Creating a Benchmark for Volunteerism and Social Responsibility: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®
8:28 AM
Long before
corporate social responsibility and volunteerism became a buzzword for brands
and corporations, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has already made it an
intrinsic mission and company philosophy.
It’s a commitment
that they took on back in 2008, when they started the Give In To Giving, 12
Cups with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® campaign, an initiative designed to
share this mission with its loyal customers.
“It began by
taking something that was relevant to customers at the time—the “planner
craze,” if you will— and creating something more meaningful that could be an
extension of our commitment as a brand to giving back. What spurred out of this
intention was a Commemorative Notebook that became a medium for us, and
our patrons, to support advocacies in need and share their blessings. It
was and continues to be the only journal that encourages more purposeful action
towards ones’ social responsibility,” explained Paolo del Rosario, Vice
President for Marketing of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®.
Customers were
asked to collect 12 stamps and choose from any of the 12 advocacies and
organizations that The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf was supporting. These ranged
from women’s groups, to children, animals, the environment, indigenous people
or those with disabilities and illnesses. Completing all 12 stamps meant the
customer could bring home the commemorative notebook that featured artworks
from contemporary Filipino artists and proceeds collected went to each
customer’s chosen organization. The original artworks featured in the covers of
the Commemorative Notebook were also auctioned and were donated to the
charities.
The entire
campaign was such a success that not only was it well received by loyal
patrons; it also won numerous awards.
The following
year, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® introduced its follow up with 24 Cups of
Goodwill, where proceeds from the campaign were given to its 24 partner
organizations. In 2010, for Changing Lives with Every Cup, they shifted their
focus on sending scholars to school by partnering with Real Life Foundation and
their Adopt-a-Scholar program, where the company was successfully able to send
8 scholars to university.
In 2012, they
continued their efforts with the iBuild campaign, which helped raise
sustainable housing solutions for impoverished families. And by 2014, they
introduced the Brew Your Best Year campaign, which evolved their efforts into
giving back to their loyal patrons by helping them give back to themselves as
well. Through this initiative, they hope to help each person in their journey
towards becoming the best version of themselves.
Their efforts
through the years prove how a brand can become meaningful in addressing social
change.
“It’s so much more
than being well-intentioned; because at the end of the day, taking on social
responsibility has to be part of a brand’s DNA,” says del Rosario.
Is it naïve to
expect businesses to take on a responsibility as great as this, the way The
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® did?
Not necessarily.
Companies today,
locally and worldwide, are putting more focus on developing a culture of
volunteerism and social responsibility—recognizing how working together can
make a real difference in the community, while at the same time opening up
opportunities for learning, cooperation and leadership within the organization.
What makes The
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®’s efforts stand out however, is the sincerity that
drives their initiatives, where they have managed to uplift the true essence of
what it truly means to care.
Case-in-point,
expanding annual efforts to now cover a full year of advocacies.
Consistently, The
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® brings people together to participate in various
community outreach events. “We place great effort into putting such events
together not only for the sole purpose of helping the community, but also to
encourage our own Customers and Team Members to spend meaningful time bringing
joy to others in an impactful and sincere way,” explains Nella Lomotan,
Engagement Marketing for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®.
These pocket
initiatives, held monthly, are part of the Caring Cup series. And whether it’s
a simple story telling event in a hospital, a physical fitness session with
public school students, a tree planting project, an art workshop for children
with disabilities, each event is designed to foster the spirit of volunteerism
and giving among its participants.
In fact, last
February 14, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® made sure to create an avenue to
give love and receive love as they mounted the “Paint the Town Red this
Valentines’ event. Volunteers spent the day of love giving love to children
with disabilities at AIME home via a t-shirt painting activity with the intent
of giving kids something that they will always remember.
“The Caring Cup is
a way for us to expand and uphold a vision that we have long established for
the company, where we hope to cultivate the spirit of volunteerism in our
Community. We strongly encourage everyone who wants to be a part of something
that impacts the life of others in a meaningful way to visit our stores and
sign up for our next events.” ends del Rosario.
Follow The Coffee
Bean & Tea Leaf®’s social media pages and subscribe to www.brewyourbestyear.com
to stay updated on their Caring Cup events.
Facebook:
facebook.com/coffeebeanphilippines
Instagram: instagram.com/cbtlph
Twitter: twitter.com/cbtlph
Instagram: instagram.com/cbtlph
Twitter: twitter.com/cbtlph
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