This is lesson seventeen. This is towards one of our missions. Education. You’ll learn everything about marketing — from the basics to the most advanced strategies — for free, thanks to VellumWorks.
What makes one organisation stronger than another — even when they have similar goals, markets, or budgets?
The Resource-Based View (RBV) argues that true competitive advantage doesn’t come from external trends or market conditions.
It comes from what’s inside the organisation. Its unique resources and capabilities.
What is the resource-based view?
Developed by Jay Barney (1991) and building on earlier strategic theories, RBV suggests that a firm’s success depends on using its internal resources in ways that competitors can’t easily copy.
These resources include more than just money. They span people, processes, knowledge, relationships, and reputation.
The VRIN Framework: What Makes a Resource Powerful
Barney’s RBV introduced the VRIN criteria. Here are four qualities that make a resource truly valuable:
Valuable - Does it help you deliver value or reduce cost?
Example: A strong donor network that increases campaign reach.
Rare - Do few others have it?
Example: A unique story, local presence, or cultural trust no one else can replicate.
Inimitable - Is it difficult to copy or substitute?
Example: Authentic brand reputation built over years.
Non-Substitutable - Can it be replaced by something else?
Example: A team’s collective experience or relationships that can’t be bought.
When a resource meets all four criteria, it becomes a sustainable advantage. The kind that lasts beyond short-term tactics.
Examples in Business and Charity
In Business: Apple’s design culture, brand loyalty, and software ecosystem form an internal network that competitors can’t replicate easily.
In Charities: A charity’s advantage might come from community trust, dedicated volunteers, or a transparent impact model.
These aren’t just assets. They’re the core resources that drive donations, engagement, and long-term credibility.
Tangible vs Intangible Resources
While tangible assets matter, it’s the intangible ones, mission, relationships, brand identity, that often make the biggest difference, especially for nonprofits.
Tangible | Intangible |
|---|---|
Equipment, finances, technology | Reputation, knowledge, culture, trust |
10-Minute Exercise: Identify Your VRIN Resources
Take a few minutes to list what makes your organisation unique:
What resources or skills truly drive your results?
Which of these are rare or difficult to copy?
How can you invest in protecting and strengthening them?
Then, ask: Are we using our rare resources to their fullest potential?
Why This Matters for Charities
Charities often underestimate their internal strengths.
RBV reminds us that competitive advantage isn’t only for businesses. It’s for any organisation that wants to create a lasting impact.
Your trust, authenticity, relationships, and knowledge are assets.
When you recognise and nurture them, you build resilience, and that’s what allows your mission to thrive long after the latest marketing trend fades.
Why is this important to know?
Because this is where all of marketing begins. If you don’t understand value exchange, customer-centricity, and relationships, every other framework, from the 4Ps to AI-driven campaigns, will feel like scattered tactics.
When you see marketing as creating mutual value, you stop thinking about “selling” and start thinking about serving. That shift changes how you design products, run campaigns, and connect with people.
This matters not just for businesses, but for charities, communities, and society — because marketing done right builds trust, spreads ideas that matter, and makes people’s lives better.
At VellumWorks, we believe knowledge should be free. That’s why this series will guide you, step by step, through everything from the basics to the most advanced strategies in marketing: no jargon, no gatekeeping, just education that empowers.
