Co-branding: La Marca de una ONG como Fuente de Ingresos Estables y Apalancamiento para la Certificación B de Empresas Venezolanas: El Caso de Coromoto 2020.

Luis Cova; Isabel  Rodríguez

Authors

Luis Cova Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas (Venezuela)
Isabel Rodríguez Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas (Venezuela)

Abstract

This study explores how an NGO can secure stable sources of funding through the use of a co-branding approach to form partnerships with Venezuelan companies seeking B Certification. B Certification has gained popularity at the international, regional, and national levels as a way to encourage companies to harness market forces to generate a positive social and environmental impact. The case of the Venezuelan NGO Coromoto 2020 is presented as a potential vehicle through which such companies can demonstrate their social impact. To ensure that an NGO has a relevant and credible brand for this type of partnership, a documentary investigation was carried out on co-branding, B Certification, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the NGO sector. Interviews were also conducted with directors from the Coromoto 2020 case, experts in B Certification, and executives from companies that are already certified. Finally, a broad group of stakeholders was consulted using a digital questionnaire to gather their perceptions of Coromoto 2020, CSR initiatives, and knowledge of B Certification. Based on the findings, a branding strategy and digital communication guidelines for co-branding were developed, using Coromoto 2020 as an example. These tools are intended to support the communication efforts of companies aiming to become B Certified. This study is part of the research line on Branding and Digital Presence at the Marketing Department of Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.

Author Biography

Luis Cova, Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas (Venezuela)

Professor Luis Cova has devoted a significant part of his professional development to research. He completed his Ph.D. at Princeton University, New Jersey, and later joined Florida International University (FIU) to teach at a time when the institution was beginning to promote research. "At both institutions, professors guided their research projects by supervising master’s and doctoral theses, which led to articles for peer-reviewed journals and conferences—not just at the end of the process, but throughout the students' studies. That is how learning takes place at the higher levels of university education: by generating new knowledge!" Cova recalls. His interest remained strong, so he adopted the same model and applied it when he joined Universidad Metropolitana. “I used the same approach for the undergraduate theses I began supervising in the School of Administrative Sciences.” Cova’s line of research focuses on Branding and Digital Presence, an area he coordinates in the Marketing Department at Unimet. His work seeks to "understand how organizations are applying digital marketing methodologies to their brands and what results they are obtaining for their businesses." This led to the need to understand how these tools are applied within the educational context, specifically at the Casa Naranja. In 2020, Cova supervised the undergraduate thesis "Proposal for a Brand Strategy for Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas on the Social Media Platforms Where It Was Active During the Second Quarter of 2020," by graduate Isabel Pacheco. "This study led us to conduct our first field research. Coincidentally, it was carried out during the quarter when the COVID-19 pandemic began, so we captured a snapshot of the Unimet community's perception right at the start of what would become a fundamental change in our way of life. That research showed that Unimet was mainly valued for its academic offerings, represented by the number of degree programs, the educational model, and the quality of teaching. It was concluded that the essence of the brand could be summarized in the phrase: ‘Discover Your Potential.’" A year and a half later, Cova supervised the research project "Development of the Unimet Brand Strategy and Guidelines for Its Digital Marketing Communication, Considering Changes in Community Perception Due to the Pandemic in the Third Quarter of 2021," by graduate Beatriz Damián. "The fieldwork for this research was carried out in September 2021, coinciding with the beginning of the return to in-person activities at the University. This gave us the opportunity to understand and compare the impact of the pandemic on the institution’s brand," he noted. As a bonus, these theses led to the development of the scientific article "Evolution of the Brand Strategy of Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas (Unimet) Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic." From the second thesis, it was concluded that "the perception of the Unimet community about the brand could be summarized in the phrase: ‘Together Toward Excellence.’”