Brand Engagement

Karam Foundation’s official website design offers an easy navigation and a very interactive experience.  They are using a parallax design style adopted by numerous big brands.  This is a design that permits the visitor to keep scrolling down for more information, rather than navigating different pages by clicking on different buttons. 

All important information has been made available in one page, this ensures the organization’s mission and projects are clear to the visitor, and encourages user engagement.

The brand personality is reflected in the colors and fonts used for the website design.  Karam tackles the worst humanitarian crisis today; their choice of black, white and blue for colors is subtle, respectful and loud.  The somber colors give a chance for all the powerful images to be the focal point and what is meant to resonate the most with potential donors.

The media team at Karam encourage audience engagement by showcasing its smallest aid recipients, children.  This always sparks empathy, ignites that fiery need to be involved, make a difference, the very message in Karam’s mission.

In a very emotional and moving campaign, Karam uses the hashtag #Notinvisible to spread the idea that we as humanity are all affected by the crisis in Syria.  That the moment we start to think as one, “WE” can break barriers and defeat evil.  This campaign was spear headed by the Karam’s project called Zeytouna.  Volunteers dedicated their time in teaching these children languages, music and providing medical health screenings and fun activities.  A beautiful four-minute video is published on the main page to promote the success of this project.

Karam uses the traditional social media buttons at the bottom of the page for convenient connectivity to their social media accounts.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Medium are the platforms used.  The Medium account serves as the organization’s blog with articles, news and staff postings.  As for Facebook & Twitter the organization uses the platform to further its fund raising mission.  The social media team puts a cleaver business/holiday twist to their fund raising campaign by including black Friday deals. 

This is a fun way to engage donors in what is considered the most generous time of the year.  What better way to feel holiday cheer than by providing a winter package for a refugee for only $20!

Karam also uses Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday to raise funds.  They are also bringing back a fun and less gloomy campaign: Mustache Mad  This is another way to encourage donor engagement to raise awareness and of course funds.  The organization is not shy about using hashtags and trending keywords to stay up to date with social media trends.

The social media accounts are directly and strongly asking for a response from visitors, fans and donors alike.  Direct links, pictures and videos are made easily available for those wanting more information.  Each media platform is cross-connected to the other, where the website publishes videos from the YouTube channel and Facebook picture posts take you to Instagram and so on.  The organization ensures an all encompassing experience for potential donors to immerse them this giving an compassionate mood, that feeling of “I need to do more”

In Young’s Brand Media Strategy book, he defines communication planning in chapter 3 as the best way to influence readers, visitors in our case donors.  He compares it to Media Planning, which serves to only deliver the message.  “Communications planning allows a more strategic way of determining key media choices and connection strategies.  It is about moving away from the job of delivering messages to audiences and moving toward better understanding of how consumers receive and respond to communication” (Young, 32)

With this analysis of Karam’s communication planning, it is clear they have an organized and well-defined message.  The means to delivering the message is also well thought of to cater to the most trendy of users and donors from all age groups and demographics.  They emphasize ease of usability, and an inviting atmosphere to engage and care.  

Karam Foundation: Brand Personality

 Karam enjoys a deeply honest personality full of conviction, a passion for service and authentic love for those they serve.  As a foundation that is directly helping the middle refugee crisis, it is inevitably gaining public interest as the issue is up front and center in most media outlets. 

With its base in Washing D.C., Karam takes advantage of the international hub surrounding it, to raise awareness and further its mission to helping displaced refugees find life’s dignity again. 

Karam is a 503© charity recognized by authorities as legitimate and its mission unique and true.  It is an organization donors can trust will make an honest use of funds raised and as promised. 

Karam ensures all projects and updates are easily accessible on their website as well as social media accounts.  This brings a meaningful message to light and comforts donors they are indeed making a difference in someone’s life, it is tangible, true and empowering, this of course encourages additional and continuous support from donors. 

The organization showcases 3 main reasons they are different:

·      100% Transparent: which is very important given the political unrest in the region they are serving and doubts donors might have about the final destination of their funds.

·      We care: They are tackling the largest humanitarian crisis today, the mission has become personal and dedication has become stronger.

·      On the ground: The organization has successfully partnered with a trusted network of aid workers in and out of the conflict areas to ensure aid reaches all in need.  This hasn’t been achieved by other aid organizations.

This aligns perfectly with the UAT Filter for emphasizing the uniqueness, authenticity in their mission and their “talkability” on the ground and having a far reach into dangerous conflict territories.

Karam’s Value Proposition:

The organization’s humanitarian aid concentrates its services to healing first then educating.  This ensures a sustainable impact on the people served and decreases long-term dependency on additional aid.  Karam teaches sustainable development and what they call “Smart Aid”.

The success of this organization lies in its dedication to be different, to offer more and care deeply.  This moto aligns perfectly with its mission and goals.  When the issue at hand is as personal as the Syrian crisis, the determination to make a difference is unstoppable and without limits.  This passion can only come from generous hearts filled with love. 

Karam Foundation On The News

Karam foundation publishes news about the organization on its website highlighting its latest projects and accomplishments.  The foundation concentrates its charitable work in the middle east region and lately targeting the Syrian conflict and refugee resettlement. Karam gathers all its media and news under one tab on their website, this facilitates visitor experience and ease of gathering data and information about the work of the organization.  The key to an effective visit to the media site is to earn visitor trust and excites interest.  Karam uses news articles, videos testimonials as well as action pictures portraying the origination's work in the heart of the conflict.

Karam uses social media to display its greatest accomplishments and biggest announcements.  On Facebook, the organization showed its gratitude for its partners for helping with the Seeds program, which provides sustainable nutrition of the displaced refugees.  In addition, Karam announces important dates, new programs and posts all call for actions on they social media.  Donors are pleased with such posts as it is important they are kept up to date with how their support impacts recipients.

According to Argenti's book on marketing and social media, it is also important to ensure an seamless and pleasant design for the organization's online newsroom.  This he asserts isn't the only challenge, the difficulty lies in quality of content and its relativity to the organization's most recent activities.

In conducting an experiment on the foundation and its google ranking, It was astonishing to see that the first 3 results included the organization's website, Facebook page and Twitter accounts.  This confirms they have a strong SEO and social media team that ensures the most relevant information is generated after a google search.  Their mission is so important, they ensure all interested enough to google the organization receives all relevant information in one click.  The social media search results are followed by media articles about the organization.  Public opinion serves as an important tool for potential donors to filter out unreliable and unworthy causes seeking help.

Lisa Bytner discussed in her lecture the importance in earning trust in the work of public relations.  She highly emphasized to keep your word once a promise is made.  Karam foundation has a heavy burden to do that every time they receive $1 from a donor.  The donor expects their aid will reach the appropriate recipient in the very particular situation described by the foundation.  This proves especially difficult today, specifically because of the location of the conflict.  The middle east has been a vulnerable target for corruption and terrorism.  Donor money reaching its true and promised aid recipient is not only necessary for business but a dangerous and important social responsibility.

Karam would benefit from a closer relationship with local media.  Being based in Washington DC, they have an advantage of reaching local media in many places around the country.  Being actively present in local media not only highlights the organization's successful corporate social responsibility.  accruing to Argenti, "pressures to have a positive impact on communities, employees, consumer and investors mounted, and simply doing good had far less impact than communicating the good that was being done." (Argenti, 43).

Lastly, having met Lisa Bytner and received her first hand industry advice, it will forever resinate with me as a junior Public Relations apprentice, that honesty is the most important tool.  Building reputation in the PR field is building business, without one the other can't blossom.

Karam Foundation

1 What brand did you choose and why did you choose it?

I chose The Karam Foundation based in Washington D.C.  their work is admirable and fits right into my career plans and goals.  I am shaping my education today to I ensure I have all the skills they are seeking in new candidates.

2 When were you first introduced to this brand?

I was introduced to Karam through Syrian friends who actively advocate for the refugee crisis in Syria.  Dylan Connor my friend’s husband has worked closely with Karam and volunteered for one week in a refugee camp teaching music to displaced children.

3 What is the organizational philosophy or mission of this brand?  Where did you find this information?

The organization created its name with its mission in mind.   Karam is the word generosity in Arabic.  In their web site they define their mission as an organization that dedicates resources for people to help themselves.  Their most important mission is to restore dignity in displaced humans struggling to survive.  They believe every human and every child deserves food, shelter and an education.

4 What is the history of the organization?  How (if at all) does it fit with the mission of the brand?

Founded in 2007 Karam was determined to help all that were in need, anywhere.  Their approach is different from other non-profits alike, they empower the helpless and diminish the victim attitude.  

5 What products or services does the organization provide?  How (if at all) do the products/services fit with the mission of the brand?

Karam provides humanitarian aid for displaced people in conflict areas.  Their impact has reached all over Syria and all refugee camps in the vicinity.  Their services are dependent on donations and sales from their “Souk” section of their website, where local and traditional products are sold and all proceeds serve their mission to help more people.

6 Overall, how do you think the brand is perceived by the public? Why?

Karam has grown in the last 8 years to be recognized internationally for its outstanding work in the middle east.  CEO Attar is a Syrian native herself quoted in the New York Times confirming the dangers of barrel bombs and her views on conflict resolution.