News reaches me that a recent meeting in Cannes held by the
Women in Travel group raised €17,500 for the Hong Kong-based charity A drop of
Life. Well done to the organiser - World Duty Free Group’s networking supremo
Sarah Branquinho - and the WiTs!
The good news was communicated admirably by Row
Holland’s Essential Communications team, ensuring the whole travel retail
community knew about it within minutes, courtesy of some 24-hour news websites.
In the same way, it’s important for brand companies to communicate
their own CSR achievements.
Take Hershey, for example. The most moving moment ever in my
25-year career came during a trip to Hershey’s hometown in deepest Pennsylvania.
I knew before the visit that the company was connected to a philanthropic fund
of some sort which had been set up by its founder, making it a difficult
takeover target for anyone keen to acquire this US confectionery icon. But I
had no idea about the sheer scale of this charitable behemoth, The Milton
Hershey School Trust Fund, which still controls the company and runs a school
for disadvantaged children – many decades after the namesake founder died.
Looking around the state-of-the-art educational facilities,
surrounded by hundreds of acres of beautiful grounds designed for all types of sporting and
leisure pursuits, I was overwhelmed. A video showing the children being so
thankful for the huge opportunities given to them by this charitable trust
engendered so many powerful emotions.
Brands are all about connecting with your consumer on some
level – what better way than by emotions?
I loved the way Hershey had communicated its philanthropic
origins by displaying imagery on its stand during the TFWA World Exhibition. During the show, Hershey’s friendly team updated me on the new product developments
for Europe, with Reese’s peanut butter cups taking centre stage in various new
sharing pack formats. According to reports in a top UK celebrity magazine, the
Reese’s brand is the chocolate of choice for TV presenter Claudia Winkleman.
Love and Kisses all round!
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| My favourite MCM backpack in the Hershey rose garden, Pennsylvania |
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