Biodiversity and Ethical Business

Key Steps for a Marketing Plan

Julian Rode, Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Marisa Mittelstaedt — 2009-12-10T17:52:33Z

This draft version of a marketing plan has been developed in a meeting with Blanca Fullana (Edelman) on April 21.

Step 1: Identify how taxonomy can move an individual

Identified potential motives:

save lives through discovering new medicines,
by-pass the power of the pharmaceutical industry, ie. generate knowledge for the commons instead of claiming property rights (patents) on life,
learn about our heritage (evolution),
understand the food chain,
knowledge on characteristics of species, where they live, interact, etc.,
contribute to the sustainability of our planet,
support the economies of developing countries,
inspire creativity (art, technology, etc.).

Step 2: Determine who are GTP´s competitors

A: Why would the public give money to the GTP rather than to competitors?

B: Why would companies give money to the GTP rather than to competitors?

Step 3: Create a differentiated message/positioning. What makes us so special

Name, e.g., "Connecting with Living Species"
slogans
logo

Step 4: Determine content of platform (website)
What are the "Must Haves" & the things that are "Nice to Have" (e.g., educational features, useful tools, fun activities, etc.)
The primary target is the individual - but who? Children, teens, adults
The secondary target could be corporations (if there is interest from general public corporations will be interested too)
Public fundraising: Assure transparency, people need to understand and see what the money is used for; possibly even some "voice" in which projects are financed

Step 5: Identify how taxonomy can move companies

A. ROI for Corporations

Examples:

credibility through visibility in a platform that is part of the United Nations
networking by attending meetings on biodiversity
ultimately reputation for consumers and the general public

B. Donation Packages

If a corporation donates X amount what do they get in return, if they donate x+Y what do they get, etc.
possibly influence (through participative decision making?) on what research projects will be financed

Step 6: Execute Platform

Step 7: Define PR campaign strategies

Step 8-9: Monitor progress

Step 10: Follow up Meetings

Other crucial points:

Define how much money is needed; what counts as "success"?

Survey

Julian Rode, Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Marisa Mittelstaedt — 2009-12-10T17:52:11Z

Abstract

The data depicted in this paper have resulted from a survey regarding the knowledge, interest, and concern of individuals for biodiversity; with a focus on taxonomy, the science that deals with the observation, description and classification of species on earth. The study was part of the in-company project of two MBA candidates from Universidad Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona in cooperation with the “Connecting with Living Species” initiative of the Foundation for a New Ethical Business. The survey data was collected in April 2009 in the experimental laboratory (LEEX) of UPF.

Interpretation and lessons learned

From the survey, the following results were extracted:

There is a high belief that there is climate change and that species are going extinct.

When asked to which specific causes people would be willing to donate money, they said they would chose to do so most likely for issues related to children, humanitarian aid, and health. Nature & Environment as a cause for donations was ranked slightly lower as the previously mentioned causes. Hence, the results suggest that people's willingness to donate for environmental issues can be increased when they are clearly related to the saving of lives (e.g., through discoveries of new medicine) or the fight of climate change.

People rated the improvement of human health and the protection of endangered species as and their habitat as most important issues to justify research on species, followed by climate change.

Participants stated that they find very interesting how endangered species are and how they are affected by human action. They are also interested in where species live and how they interact.

Regarding people's awareness in initiatives or NGO's related to species; it seems that Greenpeace is one of the most well known, followed by WWF.

In relation to web applications related to species, most of the people were interested to have a tool with which they would be able to find species in certain locations.

Benchmark of Charities with a Focus on Biodiversity

Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Marisa Mittelstaedt — 2009-12-10T17:51:49Z

Introduction

To create a successful marketing plan it is important to benchmark how, where and to what charities the general public can donate in relation to biodiversity and taxonomy. First it is necessary to get a general idea of what the charity market for biodiversity and taxonomy consists of and secondly to begin to understand how the taxonomy project can differentiate itself from the many charities that exist.

The methodology followed consisted of internet searches and verifying charities listed by students on a survey given to students at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Overall 61 charities were considered on the initial listing. Thirty one of them were found to not be directly related to taxonomy or biodiversity causes. A complete definition of what was considered to be directly related can be found in the section below. Overall nine charities appeared frequently in the internet searches and on the survey and therefore became the focus of this study.

Determining Factors of Charities Benchmarked

Based on the fact that Biodiversity and Taxonomy have a strong relationship with nature and life on earth we focused on charities that used donations to protect and conserve the environment, natural habitats, wildlife and combating climate change.

Charities that were not considered focused their efforts on saving domesticated animals, feeding the hungry, eliminating poverty or eradicating diseases.

Summary

The following nine charities were benchmarked to determine their main purpose, the slogan, the range of possible donations, where they help, the number of supporters and finally the revenues per year. The revenues were taken from the most recently published annual reports if available. Below is a summary of the results. For more detail please see the attached Excel spreadsheet.

The Nature Conservancy

Website: http://www.nature.org/

Since 1951, they use science and partnerships to protect Earth's most important natural places. Donators who want to get involved with the conservancy can choose to adopt an acre of land, rescue a reef, donate monthly, or simply join the membership program.

National Geographic Society

Website: www.nationalgeographic.com

National Geographic Society was founded in 1888. They focus on exploration and conservation of forests, oceans, habitats, species and societies. They inspire people to care about the planet through education through media, toys and museums. They also promote a Green Guide which shows the general public how to live a greener life. (energy conservation-holidays etc) http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-g...

World Wildlife Fund

Website: http://www.worldwildlife.org/

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) works to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth & the health of ecological systems by:

* Protecting natural areas & wild populations of plants & animals * Promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources * promoting more efficient use of resources and energy & reduction of pollution

Through WWF communities can reduce poverty, improve socio-economic conditions & become environmental stewards.

Conservation International

Website: http://www.conservation.org

Conservation International applies innovations in science, economics, policy, and community participation to protect the Earth's biodiversity around the world. The fund more than 1,200 non-governmental groups, and small businesses. On their website they provide information for ecotourism and have an interactive map.

Greenpeace

Website: https://www.greenpeace.org

Greenpeace has been fighting for the preservation of the earth since 1971. They utilize direct action, lobbying and research to achieve their goals. They do not accept donations from governments or corporations but rely on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants.

National Wildlife Federation

Website: http://www.nwf.org/

The National Wildlife Federation strives to protect wildlife at all costs. They also have campaigns in global warming and environmental education. They believe that education is the best way to help the environment – the more you know, the more you can protect the world we live. Donators are able to adopt an acre or an animal through symbolic donations of $30. In exchange for the donation you receive an adoption certificate, toy, screensaver and satisfaction.

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Website: http://www.ifaw.org

The International Fund for Animal Welfare works to improve animal welfare, prevent animal cruelty and abuse, protect wildlife and provide animal rescue around the world. They create solutions that benefit both animals and people. They also provide emergency relief to animals in crises, and saves pets and wildlife.

World Land Trust

Website: http://www.worldlandtrust.org

The World Land Trust fights for rainforest conservation. They promote wildlife conservation by purchasing endangered land.

Sierra Club

Website: http://www.sierraclub.org/

The Sierra Club wants to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives. They organize international, domestic/local outings & excursions related to nature, volunteering or wildlife. They have opportunities to donate/volunteer specifically to your local area by having local offices.

Conclusions

The charities that were studied were quite large with typically more than one million supporters. The Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund both received the largest percentage of donations from individuals; 60% and 19.2% respectively. Most of the charities supported causes around the globe and had membership opportunities that did not require donations. Donations could be made regularly or as a single donation in varying amounts. There are many charities for people to satisfy the need of helping to create a better society by donating time or money. It is important for each charity to differentiate themselves in order to attract the most interest to aide in their causes.

A STUDY ON WEB BASED AND COMPUTER GAMES AROUND BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS

Julia Lempiäinen — 2009-07-09T13:25:20Z

In this article, I review the existing video games with a relation to biodiversity and knowledge on species.

The study looks into the segment of web based and computer games around biodiversity and ecosystems, and intends to provide a general overview on the existing games. It also aims to show whether there is room for a creation of a new game on the topic, or if it is already fully covered by the existing games.

The study was done by searching such games on the internet and asking different sources if they knew any. The games were then listed and those found free online were played and assessed. Some information on the payable games was searched on the internet.

The main observations are that there already exist numerous games around biodiversity and ecosystems, but most of the games are quite simple and do not provide comprehensive information on the subject, so their educational value is limited. Also, many of the games fail to be entertaining in the long run. Many games are of similar nature, and some are very difficult to play. It seemed that those games that succeed in being most interesting are using humour, one way or another, in order to catch the interest of the player. CD-Rom games appear to provide much more information than free online games, but this can be explained with the fact that creating a comprehensive game is rather expensive. The majority of the games around biodiversity and ecosystems are made for children. Successful games provide new information and give an opportunity to transfer the information gained into practise. They also show the importance of all decisions on the matter, and the different aspects, that is, they reveal the complex nature of the subject. Using humour is one way to approach the problem, but the seriousness of it can not be undermined. Providing opportunity to multiplaying could also be an interesting idea.

All in all, there are a lot of games on biodiversity and ecosystems, but still there seems to be room for a game that would provide comprehensive knowledge and show the full complexity of the subject.

Interview with a leading taxonomist: Chris Lyal (Natural History Museum, London)

Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Marisa Mittelstaedt — 2009-05-01T11:27:20Z

These are the key notes from the interview. We thank Chris Lyal for this insightful conversation!

Chris Lyal (Natural History Museum, London) works on the naming and classification of Weevils.

1. Why is taxonomy important to you, why are you fascinated by it?

There are 4,000 species of mammals and 220,000 species of Weevils. While saving the mammals is important there are more insects and microorganisms in the world.

The rainforest needs saving but insects are the glue that holds the rainforest together. If we don´t understand the insects we can´t save the rainforest.

Taxonomy is a philosophy of life: We have to know what is around us to manage the world we live in.

Example 1: In an automotive factory what would happen if auto parts arrived in unlabeled boxes. How would you know what they were and where they went in the factory

Example 2: Lice – some infect children by nesting in their hair, others spread typhus. When developing an insecticide to kill the typhus spreading bug you have to ensure you are killing the right one. Otherwise you waste millions of dollars in research and production.

Example 3: Water weed has been brought to some lakes as a decoration from other habitats. The water weed spreads when out living in its natural habitat creating a mat of water weed which kills fish and breeds mosquitoes that carry malaria. Weevils eat water weed but you have to have the right kind of Weevil. We are becoming a more global society and insect's don´t respect boundaries. You need taxonomy to get it right!

2. Why according to your personal opinion would people be interested in donating to taxonomy?

The most common question in Taxonomy is: WHAT IS IT? We need to answer this question!!!!!

Taxonomic knowledge is useful, or rather absolutely crucial for people. We need taxonomy to ensure that:
Crops get pollinated
Imports are brought into countries legally and protects the environment
The wood for building houses comes from legal forests

3. Who would you say are the main users of taxonomy knowledge besides other taxonomists?

Everyone!!! • Pharmaceuticals • Ecologists (scientists in general) • Advisors of agriculture • Governments (quarantines)

4. What would you say are the main organizations, initiatives, or causes that compete with taxonomy for donations or grants?

Today people relate more to furry, cuddly mammals and prefer to donate money to these causes. Funding is actively decreasing for taxonomy because taxonomy is not in fashion and is typically expensive for some other countries to afford a taxonomist.

Example: In the UK the salaries are high. A project was proposed between an organization in Costa Rica and me. When I began proposing a contract relating to costs the organization asked: “Why should we pay you more than we pay our president”

5. How is taxonomy related to biodiversity?

Biodiversity was created/defined by a taxonomist. Taxonomy is the foundation of biodiversity. You can´t understand ecosystems, distinguishing between species etc. without taxonomic knowledge.

6. Are there any interesting things about taxonomy that people are not aware of but should be?

An interesting fact is in regards to the names of species:

Example 1: the Idea ( e-day-a) butterfly - when a new species is discovered in a new country it is called “a-new-idea-from-XXX”

Example 2: A new species of a fly was found in a government warehouse surrounding a crate of ginger. The warehouse burned down the next day and the fly was named “Arsoni”.

Species are currently named after people for giving large donations, but there are problems. If there is a mistake after naming the species… finding out that it has already been discovered do they have to give the money back?

To solve this problem maybe this project can allow people to sponsor a species and give money to help the species of their choice.

Project guide: time line and key steps

Julian Rode — 2009-04-21T21:35:05Z

March 30: First meeting with Marc Le Menestrel and Julian Rode - exchange of motivations and needs

Next step: Written expression of the MBA students' motivation, general ideas, and steps to move ahead (upload until April 21)

Tuesday April 21, 17:00 -19:00: Kickoff meeting - Marisa Mittelstaedt, Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Julian Rode, Ipek Aktar, Gert Cornelissen, Blanca Fullana

Next steps:
prepare and upload a report of the kick-off meeting
identify all aspects of what the GTP/Taxonomy/the study of species can potentially give to the people? How can it inspire, fascinate, be useful, contribute to sustainability, etc.?
prepare survey questions with the goal to understand what the web platform should offer (services, features, design, target groups, etc.) and how it should be "marketed" (e.g., attractive name, slogans, transparency, etc.).
arrange an interview with taxonomists to understand what drives them and why they think taxonomy deserves more attention and money

Monday April 27, 17:30: Meeting - Marisa Mittelstaedt, Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Julian Rode

Next steps:
pilot survey study within Ipek's survey (April 28 & 29)
phone interview with Chris Lyal (April 29) - prepare summary of results
prepare summary descriptive analysis and interpretation of survey results
do online search for potential competitors
do online search for information on where and how much people donate

Friday, May 8, 17:00, IDEC: Meeting - Marisa Mittelstaedt, Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Julian Rode, Ipek Aktar, Gert Cornelissen, Marc Le Menestrel

Next steps:

Marisa and Kyriaki:
summary of pilot survey, create online article
summary of "donation benchmarking"; create online article or upload as attachment
update "marketing plan" article
short report on key findings and lessons learned
think about how you would like to proceed (with respect to computer game product and business plan development)

Julian:
provide feedback to the above
update survey (two main parts: biodiversity knowledge, biodiversity interests)

Thursday, May 28, 17:00, IDEC: Meeting - Marisa Mittelstaedt, Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou, Julian Rode, Gert Cornelissen, Marc Le Menestrel, Blanca Fullana

1 June: Deadline for a draft report and a bullet point summary

17 & 18 June: Presentation of a synthesis of the results to the participants of the GTP workshop in Paris

End of June: Final evaluation of project by Marc Le Menestrel and Julian Rode

Statement of intention: Marisa Mittelstaedt

Marisa Mittelstaedt — 2009-03-30T17:16:12Z

This article expresses my personal motivation for participating in this project, my general ideas of how I think I can contribute, and my thoughts on concrete steps to move ahead.

Motivation:

My personal motivation comes from the fact that I simply believe in this project. I believe in the power of this website to educate and connect people all over the world through the common bond of living species. Through this project and the funds that are raised we will ultimately be improving and preserving knowledge of living species for generations to come. Professionally, I have spent the past four years working in purchasing and I am interested in moving into marketing when I complete my MBA. I couldn´t have asked for a better way to gain experience in a new field with a project that I personally feel connected to.

General ideas:

The goal for Kyriaki and me is to create a marketing plan that will inform the general public about this initiative. While I don´t have direct experience with a project such as this, I have a strong desire to learn and experience with project management. Through our research and guidance from our project sponsors I am confident our project will be successful.

Steps to move on:

Kyriaki and I have been put in charge of developing a marketing plan in a time frame of about two months. Due to this time constraint project management will be key to ensuring results are delivered on time and bring value.

Statement of intention: Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou

Kyriaki Triantafyllopoulou — 2009-03-30T17:00:13Z

This article expresses my personal motivation for participating in this project, my general ideas of how I think I can contribute, and my thoughts on concrete steps to move ahead.

Since my early childhood, nature and its inhabitants became a first priority in my values and thoughts. I was very concerned observing environmental changes, animal habits, their reactions and their adjustment to them. Later on I understood that either the serenity or the wildness of nature is also correlated to human activity and interaction. I came to realize that we are the ones that should contribute and have the power to make things better. Some of us are lucky to receive the correct education, while others are deprived of this chance. I consider that this project will not only be an informative platform, but also a tool against discrimination for those that yearn for learning, evolving and helping. It is not a matter of an obligation but a right to the expression of each individual; the expression of respect to our history our roots and our future. Personally, connecting with living species is the ideal step for me before pursuing a PHD on environmental management and economics, as I believe that interconnection with nature is crucial firstly on an individual and furthermore on a societal level.

Through Pompeu Fabra and Marc Le Menestrel we were given the opportunity to contribute to a socially responsible platform that makes us feel proud of being part of a society that does care and respect biodiversity. Social awareness stems from an individual level and this is where both Marisa and I will be committed to build an informative and communication tool towards its realization. With the mutual support of our peers from INSEAD, this project will add to amplifying the range of awareness to businesses and corporations. This bilateral cooperation will be complemented as well as completed by the most important player, citizens all over the world; people that share the same views and concerns and feel the need to transform their personal power into a massive force that targets the preservation of our planet. Giving biodiversity a chance to live, we are giving a chance to ourselves and our children to live in a better place.. Why shouldn't we try?

Proposal for a UPF MBA Project

Julian Rode, Marc Le Menestrel — 2009-03-26T21:53:51Z

In cooperation with the University Pompeu Fabra (IDEC), a group of full-time MBA students helps develop a marketing campaign and do background research for the Global Taxonomy Partnership (GTP).

In cooperation with the University Pompeu Fabra (IDEC), a group of full-time MBA students helps develop a marketing campaign and do background research for the Global Taxonomy Partnership (GTP).

Coordinator: Julian Rode

Advisors: Marc Le Menestrel (Associate Professor, UPF and INSEAD), Gert Cornelissen (Assistant Professor of Marketing, UPF), Blanca Fullana (General Manager of Edelman Spain)

The objective of this GTP initiative is to raise public awareness about the importance of biodiversity and interest in discovery and conservation of the natural environment, and to raise funds to support biodiversity-related (in particular taxonomic) research.

Activities include

identifying relevant target audiences
identifying appropriate channels of communication
benchmarking with similar campaigns
analysing of needs and challenges
action plans and specific time lines
etc.

TIMELINE

March 30: First meeting with Marc Le Menestrel and Julian Rode - exchange of motivations and needs

Before April 21: Written expression the MBA students' motivation, general ideas, and steps to move ahead

Tuesday April 21, 16:00 (room 204): Kickoff meeting to finalize project details

Thursday April 30: Meeting with advisors to validate the work plan

April /May 2009: Work phase

1 June: Deadline for a draft report

17 & 18 June: Presentation of a synthesis of the results to the participants of the GTP workshop in Paris

End of June: Final evaluation of project by Marc Le Menestrel, and Julian Rode