Lahore School of Economics

Lahore School of Economics MBA II students displayed how public and private sector non profit organizations should market their services through creative and lively skits at the Main Campus today (October 27, 2004).

Chosen organization in the class project were SOS, Sahara (Trust for Life), Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, WAPDA, Edhi Foundation, Punjab Mental Health Institute and Aziz Jehan Begum Institute for Blind. The dynamics of nonprofit and public organizations and their unique marketing challenges were addressed. The students' presentations were based on the field work and primary data collected from the organization.

In recent years marketing has rapidly expanded its application from being primarily a commercial practice, to being used to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a range of non-profit activities. Over the past decade marketing has been adopted by public sector and voluntary agencies to improve communication with key audiences and enhance service standards. The marketing course at the Lahore School provides students with the opportunity to work with the organizations or government department to create a social or broader non-profit marketing program and campaign.

This display in front of an enthralled audiences not only introduced students to the basic theory and principles of non-profit marketing, explaining how techniques like advertising, billboards, and the communication can be used to tackle important social and health problems as well as be used by the public sector in delivery of services. The display also explored how the special needs of the non-profit sector have expanded the field of marketing in areas such as marketing to large donors and to small gift givers who regularly support non-profit organizations. Creativity was so evident that at the end of many skits, students and staff watching the display also contributed cash to the cause propagated. On the occasion, the Lahore School's Main Campus was decorated with creatively prepared advertisements that showed touching and strong messages.