Diakonisches Werk Württemberg
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Brand positioning for youth communication
_Professionalisation of youth communication
_Strategic accompaniment and integration of various stakeholders
_Conceptualisation of communication
Background
Diakonie is one of the largest employers in Baden-Württemberg. Over 50,000 people work full-time for Diakonie Württemberg, and around 35,000 citizens are involved on a voluntary basis. Diakonie Württemberg's areas of work characterise and shape society. In order to remain fit for the future, Diakonie wants to better reach, appeal to, attract and retain young people.
Task
Due to the size and association structure of Diakonisches Werk Württemberg and the diversity and heterogeneity of the diaconal organisations, a consistent language and a targeted, planned approach are required in order to arouse interest and enthusiasm among the target group of young people. The aim was to develop a clear brand positioning and to communicate this via suitable communication channels with appropriate content.
Solution
Participatory integration of key stakeholders, process support and moderation for over 5 years.
- Repositioning of the Diakonie brand for the target group of young people
- Development of a marketing strategy with definition of target group segments and specific goals
- Realisation of a voluntary service campaign including selection and management of the creative agency
- Workshops for all employees in youth communication
- Continuous reflection and further development for the association and regional office
The multi-year brand positioning process is characterised by the desire for a contemporary sharpening and professionalisation of youth communication, and at the same time by an approach that involves all those involved well and in line with the diaconal attitude. In particular, the integration of the many diaconal organisations in Baden-Württemberg is seen as a decisive success factor. The systematic approach enables the different subject areas to be optimally interlinked:
The systematic approach enables the different subject areas to be optimally interlinked:
Module 1/ Brand positioning as a series of workshops
Series of workshops to develop the future-oriented positioning of the Diakonie brand for young people. The highlight was the future workshop with young and potential employees of Diakonie.
Module 2 / Marketing strategy
Here, workshops and concept drafts are used to derive the marketing strategy, with the close professional support of the management and youth communication team also aiming to create awareness and learning effects.
Module 3 / Campaign development, agency pitch and steering
Transferring ideas into concrete implementation: the development of a volunteer service campaign with agency pitch and steering. Increased pressure to act arises from rising competition and falling numbers of volunteer applicants.
Module 4 / Condensation in a brand compass
Finally, in the last module, all findings, including brand values and guidelines, are condensed into a brand compass on the basis of the youth communication team's closed meeting. This is used directly in day-to-day communication work. In the sense of an even better learning system, continuous review and further development will take place.
Success
In the past process, the central foundations for the future youth communication of Diakonie Württemberg were developed. A brand positioning as the basis for the development of a strong brand, the definition of goals, the description of target groups and a clarification of tasks and roles will enable a clear and strategic orientation of the work in future. This is accompanied by a clear profiling and acceptance of the youth communication work area within the organisation. As part of the voluntary service campaign, the number of applicants to Diakonie Württemberg increased by around 10% during the campaign period. In the meantime, a new communication design concept has been developed against the background of the developed brand compass.
Client quote
"Stefan Bohrmann and Ralph Scheider have been with us for several years. This support from ebene c has enabled us to decisively and noticeably develop Diakonie's youth communication. With their professional and critical view from the outside, the two have succeeded in providing key impetus while at the same time taking into account the very specific characteristics of the organisation and the association. During this process, we not only benefited greatly from their expertise in marketing and communication, but also from their methodological and moderation skills in designing various workshop formats. In addition to their expertise, their very approachable, patient and humorous manner was also a key to their success. We are looking forward to the next steps!"
Thomas Steigmiller, Team leader for youth communication and recruiting young talents
