MarketPlace

Christmas CSR taking shape in building, buying loyalty

XMAS

A Christmas tree: The event is a big marketing tool. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU

In Kenya and internationally companies spread the Christmas cheer this year by engaging in charitable corporate social responsibility activities, with no profit in mind.

“CSR activities especially during the Christmas period reflect positively on a company, with consumers wanting to be associated with a company that participates in activities for the good of the community,” said Stella Kimani, a brand strategist.

Such giving has also been shown to increase staff loyalty and motivation.

In Britam’s case, staff from the group visited the Angel Centre Children’s Home in Dagoretti, Nairobi, on Christmas Eve, and donated food, including milk, sugar and flour, as well as baby diapers.

“We exist in a bigger community and there are people around us who are not privileged, so as employees we decided to engage in an initiative during this period by contributing clothes and dried foods, and the company also contributed monetarily,” said Yvonne Tharao, Group Marketing Manager at Britam.

“Britam Group contributed Sh200,000, from this we bought food, cake, and bouncy castles and trampolines for the children to play on, among other items.”

The staff also engaged with the children as they spent the day doing chores such as cooking meals, washing clothes, cleaning, folding clothes, serving meals and caring for the younger children.

The day aligned with the group’s CSR aims of adopting and encouraging a positive impact from its consumers, employees, communities and stakeholders.

Globally, companies likewise engaged in charitable festive activities, especially for the less fortunate. In the UK, Euston Station, which is the fifth busiest railway station in Britain with approximately 42m entries and exits a year, was transformed into a homeless shelter on Christmas Day.

No trains ran from the London station from Christmas Day until after Boxing Day, giving Network Rail a unique opportunity to put the building to use for a good cause.

“Everything, including people’s time, has been donated. And I cannot think of a better way to spend my Christmas Day – it even beats working on the railway,” said Steve Naybour, the head of Network Rail’s team that ran the event, in an interview with a local newspaper.

The main platforms of the station were laid with tables and decorated with a Christmas tree and garlands as over 200 homeless people in London were served dinner by 80 volunteers from Network Rail, alongside volunteers’ from other charities.

Festive music was played on the piano as the guests were served a four-course banquet that included soup, smoked salmon, roast turkey, Christmas pudding and mince pies. They also received donated clothes and medical services for their pets.

Other organisations, such as Sarit Centre chose the holiday season as a prompt to spread cheer by supporting a local primary school, Westlands Primary, with a donation towards the construction of its pupils’ dormitories.

READ: How firms can increase impact of CSR projects

Through the shopping centre’s loyalty card, it is donating Sh10 for every 100 points collected between December 1, 2017 and 31, January 2018, and has committed to a minimum donation of Sh500,000.

“At the end of each month, the points on members cards are automatically converted to cash (known as epurse) in multiples of 100 points, but a minimum of 100 points need to remain on the card at a value of 70 cents for each point- hence if one has 240 points on their card at the end of the month ,100 of these will be converted into cash — Sh70 and Sh140 points will be carried forward on their card. Members can also convert points to epurse during the month online,” said Litin Shah, the centre’s operational manager.

“Any shopper who presents shopping of Sh3,000 or more gets points, but normally a fee of Sh200 is levied, however, during this period we are waiving it.”

Across all such initiatives, organisations and their staff have engaged to take the spirit of the Christmas holidays to the less fortunate and those in need, reinforcing their emphasis not only on profits, but on benefits for the broader community.

- African Laughter