Interview With Christian Aid

After working for PlayStation heading up major launches such as PSP and PS3, Katrin Owusu joined Christian Aid to set up and launch the Ctrl.Alt.Shift brand tasked with engaging 18-25 year olds in global development issues. Here she discusses the challenges faced in creating dialogue with this hard to reach sector.

What is biggest challenge you face in attracting a youth audience to your charity?
We need to make sure the issues are relevant to them, we have all seen charity ads, and heard stories in the papers about the horrific things that go on in the world, but we need to make sure this news is relevant to the young people we are trying to target, by highlighting atrocities and drawing parallels with what is going on in their world we aim to find   common ground, similarities in lifestyles and then turn it around and ask, what if it was happening to you, what if this was happening in your backyard. This is central to how we encourage people to engage with Ctrl.Alt.Shift.

How do you try to differentiate yourselves from other charities in the same sector? 
By offering Ctrl.Alt.Shift as a platform for the target audience to submit their own content we are bringing the issues from the outside in, we are getting people to decide what they believe is wrong in the world,  we want  people to engage with Ctrl.Alt.Shift as a brand one which is says something specific about you. We want people to wear the badge with pride rather than have the issues shoved down their throats, its something to be discovered, something that they can shape and evolve.  We want them to wear Ctrl.Alt.Shift in the same way that they would wear their favourite brands, an iPod, the Nike swoosh, something that they feel says something about who they are. The fact that they are doing 'good' is almost incidental - they are becoming politicised via their engagement with Ctrl.Alt.Shift and taken on a journey that will lead them to a real understanding and engagement with the issues and empower them to change their world

What has been the most successful way of you connecting with your audience to date?
Empowering them to make a change themselves rather than just getting them to agree with you that something needs to be done. Through the cultural initiatives we work with from film, art, photography to club nights, and competitions etc they need to feel that they are part of the answer, they also need something in return, be it fun at an event or chances to win a competition or a platform from which to showcase their ideas around the issues of global development. Charity should be a two way model in which the donor of time or money should get a little more out of it than a warm fuzzy feeling.

On a digital level it is a lot easier to target specific audiences, because segments are more clearly defined such as social networking groups. On a ground level it is a lot more personal, attending relevant events, giving talks in relevant areas in which your target audiences will be, and reaching them in an environment that they feel comfortable in.

Are there any success stories in other charity sectors that you would like to use as a benchmark for connecting with youth markets?
In terms of benchmarking connection with youth markets - the supporter base of Amnesty International and the kudos that comes with supporting the brand has provided a benchmark for its connection with youth audiences, they have a lot of public support and its seen as 'cool' to support their cause

What is your personal motivation for attracting people to your charity?
The personal motivation is feeling that rather than having a negative impact on the world you are actually making a contribution to it, at the same time you are empowering other people to take action, not in a patronising way, but a way that is giving people realistic channels and targets that they can achieve, to make a change. By creating this movement we are also getting young people involved in a community in which they can interact with likeminded people who want to engage in the issues, and who believe they can create change.

Unless affected on a personal level by an issue what reasons do people give for becoming associated with your charity?
Ctrl.Alt.Shift uses competitions and events to achieve this, giving the volunteers a real feeling of involvement along with the opportunities to win, gain experience and give something valuable back to you for the personal contribution that you make.

How has the charity sector as a whole changed in recent years?
Yes, the market is a lot more crowded. The UK is actually the most saturated market place in terms of charities competing for share of voice and for funding.  The traditional model of charity, donations and fundraising appeal to a certain type of supporter and these are becoming rare in this crowded market place. This has also been compounded by the credit crunch and people are much more reluctant to give money but the upside of that is people are much more willing to get involved by donating their time which in the case of young people is much more relevant and all the more reason to engage them. I think that the success in future will be dependent on to how well an organisation manages not only to communicate the issues but how effective you are at channelling people into the cause

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