Unilever, one of the top FMCG companies
globally, is always at the forefront of social
change, harnessing the power of insightful
storytelling -- to create awareness and incite
social change. The Lifebuoy “Help a child
reach 5” campaign aims to reduce diarrhoea,
pneumonia and several other life-threatening
infections through behavioural change and
habit forming education, such as washing their
hands with soap and water.
Companies have realised that they too can be a
proponent of civil and social change. However,
this requires partnerships with other companies,
the community and government to create longterm and sustainable change.
Whether a company does good business by
improving the quality of education, empowering
women in the workplace, building roads for the
communities or food, security and agriculture,
social responsibility is something which goes
In the fast-food realm of business, KFC has beyond profit margins.
implemented the Add Hope project, providing
a fictional menu whereby consumers can add PR stunt or not, social responsibility is the
R2 to their meal purchase. The proceeds going new face of business, the human face. It’s a
towards feeding around 70 000 of the hungry solid opportunity to make life-long consumer
children in S.A. Every KFC store also gives a connections. To create sustainable chains of
percentage of their proft to the Add Hope Trust value and transform the way people live. It’s
yearly. Since its founding in 2009, the Trust had the business of being more positive, driving
managed to raise over R210 million by 2014, effort to make change based on an unhindered
these are combined contributions made by optimism for the future.
both consumers and KFC stores.
93
IMBO/ ISSUE 32/ '14