With more than 500 employees, Redblue Marketing GmbH exclusively develops our marketing concepts and strategies for MediaMarkt and Saturn. And it regards corporate volunteering – be it giving blood, holding raffles, or even becoming directly involved – as its social responsibility. At the Munich Campus, Redblue supports social and environmental projects and also animal welfare. In July 2018, it introduced a scheme known as Social Day, in which members of staff can use their skills to support a social project close to their heart.

“We have many employees who are keen volunteers in their free time. This is something we’re pleased to encourage and support, including in our role as a marketing organization. The creativity and dedication of our team has incredible potential, especially if we can combine these forces for good causes,” said Brigitte Platzer-Huber, whose brief includes driving Redblue’s cultural development, and who teamed up with some of her colleagues to launch the Social Day scheme.

Several successful projects already carried out

Last year, a number of employees went to the Ronald McDonald House, an institution for seriously ill children and their families. Equipped with tools and cleaning equipment, the team spent a day there getting the garden and terrace shipshape. “It was a very interesting experience which we can recommend to everyone,” declared Maria Steinmark from the CRM Concepts team. “It’s satisfying to know you’ve helped where help is needed.”

In September, there was widespread support for Run for Hope – a charity run. Each lap around Munich’s Lake Feringa raised money for the Domagk Park House run by HORIZONT, a foundation set up by actress Jutta Speidel to aid socially disadvantaged families. The results were impressive: 50 runners from Redblue took part and completed a total of 150 laps, raising more than €750 euros.

In June 2018, two members of Redblue’s in-house creative team took part in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Night Shift. They spent eight hours collaborating with other people from the same sector to use their creativity for good causes, such as working out communication strategies for non-profit organizations. For example, a volunteer recruitment scheme was devised for IN VIA Munich – an association devoted to social work for girls and women, including migrants and their families. The fact that social volunteering helps everyone involved is borne out by Ann-Kathrin’s conclusion at the end of this creative marathon: “It was exhilarating to get to grips with a completely different marketing environment and develop a strategy tailored to it.”

Whether it takes the form of charity runs, gardening, or creative sessions for good causes, volunteering is a worthwhile activity for not just the beneficiaries but also the staff themselves. “We’re certain that this experience supports our employees’ personal development, too. Aside from their daily business tasks, the Social Day enables them to do something meaningful in a different way. The opportunity to try a change of perspective for a day helps to keep them in touch with society and empathize with people less fortunate,” explained Brigitte Platzer-Huber.

The response has been thoroughly positive. In the five months between the scheme’s introduction in late July and the end of 2018, over 50 employees became social volunteers. Redblue provided them with a list of suitable organizations and encouraged staff to volunteer for one of them. The employees then planned and organized their own Social Day themselves.

How will this project pan out? “We’ve decided to retain the Social Day. We’ll keep improving the scheme with our employees’ input so that we can continue to support charitable projects and institutions,” said Tanja Heck, who is pushing ahead with rollout and further implementation. “Moreover, we’ll develop partnerships with additional social institutions and organizations in and around Munich.”

The next Social Day has already been announced for February, when a cake sale will be held on Redblue’s premises. The proceeds will go to the mobile children’s hospice in Munich. And planning is already afoot to participate in the Run for Hope again and raise donations to support the HORIZONT Jutta Speidel Foundation’s work for socially disadvantaged families.