Digital transformation strategy for the RSPCA.

We were approached by the RSPCA when the charity sought an agency to create a digital transformation strategy – the first of its kind for the organisation.

The strategy needed to provide the senior stakeholders with:

• A clear picture of the current state of digital
• A vision and objectives
• Key focus areas that would allow them to increase their level of digital maturity over the next five years (in line with requirements from the new corporate strategy)

With total immersion into the organisation and our remit to deliver the strategy, our team went about a comprehensive root and branch review of technology and activity across the charity, including multiple stakeholder interviews.

Help in different areas

Following the creation and delivery of the strategy, the charity retained our services to help kick-start and embed a digital marketing transformation workstream, working with various in-house teams, including Digital, Fundraising and Mass Engagement.

The RSPCA was already using digital as part of its activity to engage supporters and run its services; however, it was necessary to assess existing activity ensure existing to understand if the tactical approach would support the new corporate strategy.

Senior stakeholders were aware that the organisation's digital maturity level was insufficient and needed to understand which priority areas to address. At the time, there was no digital transformation strategy in operation and no clear roadmap of what was required to advance maturity.

Alongside the need to improve digital maturity, there was no digital transformation strategy across the organisation and no clear roadmap of what was required.  

The final obstacle to overcome was to have the right person available to lead and implement the digital marketing transformation workstream. Without clear oversight and direction, there was a danger of the work not starting.

To move the multiple workstreams forward, we were engaged to perform this. Our experience in auditing, delivering digital strategy, and providing on-the-ground support to help implement the workstream enabled us to kickstart crucial workstreams. 

Fresh Egg has been invaluable to us in helping us develop our digital strategy and working practices. They have been there for everything from recruitment to helping us ensure that our digital staff get the most out of their working day. Best of all, we have all had the chance to learn from digital workshops that have helped grow our own knowledge and expertise.

Klare Kennett, Assistant Director Marketing, Communications and Education at RSPCA

The project started with a discovery phase that had three key areas of focus: 

• Organisation immersion – complete immersion within the charity, including face-to-face stakeholder interviews, digital marketing auditing and channel usage analysis
• Audience research - using quantitative and qualitative data, including interviews, to understand the needs, behaviours and experience across their end-to-end journey
• Competitor and market analysis - assessment of the key competitors within the sector, plus analysis of other relevant market information and factors.

The detailed research findings and insights were documented, then used to create the strategy itself. The strategy output included: 

• The end-state vision
• The digital transformation strategy on a page
• The summarised current state of digital (including channel usage and capability audits)
• Proposed tactical areas of focus
• Year one quick wins
• Top-level roadmap
• Measurement framework 

Following the digital transformation strategy delivery, a series of planning sessions took place with senior leaders and RSPCA's executive team members. The sessions included prioritising the required tactical activity. Collectively, we identified the need to create a digital marketing transformation workstream during the collaborative planning sessions to focus efforts on developing this critical area.

With no one in-house at the charity with the time, skills and expertise to plan and implement this workstream, Fresh Egg supported by placing a Strategy Director and Account Director in-house to work closely with the right teams and people every week for six months. 

During this time, we implemented several initiatives, including: 

• Creation of a Digital Boot Camp training programme and delivery of some training courses
• Support on the planning and implementation of prioritised tactics from the Digital Transformation Strategy
• Creation of the Digital University central repository of resources and learning
• Regular strategic and tactical advice for internal stakeholders and teams, including coaching and mentoring of individuals. 

The delivery of the digital transformation strategy provided the charity with an in-depth understanding of the current situation concerning its digital capabilities and a clear plan of where it needed to focus on growing the level of digital maturity over the next five years. 

Working on this project was really rewarding, as it allowed us to build on the existing digital skills and knowledge the RSPCA had, to then really focus in what to improve in order to align with their overall strategic goals.

David Someville, Strategy Director

As an owner of a rescue dog there was an extra element of satisfaction in helping to increase digital capability and effectiveness for such a worthwhile charity. A challenging, multifaceted project from start to finish that was wholly embraced by the RSPCA at all levels.

Lee Colbran, Co-Founder

• Provided senior stakeholders with a view of the current digital landscape, along with critical areas of focus/opportunity
• Ensured integration with other in-play strategic projects across the society
• Provided leadership and direction on where the charity needed to focus digital marketing transformation for the first 12 months
• Increased the skills and knowledge concerning digital marketing topics, with training delivered to more than 50 people
• Created frameworks that can be adopted by other digital marketing channels, providing starting points and saving time/effort
• Provided support, coaching and technical advice for people across multiple teams and at varying levels of seniority, increasing their levels of knowledge