Corporate identity in the third sector. The spot as a communication tool

Abstract

Corporate identity, as a key factor in distinguishing organisations, must be built and communicated appropriately in order to serve their positioning. This study explores how organisations operating in the third sector use advertising commercials, whether they do so strategically to communicate their corporate identity, and whether this contributes to their differentiation and positioning. To this end, a representative sample of 56 third sector commercials was selected by means of a convenience sampling from among all those broadcasted in 2023 on generalist television in Spain, on which a content analysis was carried out. The results show that 17.8% of the commercials have an objective focused on image building, but only 7% of them are completely aligned with all the elements of the corporate identity. Most of the commercials focus on the mission of the entities, although the observed missions are very similar between organisations, making differentiation difficult. In conclusion, the commercials do not respond to a strategic interest in the service of positioning, although they do reinforce the visual identity of the organisations, but they do not manage to differentiate them effectively. SC entities need more creative and differentiating advertising strategies that reinforce their identity and corporate purpose.