Exploring the stories that simple metaphors reveal about charity brands

There is a story being told about charity brands that doesn’t make for happy reading. In order to secure a sustainable future in this difficult economic environment, charities need to reach out effectively to their three... [ view full abstract ]

There is a story being told about charity brands that doesn’t make for happy reading. In order to secure a sustainable future in this difficult economic environment, charities need to reach out effectively to their three main stakeholder groups – funders, volunteers and service users (Michel & Rieunier, 2012). One proven way to do that is through the brand (Chew & Osborne, 2009; Hankinson, 2001b; Saxton, 1996). However investment in non-front line services is coming under increasing scrutiny. Head office spend, including that on stakeholder research and brand development, is seen as a proxy for inefficient management (Bennett & Savani, 2003; Saxton, 2004). As a result, a lack of brand understanding presents a challenge for charities.

Current volunteers present a rich and cost effective source of brand insight, particularly when their imagination can be unleashed through the story telling power of metaphor. This research illustrates the opportunity that a simple prompted question, framed within an appropriate context, can offer practitioners. Drawing on Cognitive Linguistic Theory (Kovecses, 2010; Lakoff & Johnson, 2003) and framed within Zoomorphy (Lawrence, 1993; Shepard, 1997), the research argues that animal metaphors can inform our understanding of brand differentiation, brand engagement and brand experience.