Cool Marketing Thoughts

About thirty sick children had a very good and relaxing time last Saturday because together with their parents they had been invited to spend a day at the Planckendael zoo. This isn’t shocking news of world importance, but the story behind it is. Citigroup organized its very first ‘Global Community Day’ last weekend, and over 40.000 volunteers (workers of the Citigroup) from over 100 countries engaged themselves in a social mood for over 700 projects.

Although they’ve had ‘Volunteer Day’ for over two years, this was the first time the event had such an international and massive allure. Employees of the Citigroup get a day payed leave to participate in the project for one or the other social event. In Belgium they partnered with Mistral Gagnant, an organisation that helps sick children feel at ease and entertains them while recovering from diseases like cancer and other severe illnesses. To help them recover mentally, to close the gap between being isolated in a hospital and getting back to playing with other kids.

In the Planckendael zoo, kids and parents could follow a guided tour and there were workshops where they could express theirselves with colors, tinkering and small artworks. Citibank employees brought their own families as well, and the kids would be split up in small ‘units’ of 4 to 5 children of roughly the same age, so they could socialize and experience the event together.

Citigroup said that they’d love to repeat the event and make it an annual cross-border (cross-continental) highlight in their social activities.

I think it’s great that companies organize these kind of things during ‘paid’ company time. Not because they have to do it, but because of the image they build for their company while doing something back for the community. Because of the necessity to have their employees away from the desks and in touch with people they work for. Because of the moral value to participate in creating a nicer place, even if it’s only for a day. Imagine all companies did this. Think of how much better the earth would be, one day at a time.