Non-governmental organizations are doing a "poor job of positioning themselves" in a world where they're often seen as "well-intentioned but not able," according to Richard Edelman, CEO of communications firm Edelman.
Speaking at Catalysing Change Week, a global meeting hosted by social entrepreneurs and social innovators of the Catalyst 2030 movement, Edelman said large NGOs are "superbrands" and can't "stand outside the tent and say, 'We're the right people.' You can't simply stand outside the tent and say, 'We're the right people.'" Instead, Edelman said, NGOs should focus on individual leaders and put more spotlight on their successes.
"The most credible source of information is my NGO's or my company's newsletter, 10 points higher than mainstream media, 25 points higher than advertising," he said, per the Guardian.
"You can't simply stand outside the tent and say, 'We're the right people.' David Miliband is famous, but [for] a lot of the others, you can't even name the heads of the organizations."
Edelman's firm's annual Trust Barometer, which surveyed more than 36,000 people in 28 countries, found that businesses were more trusted than NGOs
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