Digital SolutionsPro bono campaign Zeehondencreche Pieterburen

OMG Groningen

Website• The website the Zeehondencreche is good and covers all relevant

content for all seal lovers and environmentalists.

• However the website of the Zeehondencreche Pieterburen is only in Dutch. Meaning its only attractive to Dutch users. Giving the possibility to change the language to English and German would benefit the website greatly.

• The Donation area on the website there is only the option to pay by Dutch banking cards.

• Adding a PayPal or Ideal button to the donation area would make it more attractive for people to subscribe and give money to the Zeehondencreche.

E-Mail MarketingThe Zeehondencreche Pieterburen sends a newsletter to people who subscribe to this feature, the newsletter is called the Robben bulletin (sealnews).

Key Features: • This is provided in Dutch only, giving news

of the seals inside the day-care centre andfun facts about seal life and the northern sea

• it gives an educative value to the readers of all ages.• The last couple of pages are dedicated

to donations and how you can become one.• To benefit the donations they have • Interviews with donators• Information about donation taxes• Trips they organize to gain more money• A wish list of supplies they need.

• Improvement points• Provide the bulletin in English and German• No click through possibilities to provide direct action of the reader.

Improvement Points:

• Provide the bulletin in English and German• Add click through options to the newsletter

Video marketing (1/2)• Zeehondencreche Pieterburen gained mass attention in Holland with their very successful

television commercial from 2006 until 2012 this commercial is to be found on The next slide. This commercial resulted in a 98% name recognition rate in the

Netherlands. As the music rights were given for free by Queen and national tv channels broadcasted the video for free.

• After 2012 Zeehondencreche started a new commercial with again music of the band Queen, given for free. This commercial has been broadcasted much less than the previous version This video will be viewable on the next slide

• Video marketing is a really powerful tool to deliver information or to raise people interest. The NGO is already on YouTube but this channel doesn’t seem to be as famous as the Facebook page of 17500 followers (18/01/2017) with only 275 subscribers on YouTube (18/01/2017). Zeehondencentrum is doing most of their videos in English and create good content on this platform. As a lot people use their phone to watch content at any place, sound might not be appropriate at any time, subtitles underneath these videos are a good option.

Video marketing (2/2)• Online Marketing Groningen would advise to make this YouTube channel accessible to Non-Dutch

speakers by speaking English or adding subtitles in different European languages and make the channel description in English (18/01/2016). The purchase of a GO-Pro camera which is currently on the wish list is advisable.

• They currently have a direct webcam where you can have a look 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on a Seal pool outside which doesn’t seem to be really effective but allow showing day to day evolution.

• As many of the volunteers come from outside the Netherlands, they are probably the best person to make people aware of Zeehondencentrum activity outside the Netherlands and in order to do so, Online Marketing Groningen would advise the NGO to offer them the opportunity to upload their experience online on the channel. Such a way of advertisement would cost nothing but time from the volunteers if they are willing to do it. Also students from the Hanzehogeschool Groningen are interesting employees to offer internships to considering video marketing.

• As well as increasing the awareness of the NGO existence and activity and potential donation from outside the Netherlands, such video could increase the number of volunteers applying for voluntary work or internships within Zeehondencentrum.

Mobile Marketing• Creating a mobile app could help the Zeehondencreche in various ways. As phone

penetration rates are high in the Netherlands the Zeehondencreche cant stay behind in providing enthusiasts with a mobile app.

• A mobile app will result in more interaction with the users and create more name awareness of the Pieterburen centre.

Features:• Spot a seal• News• Contact – linked to Whatsapp.• Donate• Take care of your seal (zeehondenbord)

Social Media• Zeehondencentrum is currently active on:Twitter ‘Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest The actual

Social Media marketing from Zeehondencentrum is entertaining and accurate to the user’s mind as we noticed that they are well received from people under comments and likes. That is the reason why the NGO is currently putting effort and money for sponsored content on Facebook.

• Post special events via a live video on Facebook, twitter and Youtube. (releases of seals, feeding time etc.)

• However Online Marketing Groningen would strongly advise to always adapt these social media contents to Non-Dutch speakers by adding English translation in the same content as it’s not always the case. It certainly decreases their potential audience and must stop foreigners interested in this NGO activity. This addition will be time consuming but the money invested for sponsored content will be more efficient as it reach more people.

• In order to obtain more followers and subscribers and increase online visibility of Zeehondencentrum, it would be advised that products (posters, postcards, stuffed toys…) from the actual gift shop in the visitor’s centre could be given to a winner selected from the person who followed, liked and shared those social media platform or content.

• Moreover Online Marketing Groningen would strongly advise Zeehondencentrum to describe their mission: “Healthy Sea, Happy Seal” and look for donators under website such as https://www.chuffed.org/ where visitors from all over the world can look for project to support

SEO/SEM• Speaking about Search Engine Marketing (SEM), the website approximately

attract 1000 people a day (Zeehondencentrum, 2015). As most of the donations are made online through the Website, increasing the visibility of the NGO website thanks to the Search Engine Optimization (SOM) would probably affect the number of visitors and potential donators.

• If Zeehondencentrum manage to apply the different solutions seen before, new visitors as English or German speakers may be interested and feel committed enough to help increase donations.

• However Online Marketing Groningen would advise the NGO to invest money into search engine optimization slowly and at low cost first. The value added thanks to the financial effort made can be then evaluated few weeks after and seen as worth it or not before increasing it. As it can be an effective way to generate new visitors/ donators it should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment in the future to increase the NGO awareness and popularity.