburg, where he became increasingly
involved and a committed member of the congregation.
Modest family financial circumstances while he was growing up had always
motivated the young David Masinter to one day going into business for himself.
However, he eventually answered a stronger calling to become a religious minister
and was educated at the Rabbinical College of America in New Jersey and the United
Lubavitch Yeshiva1. Rabbi Masinter’s affinity for business and creativity led him to
become increasingly involved in fund raising for Chabad outreach programmes.
While working for the Lubavitch Youth Organisation in New York, he was able to
turn around the organisation’s flagging youth magazine, by getting the famous Mad
Magazine Artists Al Jaffe and Dave Berg to illustrate the magazine at no cost.
Rabbi Masinter returned to South Africa from the United States in 1984. He immersed
himself in the Chabad-Lubavitch Johannesburg communal and outreach activities
gaining the respect of both his colleagues and the community.
Miracle Drive
In 1989, at the age of 29, having taken on responsibility for Chabad House’s outreach
programmes, Rabbi Masinter set about the challenge of raising R400,000 to fund their
programmes for the year. The lateral thinking Masinter knew that such a challenge
needed an extraordinary and creative fundraising effort. A campaign around the
1 A Yeshiva is a Jewish seminary
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concept of Nissan was launched. Nissan, is the Hebrew word for miracle. Nissan is
also the name of one of the most important months of the Jewish calendar, during
which Jews commemorate their ancestors’ miraculous redemption from Egypt. Hence
Rabbi Masinter approached the then Managing Director of the Nissan Motor
company, Stephanus Loubser with a proposal. Rabbi Masinter explained to Mr
Loubser that he needed to perform a miracle. “I pointed out that because his car and
our month have the same name, we should launch a competition called Miracle
Drive.” Loubser agreed and Nissan South Africa donated a Nissan Sentra coupé worth
R40,000. Numerous other prizes were also sponsored by other corporate
organisations. A volunteer committee of Jewish businessmen was established to take
the project forward.
A friend of Rabbi Masinter who worked in advertising offered to design a
professional glossy promotional brochure for the competition. A bank offered to
sponsor the R12,000 required for printing and postage.
Rabbi Masinter’s plan was for all costs of the competition to be sponsored by
corporate organisations and individual donors, with the result that all funds raised
from selling the lucky draw tickets could go directly towards Chabad House’s
outreach programmes. The competition was a resounding success. In 2000, the
Miracle Drive continued to form the mainstay of Chabad House Johannesburg’s
fundraising efforts. Nissan South Africa continue to donate a top-of-the-line Nissan
motorcar to each year’s Miracle Drive.
Fundraising – quid pro quo
Rabbi Masinter’s early experiences with fundraising and the miracle drive showed
him that in order to differentiate his organisation from the others competing for
fundraising Rands, he had to provide something in return to the donor organisations.
An example of this is the relationship built up over a number of years with Nissan
South Africa. While it was not a precondition for sponsorship, Rabbi Masinter went
out of his way to introduce the marketing and sales team at Nissan to fleet owners and
businessmen that he had contact with. According to Mike Whitfield, Executive Vice
President at Nissan South Africa’s Marketing Division, “this type of reciprocity
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differentiates Chabad House and Rabbi Masinter from the many other worthy causes
seeking donations”. Rabbi Masinter is passionate about his sponsors, as he described
it, “If I could get all Chabad House staff who do not drive Nissan motor cars to park
their cars around the corner, I would…First National bank are also long time sponsors
of our programmes. When I was approached by another bank offering sponsorship, I
felt like I was committing adultery, I had to tell them we could not take their money.
If Toyota had come along and offered us R100, 000 I would have to turn them down.”
The School
Following a number of successful years with both fundraising and the outreach
programmes at Chabad House, Rabbi Masinter was asked to take over management
responsibility for the Chabad-Lubavitch day school in Johannesburg. Although Rabbi
Masinter’s first love remained outreach and he was at first reluctant to take on the
responsibility of the school, he eventually took on the role in 1995. The school was
experiencing significant financial difficulties and again Rabbi Masinter put his
business acumen and fundraising skills to work. The Rabbi brought fiscal discipline to
the community-based school that saw a renewed emphasis on the collection of
appropriate school fees from parents who could afford the fees. Sponsorship was
sought for a bursary fund for needy children whereby donor’s contributions were
directed at a specific needy child. Only when those needs were not met were donors
approached to assist with any shortfall in the schools budget. It was not long before
the school was once again self-sufficient.
Chabad House Relocates
In November of 1998 Rabbi Masinter relinquished his position at the school. The
three years spent balancing responsibilities for the school and Chabad House had been
trying and was encroaching on the Rabbi’s family life. However, the opportunity to
roll up his sleeves and focus solely on outreach enthused the Rabbi with renewed
vigour.
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It had been almost ten years since Rabbi Masinter had first taken over responsibility
for Chabad House in 1989. As Rabbi Masinter puts it “ I was like a bull in china shop
then”. Now a different approach was called for. Chabad House’s lay chairman, Larry
Lipshitz, suggested that Rabbi Masinter develop a mission statement and set of
objectives to guide the activities and resources of the organisation.
The preliminary draft mission statement and objectives appeared as follows:
Mission statement
“To reach every Jew in South Africa, even and especially those with no connection to
Judaisim and bring them closer to Judaism through the fulfilment of Mitzvot (positive
commandments and deeds prescribed by Jewish teaching). This is founded on the realisation
that even an intermarried Jew, who eats pork on Yom Kippur is as Jewish as the frummest
(most observant) Jew, and is uninvolved only due to lack of proper exposure to Judaism.
To spread the teachings of Chassidus (Hassidic teachings and traditions) and the Rebbe’s
message of imminent Geulah (redemption), through Moshiach (The Messiah).
Chabad House is to be the nerve-centre that ensures all the other Chabad institutions (in
greater Johannesburg) are run properly”
Objectives: One Year
Launch a campaign that will touch the entire spectrum of South African Jewry and teach them
that Chabad House is there to put them in touch with their Judaism, regardless of how far
they may be from it presently.
Fine-tune existing programmes so that they are run smoothly, professionally and effectively.
To create an audio-visual and book library aimed at the absolute beginner, with facility for
lending, mobile library etc.
Objective: Five Year
Open new centres and create new programmes.
Figure 3- Chabad House mission statement and strategic objectives. Source: Rabbi D Masinter
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Time and Relationship Management
Rabbi Masinter constantly evaluated the organisation’s and his own progress.
Reflecting on the mission statement he was not satisfied that he had achieved all his
goals and was frustrated at the length of time the process was taking. Rabbi Masinter
lamented the restriction of there only being 24 hours in a day.
“We’ve achieved much in the past few years but there is much still to do. We have not
scored ten out of ten yet. The risk for the organisation is that we don’t deliver on what
we promise. People are now knocking on our doors as what we have (more mystical
approach) to offer is more popular and in fashion. There is a return to an emphasis on
matters spiritual.”
In addition to his directorship role at Chabad House Rabbi Masinter is the spiritual
leader of a synagogue (based at Chabad House). He also takes responsibility for
driving and managing Chabad House’s promotional campaign in addition to meeting
regularly with donors and prospective donors from the Jewish community and Chabad
House’s corporate and potential corporate sponsors. The Rabbi also taught both
groups and individuals every day. One such student was Danny Peer.
Danny Peer, although Jewish, grew up in an agnostic home. He fondly recalled how
his brother fasted on Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of Atonement) more for weight
loss reasons than for religious reasons. At age 36, and even though married to a
religious Jewess, Danny still had no interest in a Jewish way of life. This changed
however following discussions with his partner in his financial planning business,
when he began to question his own lack of knowledge about Judaism and his own
spirituality. Responding to a Chabad classified advertisement in the Johannesburg
daily newspaper, The Star, Danny made his first appointment for a lesson in Judaism
with Rabbi Masinter. Danny Peer had been learning with Rabbi Masinter on a once a
week basis for some months. The focus of their most recent classes was on instructing
Danny on the content of the approaching Jewish New Year services. Danny said that
he had developed a personal relationship with Rabbi Masinter, and would not feel
comfortable being taught by anyone else from Chabad House. This Sentiment was
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expressed to John Smith by many of the other students who had both private or small
group classes with Rabbi Masinter throughout the week. They all commented on how
much insight they gained from Rabbi Masinter and how highly they valued his
inspirational teaching.
The Advertising Campaign
John Smith enquired about the origins of the more radical marketing and advertising
campaign that he had read about in the Business Day newspaper. Rabbi Masinter
explained that while Chabad House’s approach to fundraising was inventive and
successful, the organisation’s external communication directed at publicising its
offering to the Jewish community was not meeting with the same success. The Rabbi
went on to explain that Chabad House was not well positioned within the minds of
members of the Jewish community and that a more creative approach to publicising
Chabad House and its outreach programmes was required if the organisation’s
mission statement was to be fulfilled.
“The organisation’s problem is that Jews do not know what the organisation is about. The advertising campaign had to assist in changing people’s perceptions and to educate. Tell the target audience that we talk their language and also help us internally, reminding us that we have to develop our skills at teaching an entry level or non-religious Jewish person well.”
Rabbi Michael Katz, the director of Projects at Chabad House explained Chabad
House’s challenge and the origin of the so called radical advertising campaign as
follows:
“Judaism has a lot of stuff on its shelves and a lot to offer. Jewish people that are disconnected from this for what ever reason need to know that it is all accessible to them. We need to let these people know that Judaism is not just about ritual, it is also very much about relationships with other people and a way of life. There are thousands of Jews in South Africa who are not in contact with formal Jewish Community or synagogue structures. These people may be frightened and intimidated by shul (synagogue), they have a stereotyped view of orthodox Judaism, they may be intermarried. In the 1970’s it was sufficient for us to target such individuals on University Campuses, but today’s youth is different. Our challenge is, how do we convey our message on Judaism to our people in a modern and changing world? Our solution was to go to an advertising agency and ask their creative people how they would target themselves?”
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Leveraging off popular brands
Chabad House’s appeal was made to the award winning advertising agency
NET#WORK BBDO. The Agency was awarded the Financial Mail South African
Advertising Agency of the Year award in 1999. Many successful Chabad House
campaigns have played off popular brands in order to increase their impact and effect.
A significant symbol of the Jewish New Year is the Shofar (ram’s horn) which is
blown during New Year prayer services. A newspaper advertisement showed the
Shofar in a way not unlike the Nike Swoosh in appearance. Below the Shofar were the
words “just hear it!”, a play on the Nike slogan “Just do it!”. While the advertisement,
placed in a Johannesburg daily newspaper, did not find favour with Nike South
Africa’s legal team, (upon seeing it in the press they demanded its withdrawal) it did
set the tone for Chabad House advertisements to follow. As Rabbi Masinter describes
it, “we had to let the Jewish youth know that we speak their language.”
Figure 4 - Jewish New Year poster and newspaper advertisement. Source: Chabad House
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Recent campaigns had played cheekily on the Health and Racquet Club (a national
chain of health clubs) brand and the American music group Boyz II Men. All these
campaigns have contributed to bringing Jewish people in growing numbers to Chabad
House to partake of its outreach programmes.
The Advertising Agency Perspective
In 1998 Mike Schalit, Creative Director NET#WORK BBDO advertising agency, was
approached by Rabbi Masinter to provide above the line advertising services on a pro-
bono basis. At first Schalit felt that as a non-practising Jew he was not the right man
for the job. Rabbi Masinter however reassured him that he and the Net#Work team
would have a better understanding of the target audience. The pro-bono nature of the
work meant that the account was not handled in the conventional manner.
Intermittently Rabbi Masinter would approach the agency with ad-hoc requests for
design work, generally centred around a call to action for Jewish festivals and holy
days. This differed from how the agency related to its other clients, where it would
ordinarily take on the role of brand custodian, thereby managing the integrated
marketing communications of the client’s brand, and outsourcing elements of the
promotional mix which could not be satisfied in-house.
The relationship with Chabad House had developed well
over the previous two years. Rabbi Masinter, who was
considered by Schalit as a natural ad-man, engendered an
enthusiasm amongst the NET#WORK creative team for
the outreach work of Chabad House to the extent that the
team began to approach the Rabbi with unsolicited
creative concepts. For example, during the visit to South
Africa of American Pop group Boyz II Men, NET#WORK
suggested and designed a campaign to promote the Jewish
rites of passage for males, the Barmitzvah.
Figure 5 - Barmitzvah lesson promotional poster and newspaper
advertisement. Source: Chabad House
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Figure 6 - Advertisement considered too provocative
for the Chabad House marketing campaign. Source: Chabad House
The advertising agency’s campaign
came to focus on capturing and
playing on the sense of humour
existing within the Jewish
community. However Schalit and his
team were mindful that they were
still dealing with an Orthodox Jewish
organisation and that there would be
boundaries that could not be
overstepped. An advertisement
showing the naked torso of a man
who was peering into the towel
wrapped around his waist, had the
following copy as the tag line: “Is
your only link to Judaism the part
that’s missing?”. The advertisement was aimed at promoting Chabad House as a
source for information on Judaism and played on the concept of Jewish male
circumcision. The advertisement was not used because Rabbi Masinter and his
colleagues felt that it was too provocative.
The members of the creative team dedicated to Chabad’s campaigns at NET#WORK
were not Jewish. Schalit believed that in order to create a successful advertising
campaign, one did not need to be the target market, rather one needed to understand
the target market. An illustration of this point was NET#WORK’s award winning
campaign for Metro-FM, a radio station targeted at black listeners. The campaign’s
creative leader was white.
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The Outreach Programmes and their promotion
Rabbi Masinter elaborated further on the various outreach programmes and their
promotion.
Senior Citizens
Figure 7- Front cover of pamphlet promoting Chabad House senior citizen outreach. Source: Chabad
House
A programme for senior citizens was targeted at the Jewish aged who had not been in
a position to secure residence for one or another reason in the Jewish aged homes run
by the community. Promotional posters were pasted in the lobbies of the residential
hotels and apartment buildings of the target audience. Jewish families were targeted
with direct mailing of promotional pamphlets. Advertisements are also placed in the
classified section of the Johannesburg daily newspapers (see figure 12 page 21). The
posters and promotional material play on the youthfulness of the aged. The
programme arranged for the collection by bus of the participants at their homes, they
were brought to Chabad House for classes in aspects of Judaism. Meals were provided
and some participants assisted with administrative tasks for which they were
compensated.
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Adults
Two separate learning programmes existed for adult men and adult women. The
Health and Tefillin 2 Club for men and the Health and Tehillim3 Club for women both
played on the corporate identity and logo of the Health and Racquet chain of fitness
clubs. In this case though it was spiritual fitness and well being that was targeted.
Again both a direct mail, newspaper and poster advertisements had been used. The
posters and newspaper advertisements directed at the men’s programme had similar
aesthetics and slogans to those used by the Health and Racquet Club. One such advert
showed a locker room image with a Jewish prayer shawl and skull cap hanging on the
clothing hook (see figure 13 page 21). The copy reads:
THERE IS NO FINISH LINE. Give your soul a full workout, one on one, with the best teacher around. Join the health and tefillin club for improved spiritual fitness levels. Call Chabad House on (011 ) 440 6600. TAKE YOUR SOUL WHERE IT WANTS TO GO.
The Health and Tehillim club was also promoted through direct mailing of the
programme details in an envelope similar to the membership pack received by Health
and Racquet Club members. The programme details were distributed to women on the
Chabad House database.
Figure 8- Front cover of a Rosh Chodesh Club invitation. Source: Chabad House
Another programme for Jewish adults, the Rosh Chodesh4 Club, was directed at those
who were not regular participants in religious services or did not attend any other
2 Tefillin or Phylacteries are small leather boxes containing Hebrew texts on parchment which are worn
by Jewish men on their forearm and forehead while reciting morning prayers. 3 Tehillim is the Hebrew word for psalms. 4 Rosh Chodesh is the beginning of the new Hebrew calendar month
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form of religious instruction. In this case the participants met on the morning of the
new Hebrew month to have a light breakfast and listen to a lecture. The preceding
prayer service was optional, and often the event was linked to a sponsor and the
opportunity to win a prize, such as a flight ticket to London. Rosh Chodesh breakfast
meetings were promoted through the Chabad House database and mailing list,
classified advertisements and the encouragement of referrals.
Youth
Rabbi Masinter considered the youth or 18 to 25 year olds his greatest challenge. As
he saw it, “these kids are crying out for help and knowledge”. The competition in this
arena is the toughest. Here Chabad House had to compete with the full media
resources of popular culture. Of all the advertising and communication campaigns at
Rabbi Masinter’s disposal, this was where he felt he needed to be his most creative.
The focus of the programmes were on
creating accessibility to a Jewish way
of life and Jewish education without
being prescriptive. In addition to the
posters and newspaper advertisements
Chabad House had used post cards
distributed at coffee bars, pubs and on
campuses. The postcards posed a
question to the target audience. To the
young teenage boy with numerous
facial piercings, it asked, “and you
can’t find space on your head for
Tefillin?”.
Figure 9- Post card promoting the custom of tefillin. Source: Chabad House
The reverse side of the postcard stated:
“You probably need a lecture like a hole in your head. However, the weekday mitzvah of Tefillin is a Divine instruction that can be fulfilled in only a few moments. When your mind, body and soul are rushing in different directions, Tefillin will bind them in
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harmony. So find meaningful place on your arm, your head, and in your life. J_daism. It’s not quite the same without U.”
The tefillin campaign was also followed up with postcards mailed to individuals on
the Chabad House database inviting them to a guest lecture and the opportunity to
learn to put on Tefillin. As far as possible the Rabbi used community role models to
which the youth might relate, such as Mandy Yachad, a former South African national
cricket and field hockey player and active member of the Chabad-Lubavitch
community.
Figure 10 - Post card promoting the custom of candle lighting. Source: Chabad House
A campaign promoting the
custom of lighting candles to
welcome in the Jewish Sabbath
was directed at young women.
The question asked of them on
the front of the postcard, against
the backdrop of a young women
lighting a cigarette, “is this how
you light up Friday night?”.
The reverse side of the post
card, in addition to providing
contact details for Chabad
House, read:
“It takes two small candles to bring a little light into the world. As you kindle your Shabbat candles on a Friday night you ignite the flame that’s kept us aglow for thousands of years. A flame that dispels so much gloom and brings comfort, harmony and trust to your home as well as the outside world. And you thought it was a drag? J_daism. It’s not quite the same without U.”
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The candle lighting campaign was supplemented with the distribution of boxes of
matches. The well known Lion Match
brand was morphed to state “Shabbat5”
and “candle lighting times” in place of
the customary “Lion” and “safety
matches”.
Figure 11- Box of matches with modified label.
Source: Chabad House
The customised match box label also contained the appropriate candle lighting times6
for the major South African cities. Women who responded to the campaign by
contacting Chabad House were invited to Chabad House on a Friday night, the eve of
the Sabbath, to join other women in candle lighting. Such candle lighting get-
togethers offered a non-threatening environment for women taking their first steps
towards rekindling their connection to Jewish traditions to meet with existing female
members of the Chabad-Lubavitch community. Reminder advertisements in the
smalls / classified section of daily newspapers, indicating candle lighting times were
placed every week.
Although the above campaigns were primarily directed at Jewish youth with little or
no formal affiliation to the communal and religious structures of the Jewish
community, the campaign was also generically targeted at the teenage children of the
Chabad-Lubavitch community. Chabad House identified the teenage children of some
of the existing members of the Chabad community as being disillusioned with the
existing educational offering and running the risk of becoming alienated from the
community and Judaism. Informal meetings with some of these teenagers highlighted
their specific needs and allowed Chabad House to develop an outreach programme
directed at this specific segment.
5 Shabbat is the Hebrew word for Sabbath 6 Candle lighting times are dependant on the time that the sun sets on the eve of the Sabbath or a
festival.
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Guerrilla or Entrepreneurial Marketing
Rabbi Masinter talked with much pride of his ability to stretch his advertising Rand.
“I try to get everything donated or at much discounted prices”. Everything includes
advertising, graphic design, photographic and printing services in addition to media
features. Chabad has also been able to negotiate substantial discounts on unsold
advertising space in popular magazines and newspapers. The result is a network of
volunteers that provide for the requirements of Rabbi Masinter’s one man marketing
department on an ad hoc, and more often than not, pro-bono basis. One such volunteer
is Jurie Van Leewuen, who provides Chabad House with filming and editing facilities.
Jurie is not Jewish, and described himself as the only Afrikaans Christian with his
own personal Rabbi. Jurie described Rabbi Masinter as “one of the most amazing
people” he had met. He went on to laud the Rabbi’s “enthusiasm, energy and
honesty”. Jurie described his four year association with Rabbi Masinter as
“incredible” and regards Rabbi Masinter as a personal mentor.
Rabbi Masinter stressed the need to be creative in order to have an impact. “Every
year I try to come up with different gimmicks. It helps raise awareness of Chabad and
our sponsors love it.” Previous years’ ideas had included printing the Jewish travellers
prayer on the back of gold cards supplied by American Express. In the far corner of
Rabbi Masinter’s office a table covered with promotional pamphlets, posters,
newspaper cuttings and Chabad House publications bore testimony to his creative
marketing flair. Many of these items were invitations to Chabad functions, each being
unique, with a different theme, such as the golf ball shaped invitation to a Chabad
luncheon held at a local golf club. Other invitations were contained inside kosher
fortune cookies or printed on rubber stress balls. “People know our functions are
different, and that is one of the reasons they attend.”
Current Challenges
With ten days to the beginning of the Jewish New Year, Rabbi Masinter was
considering the final draft of Chabad House’s latest newspaper advertisement. The
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aim of the advertisement was to promote Chabad House’s New Year prayer services
and the observance of the custom of listening to the sound of the Shofar7. Rabbi
Masinter was not comfortable with the final draft and was thus reluctant to approve it.
He was a aware that the NET#WORK advertising agency had already gone to
considerable effort and expense in its preparation. There was also an opportunity to
place the advertisement in a widely read daily newspaper in the coming days. Rabbi
Masinter engaged his colleagues in discussion around the advertisement, illustrating
with examples of other posters and advertisements, what he considered to have been
effective (see figure 14 page 23 and figure 15 page 24) and ineffective (see figure 16
page 25) in the past. The Rabbi also contacted Robert Brozen, CEO of the successful
international fast food company Nandos, for his opinion.
Brozen had been a student of Rabbi Masinter for a number of months. He had recently
volunteered to assist Chabad House in his personal time with advice on their
promotional campaign. Brozen, like South African advertising expert and journalist
Chris Moerdijk8, agreed that Rabbi Masinter’s work had been “ground breaking” and
was paving the way for a “new advertising phenomenon of actively promoting
religious institutions in the mass media”. Brozen however commented that Chabad
House’s marketing communications were not consistent. As he put it, “If you look at a
Nandos advertisement, you know it’s an ad for Nandos even before you start to read
the copy. This is what Chabad House needs to achieve”.
7 The Shofar is ram’s horn which is blown during New Year prayer services 8 Moerdijk, Chris. 2000. “Teaching the Torah” Business Report, Independent Newspapers South
Africa, August 8, 13.
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Figure 12 - Promotional poster for senior citizens outreach and education
Source – Chabad House
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Chabad House Johannesburg 22
Figure 13- Newspaper advertisement promoting the Health and Tefillin club
Source – The Star Newspaper February 25th 2000
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Figure 14 - Promotional poster and newspaper advertisement publicising Chabad
House's Hebrew lessons9
Source – Chabad House
9 The advertisement plays on the notion that Hebrew is read from right to left. The advertisement reads
“Come to Chabad House &learn how to read Hebrew”
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Figure 15 - Newspaper advertisement promoting the observance of Jewish dietary
laws10
Source – Chabad House
10 The advertisement depicts rashers of bacon, forbidden to Jews according to Jewish dietary law, in
between two pieces of Matzos, the unleavened bread eaten by Jews during the festival of Passover.
The copy reads, “Maybe we should talk.”
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Figure 16 - Poster promoting a series of lectures on spirituality11
Source – Chabad House
11 This poster was considered by Rabbi Masinter to be less effective than figure 14 and 15 above.
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Instructor’s Guide 1
1 Introduction and Context
The concept of marketing religion is probably as old as organised religion itself. With
the onset of published media, radio, television and now the internet, the reach of the
preacher has been extended well beyond the confines of the place of worship.
The market for religion is heavily traded and highly competitive. Leaders of the
world’s different religions do not only compete with each other but also compete with
the onslaught of popular culture and the mass media.
Adding to the complexity confronting the religion marketer, is the pursuit of financial
resources and sponsorship required to enable and sustain outreach programmes. In
this market leaders compete not only for a share of their devotee’s wallet, but also
with numerous other social causes who all target the same corporate businesses for
sponsorship funds.
It is within this context that Rabbi David Masinter and Chabad House1 carry out their
work. Their marketing campaign aims to raise the awareness of the various outreach
programmes the organisation runs for members of the Jewish community. A key
component of the campaign has been the use of newspaper and billboard advertising
targeted at secular Jewish youth who are considered to be out of touch with their
Jewish roots and faith. The advertisements have been described as both innovative
and risqué and are certainly a departure for an orthodox Jewish organisation.2
The case provides the student with an insight into the marketing campaign and
fundraising activities of Chabad House Johannesburg. The student is challenged to
1 Chabad House, is the name used to describe the Lubavitch outreach centres located throughout the
world. Chabad House Johannesburg is one such centre. 2 Images of advertisements, posters and promotional materials are included in the attached compact
disc. The images are in JPEG format and may be included in electronic presentations or printed
individually.
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assess the marketing activities from a social marketing perspective and to deliver
proposals on areas for improvement.
The theoretical overview highlights the areas considered as key learning points and
opportunities for improvement to be identified by the student in his or her analysis of
the case.
The case may be used in the teaching of social marketing, commercial marketing and
integrated marketing communications.
2 Key Learning Points
2.1 Marketing strategy and the IMC strategic plan
The need for a strategic approach to integrated marketing communications in order to
maximise the efficacy, consistency and cost effectiveness of Chabad House’s
marketing message.
2.2 Segmentation of the target audience
The need for a fresh approach to segmentation of the target audience in order to move
beyond demographic segmentation by age to psychographic segmentation that
considers issues such as current behaviour, values and motivations of the target
audience.
The need for segmentation that differentiates between the marketing campaigns
directed at the Jewish target audience and that directed at the corporate sponsors so
that their unique dynamics can be addressed effectively.
2.3 Segmentation of the promotional campaign to facilitate behaviour change
The need to consider the appropriate and targeted application of the various elements
of the IMC / promotional mix to specific stages of behaviour change in the target
audience.
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3 Discussion of the Learning Points
3.1 Marketing strategy and the IMC strategic plan
Section 3 of the theoretical overview provides the theoretical input for the discussion
around the need for a strategic approach to integrated marketing communications in
order to maximise the efficacy, consistency and cost effectiveness of Chabad House’s
marketing message.
From the case the student should glean the following:
Although a mission statement and a list of strategic objectives is presented in the case,
there is no indication of an all encompassing marketing strategy or IMC strategic
plan.
Despite being driven by the organisation’s mission statement and strategic objectives,
the Chabad House marketing campaign is opportunistic in nature and not unlike that
of an entrepreneurial start-up. Opportunities garnered for pro bono assistance can lead
to inconsistency in the aesthetics of advertisements and promotional material as they
are put together by differing design teams with differing time, technology and creative
resources.
Rabbi Masinter is clearly under resourced. His varying roles, tasks and responsibilities
result in a dilution of his focus at a strategic level.
The issues highlighted above are often encountered in not for profit organisations or
entrepreneurial environments where the entrepreneur directs the marketing effort in
addition to the other functions of the business. Rabbi Masinter’s role in introducing
and driving the strategic direction of the organisation and its marketing campaign are
of paramount importance. The social marketing strategic framework presented by
Andreasen provides a useful framework that may be applied to directing marketing
and the related outreach operations of Chabad House. The framework is presented in
the theoretical overview as follows:
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1. Background analysis, this includes listening to the potential target audience by
means of both formal and informal research
2. Planning involves outlining the programme’s mission, objectives, and goals.
In addition to the core marketing strategy identifying the target market and the
specific strategy for influencing behaviour change.
3. Structuring involves the development of the organisation’s infrastructure,
staffing and systems. This stage may include the establishment of strategic
alliances with other organisations
4. Testing the target audience’s response to the social marketing campaign.
5. Implementation of the strategy
6. Monitoring of the programme’s efficacy and feeding back into the planning
stage
Mike Schalit’s identification of the importance of the role of the brand custodian
underpins the call for a strategically directed IMC strategy. This will deliver the
consistency illustrated by Robert Brozen’s comments on Chabad House and Nandos.
“If you look at a Nandos advertisement, you know it’s an Advert for Nandos even
before you start to read the copy. This is what Chabad House needs to achieve”. It
must be stressed though that such consistency is not only related to advertising, but
indeed to any interaction the target audience might have with the organisation. This
level of IMC sophistication can be reached by applying the Shultz et al IMC strategic
framework presented in the theoretical overview:
1 Pinpoint target audience segments, based on target audience behaviour and need
for the product
2 Offer a competitive benefit, based on target audience’s participation or behaviour
change incentive
3 Determine how the consumer currently positions the brand.
4 Establish a unique, unified brand personality that helps the customer define and
separate the brand from the competition
5 Set up real and perceived reasons, why the target audience should believe in the
promise of the brand
6 Uncover key “contact points” where the target audience can be reached effectively
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7 Establish accountability criteria for success or failure of the communications
strategy
8 Determine the need for future research that would further refine the strategy
In order to free up time for Rabbi Masinter to focus on and drive the recommended
integrated strategic approach, he would have to make at least one professional
marketing staff appointment. This person would ideally take on a role coordinating
the day to day marketing and promotional activities in addition to a liaison role with
outside service providers. In addition there needs to be a concerted effort towards
building a team around Rabbi Masinter that can establish relationships with students
in the same manner as Rabbi Masinter. One would want to avoid a situation where
students refuse to be taught by other members of the Chabad Team (as was illustrated
by Danny Peer in the case). Relationship building with corporate sponsors should
remain with Rabbi Masinter, however an additional individual needs to be developed
to augment the contact role Rabbi Masinter currently plays with community based
donors.
3.2 Segmentation of the target audience
The need to segment the target audience psychographically is discussed in section 5 of
the theoretical overview. The student should recognise from marketing theory that an
opportunity exists for further segmentation of Chabad House’s target audience.
For example the definition of the youth segment as 18 to 25 year olds does not
provide scope for the identification of differing values and the belief systems that
motivate the attitudes and behaviour of the targeted youth audience. Having identified
such values and their resultant behaviours and attitudes, Chabad House would be
better positioned to target a customised outreach and educational offering to
psychographically determined subsets. For example a programme directed at Jewish
teenagers who consider Jewish traditions out dated and old fashioned, may be targeted
with a campaign depicting the relevance of Judaic teachings to the issues confronting
them on campus and in their personal lives. It is however important for the marketing
student to note that Judaism, like many other religions, remains a normative offering
in the orthodox sense and the product, as such, can not be changed to suit the target
audience needs. The customised product, thus becomes the educational programmes
and content, in addition to the manner of outreach delivery.
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The student should also identify the complexity of creating an effective integrated
promotional platform that addresses the needs of two very distinctive target
audiences. That is, Jews considered to be out of touch with their Jewish roots or faith
and corporations providing sponsorship for the outreach programmes. Chabad House
needs to differentiate explicitly between corporate sponsors and their Jewish target
audience. Both categories demand a very different kind of sales approach and
relationship management. However opportunities do exist for leveraging from the one
segment to the benefit of the other, such as in situations where promotional items are
co-branded with the sponsor receiving exposure. This technique was illustrated by the
distribution of honey (a customary element of the Jewish New Year festive meal) to
Jewish doctors in medicine like containers with Chabad House and sponsor Adcock
Ingram Pharmaceuticals’ logo depicted on the packaging.
3.3 Segmentation of the promotional campaign to facilitate behaviour change
The application of the elements of the integrated marketing communications or the
promotional mix to the various stages of the Andreasen behaviour change model is
discussed in section 6 of the theoretical overview. In this area the student, conversant
in behaviour change models in a social marketing context, should recommend the
segmentation of the promotional campaign to better affect behaviour change in the
target audience. The following table illustrates the aforementioned segmentation.
Table 1 - Andreasen behaviour change model with appropriate marketing task and related IMC element
Marketing Task Andreasen Modified
Stages
Appropriate IMC
element
Create awareness and interest
Change values
Precontemplation Advertising and publicity
Persuade and motivate Contemplation Personal selling and
promotion
Create action Action Personal selling
Maintain change Maintenance Advertising and publicity
Source: Andreasen, Alan. R.1995. Marketing Social Change, Changing Behaviour to Promote Health, Social Development, and the Environment, San Francisco. Jossey-Bass Publishers. Page 148. Belch, George. E: Belch, Michael. A. 1999. Advertising and Promotion, An integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. Fourth Edition, Singapore: Irwin/ McGraw-Hill. Pages 14 to 21.
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Such segmentation, although implicit in many aspects of the operational delivery of
the Chabad House initiatives promoted by the marketing campaign, should be
addressed as an explicit component of the marketing strategy and individual
campaigns. Such an understanding will enable a more targeted use of specific
elements of the IMC at specific stages of the behaviour change model. We see the
application of such segmentation to the promotion of the custom of candle lighting
before the start of the Sabbath. (see Table 2 page 8)
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Table 2 - Examples from Chabad House of elements of IMC applied to the stages of behaviour change
Marketing Task Andreasen
Modified Stages
Appropriate IMC
element
IMC element
case example
Create awareness
and interest
Change values
Precontemplation Advertising and
publicity
Posters, newspaper
advertisements and post
cards promoting Jewish
traditions such as
lighting candles on a
Friday night to welcome
in the Sabbath.
Persuade and
motivate
Contemplation Personal selling and
promotion
Supplying match boxes
with candle lighting
times3 to Jewish women
responding to the candle
lighting campaign.
Create action Action Personal selling Inviting women to come
and light candles at
Chabad House on a
Friday Night.
Maintain change Maintenance Advertising and
publicity
Reminder advertisements
in the smalls / classified
section of daily
newspapers, indicating
candle lighting times for
that specific week.
4 What actually happened?
Driven by an enthused Rabbi Masinter the pace of development and change at Chabad
House was rapid. He had a clear understanding of the challenges facing his
organisation and specifically the issues around the marketing campaign.
Rabbi Masinter realised the need to focus more at a strategic level and introduce a
more structured approach to IMC and marketing strategy. In addition to engaging the
3 Candles are traditionally lit by Jewish women to welcome in the Sabbath and festivals. Candle
lighting times are dependant on the time that the sun sets on the eve of the Sabbath or a festival.
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assistance of Robert Brozen, he has also turned to the Marketing Director of Virgin
Atlantic Airlines South Africa, a Chabad House sponsor, for assistance in this regard.
Rabbi Masinter has also undertaken to appoint a marketing student intern to co-
ordinate the day to day marketing activities at Chabad House and to act as a marketing
assistant to him. Rabbi Masinter has also met with the director of a Johannesburg
business school to discuss the possibility of final year MBA students carrying out a
capstone consulting project at Chabad House to assist with strategy formulation.
Students analysing the case may have questioned the database or mailing list
mentioned in the case, and suggested the need for a more comprehensive database to
facilitate customer relationship management (CRM). A project of this nature was
initiated by Chabad House in the fourth quarter of 2000.
The CRM project is titled the SOUL – Frequent fulfilment programme. The following
are extracts from the project proposal document:
What does the programme hope to achieve:
1. To make contact with all Jews, at all levels (of connection to Judaism) 2. To build a loyal base of members from the Jewish community 3. To encourage all members to consistently connect to their Jewish heritage 4. To develop programmes based on specific needs and interests of
members
Steps in creating the programme:
developing a ‘people base’ of members - demographic profile - psychographic profile - geographic profile To develop software to maintain up-to-date and accurate information on members.To train a member of staff to use the software quickly and efficiently. To educate the rest of the staff of the importance of member loyalty. To segment the base into various groups of people at different stages of ‘jewishness’. For example, not just ‘male members that never attend synagogue’ and ‘male members that occasionally attend synagogue’, but rather the macro and micro influences on individuals that ‘restrict’ them in ‘nourishing their SOULS’.
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5 Conclusion
The learning points of the case analysis, the theoretical overview and this instructors
guide have focussed in the main on opportunities for improvement in marketing and
IMC strategy, segmentation and the application of aspects of social marketing theory
at Chabad House Johannesburg. Despite these opportunities for improvement, and the
limitations of budget, the marketing and fund raising ingenuity of Rabbi Masinter and
Chabad House Johannesburg remain an example of what can be achieved by religious
organisations, NGOs, not for profit organisations and indeed commercial
organisations, when a combination of passion, enthusiasm and creativity are
combined with an unrelenting focus on the customer.