Portfolio

CARE USA

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.  The organization emphasizes work alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty.

Presented with an opportunity to establish a strategic partnership with Estee Lauder Companies, the Strategic Partnerships & Alliances Team designed an engagement program.  Leveraging the European launch of a new signature scent, pureDKNY, the program sought to to 1) increase social and economic opportunity for Ugandan vanilla farmers, 60% of who are women and 2) increase awareness and educate a global audience of women on CARE’s work.

Why Ugandan vanilla farmers as beneficiaries?  A drop of vanilla from crops grown in Uganda was the signature ingredient in each bottle of pureDKNY, making it a nature that Estee Lauder support women who play an integral role in the creation of the product.

Through a generous donation from Estee Lauder, CARE initiated a 15-month project to establish Village Savings and Loans associations (one of CARE’s signature programs) in Uganda’s southwestern Mukono district.  The district is home to 900 vanilla farmers living in rural communities.  The overall goal was to increase access to affordable financial services for those involved in vanilla production.

CARE partnered with Estee Lauder marketing executives to integrate a cause-marketing campaign with fragrance launch activities.  Specifically, CARE partnered on messaging, point-of-purchase creative, collateral materials and media outreach. CARE mobilized CARE International leaders in Australia, Austria, Denmark, German, The Netherlands, Norway and the UK to partner with local pureDKNY marketing teams on regional promotion efforts.

Results included:

Uganda

• 900 community members (60% women) with new access to savings and credit services through the Village Savlings & Loan program
• Enabled those same 900 VSLA members to increase their incomes and livelihood security
• Strengthened the capacity of the Uganda Vanilla Association to support Village Savings & Loan associations over the long term

Cause Marketing

• Engagement of high fashion and beauty media representing publications such as Elle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Womens Wear Daily.
• Expanded partnership to include pureDKNY Verbena.  The news release can be found here.