India is home to 70% of tigers in the wild.[1] A highly endangered species, these magnificent cats are on the verge of extinction, with only 3200 in the wild.[2]
In our attempt to help the tiger, Care for Paws was conceived and launched by CSS Corp in 2013. The objective of initiative was to create awareness amongst general public about tigers and support the Karnataka State Forest Department in their conservation of the majestic animals.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) at CSS Corp, means we are aligning our values with a greater good and taking action to have a positive effect. CSS Corp is among the very few corporates who have taken up the cause of the big cats. The objective of the campaign was on how to increase the Tiger population in India by working with the state forest departments.
We decided to go through "cause marketing," route and created a comprehensive campaign which comprised multi-marketing channel mix like traditional media channels – PR, to in-location advertising, talk with the wildlife expert, videos, social media and online channels.
The campaign was also aimed at how can we improve employee cohesion and give the company a fresh sense of purpose by having more participation from the employees. 'Care for Paws' was a name that was chosen for the campaign, amongst many others received, through an "internal name the initiative competition" amongst employees.
We started our "care for paws" campaigns with Forrest Department of Karnataka State Government, India by donating 500 camera traps. To encourage other corporates to also come forward to help the "big cat" species, a press conference was organized where over 80 media persons from all leading mainline dailies /vernaculars and TV channels were present. Live updates of the press conference and announcements were posted on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The press conferences generated over 90 mentions in the media.
The press conference alone we knew could not sustain the momentum required for a campaign which the whole company had gotten very passionate about. So we decided, we will not integrate this with a strong social media campaign, and in-location advertising and "meet the wildlife lead" lectures. Social media avenues have greater reach and permeability. Our efforts towards conservation of tigers is not limited to the donation of cameras and hence we adopted platforms where we could post regularly, initiate discussions and create a buzz. During this event we have made 45 tweets on Twitter and 15 posts respectively on Facebook and LinkedIn. Internally, a very intensive campaign was kick-started and traditional marketing collaterals such as posters, banners and post cards were made and circulated across the organisation and also amongst attendees of the press conference.
This was followed by a selfie competition for all employees of CSS Corp where they were asked to click a selfie with a tiger cut-out placed in all CSS Corp offices in India. Employees posted their pics on Facebook and also left comments. As a response, within 8 working days, 28 selfies were uploaded on Facebook using hashtags such as #careforpaws #CSSCorp. We have also posted these selfies on LinkedIn and Twitter to spread the word.
Tiger expert and TED speaker, Sarath Champati had an interesting session where he shared fascinating stories about tigers, the importance of wildlife conversation, and his experiences in the wild. There are many such talks lined every quarter with the experts.
CSS Corp employees were also nominated for the training camp organized by Mr. Sarath Champathi on how to participate in Tiger census early this year. The Tiger census is scheduled to happen in June 2015.
As we tasted the success from our earlier initiatives, we went external and created a video for conservation of tigers which was posted on YouTube. The video speaks about the importance of Tigers for eco-system balance. It is intended to increase public awareness towards tiger conservation. The video has received 135 views till date.
We have achieved through this campaign the support of over 200 employees who have pledged to help the cause of tigers; also it is the first time that a corporate organisation has donated camera traps to the Karnataka state forest department and we hope to not be the last and also inspire many other organisations to action.
Once the camera traps were installed in the forest we took about 30 journalists into the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve to show them the workings of the camera traps and also speak with the Forrest range officials. This trip generated to over 50 media coverage.
The campaign does not end here. It is a continuous program as "wildlife conservation" is one of the key pillars in our CSR program. We look to partner with other Tiger parks in India to help them with the Tiger conservation program in India.
While a rather small in scale initiative, this campaign deserves to win for the cause it stands for. Still little known, but in our capacity we are doing something important for the conservation of a species that is on the verge of extinction. If awarded the Shorty Awards, Care for Paws and its cause is likely to reach greater mass and we hope other corporates and non-profits will be inspired to do something for the magnificent cats as we continue to conserve them.
Outcome for the entire campaign:
Employee engagement:
Awareness around Tiger conversation has been greatly increased within the company. All of our 5500 have taken a pledge towards commitment of saving the tigers.
Successful social media and in-location campaigns have increased the awareness around Tiger conservation within CSS Corp.
Media engagement
CSS Corp generated tons of media coverage; 90 mentions post the press conference and 50 mentions post Kabini visit.
There has been an increase in media interest, as we are also working in collaboration with some leading wildlife journalists pan India. The number of media stories on Tiger conversation has increased from 2-3 a quarter to atleast 4-5 every month.
Post the campaign, the CSS Corp brand is now associated with the "care for paws" program and is connected synonymously with Tiger conservation in Karnataka.
Collaboration with the Forest Department
Thanks to the camera traps donated by CSS Corp, the Tiger population has increased by close to 30% due to scientific monitoring of movements in the Forest
It also led the Forest Department know the diversity of wildlife in each of the forest reserves
