Wednesday, 5 December 2007
The festive season is traditionally a time for giving – an idea Primedia Broadcasting took to a whole new level this year when it got various media agencies involved in its charity Gift of Giving initiative.
Instead of thanking clients for their support during 2007 with festive gifts, the company – which includes 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Talk Radio 702, 567 CapeTalk and 94.5 Kfm – this year asked agencies to back their charity initiative, where those less fortunate would be given the gifts instead.
Media Compete, Media Edge, Media Shop and OMD all agreed to participate in the project.
First the agencies chose the charities they wanted to support from a list of charities already supported by Primedia Broadcasting. The charities selected were Kids Haven, the Teddy Bear Clinic, Nkosi’s Haven and the Homeless Talk Crèche.
Primedia Broadcasting then delivered festive gift tags to the charities, where the children filled in what their Christmas wishes were. The tags were deposited in specially-designed boxes, which were collected later.
These tags were then placed on decorated Christmas trees and delivered to the corresponding media agency. Staff then had two weeks to select a tag off the tree, purchase and wrap the gift (in specially-designed Gift of Giving paper) and place it under the tree.
At the end of the two week period, Primedia Broadcasting collected all the gifts and together with representatives from the agencies involved – and a little help from Santa – delivered the gifts to the charities.
“We had been looking for a meaningful alternative to client Christmas gifts for a while, so when the opportunity to participate in this Gift of Giving project came up, we jumped at it,” explained Dawn Spencer, Primedia Broadcasting trade marketing manager. “The Primedia sales team and its clients embraced the project in an amazing way. Everyone put their hearts into it and couldn’t do enough to help. The reward was the look on those children’s faces when they received their gifts. It was a great opportunity to partner with our clients to make a difference in the community.”
A total of 335 children were given the chance to experience the true magic of Christmas when their wishes came true.
“These clients were the ultimate partners. They went above and beyond what was written on the gift tags and bought the children beautiful gifts, ranging from Barbie dolls, soccer balls and Spiderman outfits, to clothes and books.
“Client response to the initiative was overwhelmingly positive, especially at the handover parties, where some of the caregivers cried as the children opened their gifts. It was very special and definitely something we plan to do again next year,” added Spencer.
A photographer was on hand to capture all the emotion of the handovers and framed pictures thereof will be presented to the agencies in the new year, to serve as mementos of their amazing generosity at this special time.
|
 Primedia’s Santa Claus helps deliver Christmas presents to the children of the Homeless Talk Pre-School in Hillbrow, which keeps the children of Homeless Talk vendors off the city’s streets. |
