Summary
Plum's #Empties4Good Shelters do good for the planet and our furry friends. In the scorching 2022 summer, Plum transformed its initiative into a lifeline for India's strays. Using 2 million empties, Plum built shelters, drawing 10,000+ inquiries and social media coverage. Beyond curbing pollution, the campaign positioned Plum as a beacon of goodness, resonating with people caring for strays. With fabricator support and optimized designs, Plum showcased a powerful blend of responsibility and heartfelt action.
Challenge
Our primary objective was to take the programme forward by Reducing plastic pollution even further (given that Plum's empties use only recycled plastics) Taking a step further in animal welfare, by being cruelty-free in our actions and not just in our production.
Objective
Plum is a vegan and cruelty-free personal care brand that believes in making a real impact on society by staying clean, being real, and doing good. Their #Empties4Good program empowers our consumers to send back their empty tubes and bottles (empties) to be recycled and minimise our impact on the environment. In turn, we reward them with points redeemable on their next purchase. Plum's #Empties4Good program has already amassed 2 million empty containers, empowering customers to recycle their "empties" by sending them back for rewards in shopping credits.
Strategy
In 2022, the legal system backed citizens' rights to care for the 35 million stray animals in India, aligning with the efforts of animal lovers. Most of India was also prey to a brutal heatwave with temperatures soaring as high as 45˚ Celsius. Using this as an opportunity, we used the empties to construct well-ventilated and budget-friendly Plum Shelters that became homes for those without a voice – our furry stray friends from the streets. These shelters were strategically installed in heat-intense areas of Mumbai, becoming a viral sensation among animal lovers. People volunteered for maintenance upon signing up, facilitating the production and installation of more shelters across cities, free of cost. The cause gained momentum, attracting individuals actively involved in animal welfare. We leveraged WhatsApp, groups, and social media forums to showcase our efforts, engaging a network of like-minded advocates. Simplifying the nomination process, a QR code on Plum Shelters allowed easy neighborhood submissions. Plum's commitment resonated, generating widespread interest and positive coverage on social media, animal welfare pages, and news publications. The brand's values were recognized by thousands of followers, customers, and fabricators alike, fostering a community actively encouraging and participating in shelter expansion.
Data
Plum Goodness, known for their cruelty-free products, gained popularity for their stand to help anPlum imals. Brand Love for Plum took a new turn even with people who weren't involved in these efforts. Through the engagements on our social media handles, we had a renewed interest from audiences who commented about trying Plum's products, and commitment from existing customers to keep sustaining the #Empties4Good programmes.
Solution
Results
We received 10,000+ enquiries via Google forms, WhatsApp, and our phones just didn't stop ringing for days! The organic media coverage through popular social media pages, groups and Animal Welfare pages had an overwhelming response. With nominations and requests from different states, our shelters travelled thousands of kilometers and over 70 cities across the country. Our shelters gained popularity on WhatsApp groups giving birth to virtual communities of animal lovers who were willing to contribute towards this cause in every way possible. Motivated by the response, our fabricators helped us optimize the shelter designs to cut the production cost by about four times! This allowed us to generate more shelters and expand our reach by five times. About half a million empties were recycled in making these shelters. With more and more people willing to donate empties, we witnessed a shift in the mindset of people and encouraged them to contribute towards the greater good. Thanks to this campaign, thousands of strays had shelter from the scorching sun and much-needed respite and cover from the merciless monsoons. Plum – a brand that stood for cruelty-free personal care, became a symbol of goodness.
