Relationship Marketing Strategy and implementation

The customer market domain: Managing relationships with buyers 141

RSPCA

Facts

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

●Membership in 1995 – 34 000 adult members, 60 000 group members and

19 ,000 younger members of the Animal Action club, but overall 330 000 finan-

cial supporters.

●Founded in 1824 by a small group of animal activists, it is the world’s oldest

animal protection agency.

●Total income in 1995 was over £37 million.

●Direct expenditure on animal projects and fund-raising activity was £40

million.

●There are 305 inspectors investigating animal cruelty. It is the largest non-

governmental law enforcement agency in the UK.

●In 1995 the Society’s 10 regional communication centres received over one

million calls from the public.

Aims

●‘Whether lobbying for change in the parliaments of Westminster or

Strasbourg, providing food, shelter and treatment for abandoned dogs and cats

or injured wildlife, tracking down dangerous dog-fighters or prosecuting

animal abusers in court, the Society can be found just about anywhere the

welfare of animals is at stake.’ Annual Report (1995).

Perception of the RSPCA

●A much loved, traditional, British institution.

●Public awareness of the Society’s work was heightened by the BBC television’s

Animal Hospitalseries, which was watched by over 11 million people.This

highlighted the wildlife aspect of their work, which was not previously well

known.

●Recent advertising campaigns have been highly controversial, almost in the

style of ‘Greenpeace’ campaigns, and the Society is now being seen as more

active in campaigning for change.

Future strategic directions

●Active involvement in influencing British and European governments.

●A focus on the problem of stray and unwanted animals, not only by building

shelters but by ensuring animals are neutered to help avoid unwanted litters.

●Campaigning on a variety of issues: whaling, animal experiments, driftnet

fishing, oil spillage disasters and the fur trade.

●To halt transportation of farm animals to the continent and to campaign for a

supermarket labelling scheme called ‘Freedom Food’.

●To initiate animal welfare training across the world.

Figure 2.6.2 (continued)