This article is written by Matthew Tucker and is part of the Webjam Charity Channel
New Media is changing the way we live, work and communicate. Harnessing the power of the digital byte is now commonly accepted as the cheaper and more effective alternative to traditional methods of communication.
Staying ahead in New Media and capitalising on the opportunities of the medium is also as important for charities as it is for businesses. Like any business or organisation, a charity must engage its audience, its ‘consumers’, to entertain and inform in its pursuit of gaining wider awareness of their good cause and, ultimately, to raise funds.
With a third of all small charities surviving on an income of less than £10,000 a year, keeping costs low is vital in maintaining healthy charity account books. With websites, viral campaigning, e-newsletters, online donating and online social networking (with your very own Webjam Charity Channel right here) the charity sector is hot on the heels of the benefits of New Media development.
One charity taking new media to the next level is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies with their recent launch of Emergency Response Unit (ERU); ‘The Red Cross Game’. The game is a simulation of what it is like to be a Red Cross aid worker; what they describe as possibly “the toughest job on earth”. With the initial free trial of the game, the player is given their first mission: a major flood has devastated a community in Mexico and they desperately need emergency aid. With 2000 people homeless, 150 dead and 700 wounded, the player has to help them survive for six weeks until local authorities can get the situation under control.
Founded in 1919, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian organisation, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. The Federation carries out relief operations to assist victims of disasters, and combines this with development work to strengthen the capacities of its member National Societies.
Run directly through your Internet browser, The Red Cross Game has smooth cartoon graphics and realistic audio sound effects. In the trial tutorial you give evacuees medical treatment, moving them between shelter camps, medical centres and schools to complete your mission. A full version of the game can be purchased with 50% of the proceeds going to The International Red Cross.
Not only is The International Red Cross using New Media to its current potential, but it is tapping into a huge market of the Internet: online strategy gaming. Testament to the huge popularity and success of this entertainment platform is 'World of Warcraft'; a title that has become a household name among many computer gamers. Launched in 2004, 'World of Warcraft' dominates the online role-playing market with a 62% share and over 11 million monthly subscribers. So popular is the game that real currency exchanges hands in the trading of powerful characters, despite the official banning of the practise. Unlike World of Warcraft, The Red Cross Game is not multiplayer, but the potential is clear.
There is of course one big difference between The Red Cross Game and other online strategy game titles: The Red Cross Game is a battle to save lives, rather than battles to destroy lives, as is the case in World of Warcraft, Ultima Online, Command and Conquer, etc. Instead, the game guides you through the relief activities of the International Red Cross giving you the resources to deal with the humanitarian needs of a natural disaster in a virtual world.
The game goes to great lengths not to dilute the purpose of the charity and emphasises the Seven Fundamental Principles of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies proclaimed in 1965: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality.
It is perhaps fitting that one of the oldest and most respected of international aid organisations should now be leading the way in new forms of charity marketing and establishing a new platform on which to reach a new generation.
The Red Cross Game combines the best of New Media, entertainment and education. Much like the recent televised Children in Need Appeal, which threw fun entertainment into a mix of informative charity campaigning, it appears that entertainment is a proven and effective fundraising method.
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This article is written by Matthew Tucker and is part of the Webjam Charity Channel Flickr image from macinate's photostream
