Blue giraffe on the loose in Warsaw
Warsaw-based Avangarda, a foundation that seeks to integrate the physically and mentally impaired, or 'challenged individuals,' into the economy, hopes to capitalize on the growing acceptance by business in this country of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Established by Margaret Samborska, the foundation's president, whose mission was inspired by the experiences of her own handicapped sister, Avangarda plans to make its blue giraffe logo an instantly recognizable symbol that corporations in this country can flaunt as testimony to their active social concern.
Operating a number of workshops for the disabled that produce products for restaurants, such as napkins, candles, candle-stick holders and matches stamped with the blue giraffe, Avangarda is also looking to sell its range of stationery and promotional products to businesses.
"The idea is for challenged individuals to produce and sell to companies things [firms] need to buy anyway," Samborska explains, who cites the benefits her own sister was afforded when she was given the chance to earn her own income. Corporations are thus provided with grounds to proclaim their good deeds, she says, without having to fork out any additional cash.
Avangarda has already signed a contract with the Warsaw Destination Alliance (WDA) and also expects to get big names like Citibank, Commercial Union and Daimer-Chrysler on board before too long, though Samborska stresses that the project is still in its early stages. And at present the foundation is working with consultancy firm Deloitte, as well as Lynka promotional products, to chart its development.
Małgorzata Greszta, director of the local branch of the pan-EU CSR forum, is certainly positive about the project's chances of success in this country, where, she observes, CSR is still in its infancy and not always as strategically focused as in Western Europe.
"It's an attractive proposition for companies just starting to think about CSR," she says, reasoning that it offers companies an almost cost-free virtuous image.
However, Peter Truesdale, consultant at the UK-based Corporate Citizenship Company, is less convinced that companies will be willing to display another institution's logo for fear of confusing customers.
"I have to say that such proposals have never really taken off in the USA or the UK," he says.
John Lynch, director of Lynka Promotional Products and a Business Journal columnist, though, is more upbeat.
"Sure, companies won't want the logo on their stationary," he states, before explaining that companies would though gladly show the blue giraffe on their CSR reports, on their corporate responsibility websites and at sponsored events.
Samborska herself envisages the logo playing a role as the social equivalent of the recycling 'green point.' But given that the green point in Poland is owned by just one recovery organization, Rekopol, whose exclusive right to the logo is now both resented and challenged by other recovery organizations, could a similar backlash later befall the blue giraffe?
John Lynch thinks it more likely that other organizations will decide to imitate Avangarda's strategy to the letter and promote their own symbols. And in his view, this shouldn't cause anyone any problems, reasoning, "A website can easily carry several such logos without diminishing any of them."
Established by Margaret Samborska, the foundation's president, whose mission was inspired by the experiences of her own handicapped sister, Avangarda plans to make its blue giraffe logo an instantly recognizable symbol that corporations in this country can flaunt as testimony to their active social concern.
Operating a number of workshops for the disabled that produce products for restaurants, such as napkins, candles, candle-stick holders and matches stamped with the blue giraffe, Avangarda is also looking to sell its range of stationery and promotional products to businesses.
"The idea is for challenged individuals to produce and sell to companies things [firms] need to buy anyway," Samborska explains, who cites the benefits her own sister was afforded when she was given the chance to earn her own income. Corporations are thus provided with grounds to proclaim their good deeds, she says, without having to fork out any additional cash.
Avangarda has already signed a contract with the Warsaw Destination Alliance (WDA) and also expects to get big names like Citibank, Commercial Union and Daimer-Chrysler on board before too long, though Samborska stresses that the project is still in its early stages. And at present the foundation is working with consultancy firm Deloitte, as well as Lynka promotional products, to chart its development.
Małgorzata Greszta, director of the local branch of the pan-EU CSR forum, is certainly positive about the project's chances of success in this country, where, she observes, CSR is still in its infancy and not always as strategically focused as in Western Europe.
"It's an attractive proposition for companies just starting to think about CSR," she says, reasoning that it offers companies an almost cost-free virtuous image.
However, Peter Truesdale, consultant at the UK-based Corporate Citizenship Company, is less convinced that companies will be willing to display another institution's logo for fear of confusing customers.
"I have to say that such proposals have never really taken off in the USA or the UK," he says.
John Lynch, director of Lynka Promotional Products and a Business Journal columnist, though, is more upbeat.
"Sure, companies won't want the logo on their stationary," he states, before explaining that companies would though gladly show the blue giraffe on their CSR reports, on their corporate responsibility websites and at sponsored events.
Samborska herself envisages the logo playing a role as the social equivalent of the recycling 'green point.' But given that the green point in Poland is owned by just one recovery organization, Rekopol, whose exclusive right to the logo is now both resented and challenged by other recovery organizations, could a similar backlash later befall the blue giraffe?
John Lynch thinks it more likely that other organizations will decide to imitate Avangarda's strategy to the letter and promote their own symbols. And in his view, this shouldn't cause anyone any problems, reasoning, "A website can easily carry several such logos without diminishing any of them."
