Here’s the Instructions from Georgina Whyatt for the End of Term Paper:  Managing the implementation of a ‘Marketing our Co-operative Advantage’ (MOCA) Strategy at Co-operators Group Limited

The marketplace interest in societal contribution and social responsibility continues to expand; therefore, the reasons for investing in the implementation of a ‘Marketing our Co-operative Advantage’ (MOCA) strategy are strengthening.   This essay asks you to consider the activities that ensure the implementation of a ‘Marketing our Co-operative Advantage’ (MOCA) strategy is successful in Co-operators Group Limited.

Co-operators Group Limited is a large Canadian co-operative offering insurance and financial services to Canada.  Co-operators Group Limited it is owned by 46 Canadian co-operatives, who are true to the co-operative character by upholding the co-operative values and principles as defined by the International Co-operative Alliance.

The international co-operative identity, values and principles:  https://www.ica.coop/en/cooperatives/cooperative-identity.

Co-operators Group Limited operates its financial services through 15 subsidiary companies and is the 6th largest insurer in Canada with over 5500 employees.

https://www.cooperators.ca/en/About-Us/why-coops-are-better.aspx.

This requires you: (i) to explain what Co-operators Group Limited does in this area, (ii) to critically evaluate their practice, and (iii) to make recommendations to Co-operators Group Limited.  Use the literature to justify your comments and claims.

In the Bhattacharya (2016) article, Figure 4 is titled ‘4Cs for Making CSR Activities Successful’.  According to Bhattachrya (2016), these 4Cs are:

  1. Co-creation
  2. Commitment
  3. Calibration
  4. Communication

Please use the 4Cs Model as a framework for your report and consider the actions of Co-operators Group Limited under each of the 4Cs headings.

Co-create:  How does Co-operators Group Limited co-create social, environmental value with / for its member or customers, which builds feelings of loyalty?  How well does Co-operators Group Limited integrate their sustainability efforts into marketing and business strategy, to co-create value for members and customers?  How can this be improved in your co-operative?   See “Co-creation and Calibration at Co-operators Group”.  “Co-operators 2018 Integrated Report, in particular pages 40-55 and pages 74-75”.  See “Co-operators Strategic Plan 2019-2022.  See “Co-operators Marketing Personas”

Commitment:  How committed are employees to the MOCA strategy at Co-operators Group Limited?  What is employees level of understanding of Co-operators’ MOCA strategy?  What needs to be done to improve this? See “Commitment at Co-operators Group”.  See Pages 58-65 in “Co-operators 2018 Integrated Report”

Calibration: How is MOCA, and other marketing successes measured? What objectives and KPIs are used?  How do these measures create benchmarks that drive the right behaviours for MOCA? How can these measures or benchmarks be improved to ensure a ‘Marketing our Co-operative Advantage’ (MOCA) strategy is delivered?  See the “Co-operators 2018 Integrated Report”.

Communication: How does Co-operators Group Limited communicate its co-operative values, character and ethos to customers?  To members? To employees?  What media are used?  How can this be improved? See “Co-operators Marketing Personas”.   See “Commitment at Co-operators Group”.    See www.cooperators.ca.    See https://www.facebook.com/TheCooperatorsInsurance. 

It is important that you discuss:

  • what your co-op currently does (in terms of Bhattacharya’s (2016) 4Cs),
  • where this works well, and
  • where you see shortfalls, and
  • explain how you believe this can be improved (i.e. make recommendations and justify them).

Share your views on using this model as a potential guide for Marketing our Co-operative Advantage (MOCA) implementation with The Co-operators Group Limited.

Make recommendations and justify these by drawing on: the literature in this course (5240), your observations, and data sets available to you. These data sets could, for example, be internal and available from your co-op, generally available externally, or drawn from the on-line discussion in your study groups.

Even though it was not developed specifically for co-operatives, do you think the Bhattacharya (2016) 4Cs model is suitable for co-operatives and the implementation of a ‘Marketing our Co-operative Advantage’ (MOCA) strategy?  What would you suggest as changes to the 4Cs model for to enable co-operatives to use as a guide for MOCA implementation?