1.
TIE & Edificio Ecologico
Ewa Kwolek case study
Brazil, March 2012

2.
Background
October 2011 marked the beginning of my biggest life
adventure. I was chosen as a representative of my agency -
Proximity London – to work with an NGO in Brazil called
Edificio Ecologico…
My work was organised by a social enterprise called The
International Exchange (TIE).
My task was to help develop a communications
campaign for EE using my own skills and funds raised
in the UK. My work was to be supported by a local agency
Arcos Communicaçao who kindly offered their resource
and a desk space.

3.
1. Key players
2. Fundraising
3. Portuguese lessons
4. In Brazil
5. Brief & objectives
6. Social media & website
7. Creative idea &
8. comms plan
9. Budget
10. Measurements &
evaluation
11. Objectives of my
experience
12. My reflections

4.
1. Key players

5.
TIE was set up 7 years ago as a
social enterprise to “bring together
the world of
communications and the
world of development in
order to achieve social
change.”
Communication
professionals are paired with
NGO’s across the globe.
Philippa White
The founder
The International Exchange

6.
Edificio Ecologico (The Ecological
Building Project) is an NGO based in Recife,
Brazil working with residents and business to
implement recycling scheme in the
region.
Its main objectives are to improve the
city’s environment and help
hundreds of street garbage
picker at the same time.
Mark Burr
The founder
Edificio Ecologico

7.
Arcos are an agency
partner based in Recife
providing creative
resource and an office
space.
The most friendly and
devoted crowd you can
dream of!
Rafa Arcoverde
Coordinator
Arcos Comunicação

8.
Proximity London is one of the UK’s
leading direct and digital
marketing agencies. It was
founded 20 years ago and today it
is part of a global network of 62
offices and over 2,000 people.
The main clients include: BBC TV
Licensing, Lloyds TBC, VW, Orange,
Royal Mail, P&G, Kraft Foods,
Johnson and Johnson, RNLI and
many others.
It’s also a very friendly and fun
place to work at.
Proximity LondonLou Barber
Chairman

9.
I am an Account Director
representing Proximity London.
I am originally from Poland and I
have lived in the UK for last 9 years.
I always loved travel,
adventure and foreign
languages and cultures.
And I love cofezinha (as shown
on this photo).
Ewa

10.
2. Fundraising

11.
In order to create a communications
campaign for Edificio Ecologico I
needed to raise funds that would
form my marketing budget in
Brazil.
I decided to propose a ‘Green 191’
idea. I wanted to help an environmental
NGO in Brazil so I thought that I could
start ‘green changes ‘in the
UK at my own agency.
Working with everybody at Proximity, I
decided to find simple but
effective ways of saving
energy. The entire ‘green’
savings from electricity bills and paper
usage would be passed to support my
chosen Brazilian charity.
Green savings for 191

12.
Blog
With a help of 2 students
and a lovely creative from Proximity,
a look and feel of my
communications
channels was created.
I started writing my blog
using green leaves background and
my own logo, spreading the word
using my social media and
offline channels. My blog
became a busy channel with over
3k views by the end of my
placement.
I gained over £600 via a
donate button on my blog.

13.
Internal comms
In December 2011, I launched an
internal campaign
encouraging my colleagues to take
simple steps to create savings.
I changed printer settings for
over a quarter of my colleagues (to print
double sided), distributed stickers to
remind to switch off PCs and lights and
encouraged everybody to walk up
the stairs as opposed to using lifts.
I gained over £400 due to internal
agency savings on paper and
electricity.

14.
Eco bags
I produced 250 re-usable
cotton bags in order to
convey the green message (stop
using plastic bags, carry cotton
bags instead) and sell them to
raise the funds.
I was selling them to all my
friends and colleagues (sending
them via post too). I also set up
my own stall at a local
market.
I earned approx. £300 by
selling bags.

15.
Wodka bar
I tried to raise funds using
all available
methods. One night I
opened a wodka bar
(yes, I am Polish) at the
agency bar.
I made over £115

16.
Walk to work
During a cold February week, I asked my
colleagues to make savings on
their transport costs (and
pass savings to me) by
walking or cycling to work.
As an example, I cycled the
entire week and offered all my
savings to my fundraising fund.
And of course all the savings would be
passed to my Brazilian charity.
I made over £50 in a week.

17.
Green party and charity auction
The finale of my fundraising
efforts was a Green party held
at the agency combined with a
charity auction (and wear
green day). I was serving all sorts
of drinks: mojitos,
caipirinhias and wodka
cocktails. At the same time
agency talents were auction.
I raised over £1500 just from
the auction! And the entire bar
takings were offered to my
charity too!

18.
Thank you!
Thank you to all my
friends, family and
everybody at
Proximity for all your help!
In total, together we
raised £3,216!
I wouldn’t have managed to
raise so much without you!

19.
3. Portuguese lessons

20.
One of the requirements of my
assignment was to learn basic
Portuguese. I was going to be
placed with a non English
speaking family so it was
necessary to get some basics,
I love languages so I was very
happy to commence my lessons.
And I had the best teacher ever –
Ferdinando! Every day during
my placement , I thanked him for all
his help!
Muito obrigada Fernando

21.
4. In Brazil

22.
My Brazilian home
To make me see a full picture of
the Brazilian society, I was
invited to live with a
Brazilian family located in
a poorer community (they called
it an ‘urbanised favela’) called
Brasilia Teimosa.
Despite my initial reaction, I
loved the place and felt
comfortable there very
quickly.

23.
My Brazilian family
I lived with a family of six:
Ivanildo and
Eidenedine and their son
Henrique with his family:
Patricia, Henri and 2
month old Artur.
I watched TV, discussed politics
and football and even star signs
– all using my basic Portuguese!
Within days I loved them:
they were patiently listening to
my grammatical mistakes and
work stories!

24.
Visit to a catador’s house

25.
Brazilian food

26.
4. Brief and objectives

27.
Edificio Ecologico has been
functioning for last 10 years.
Within this period they managed to
sign up over 400 residential
buildings. What an amazing
result!
But they needed to expand their
portfolio and decided to target
business based in Recife.
Tough brief – they tried for a while.
They needed help.
My brief

28.
To establish the ultimate target audience and the message,
we spent a week researching business in
Recife.
We created a questionnaire including 9 open and
close questions around:
1. Attitude to recycling (do you do it? , yes or no, why)
2. Factors stopping businesses from recycling
3. Importance of green image
4. Weight between helping the environment
and helping catadores
5. Awareness around EE
6. Test of initial messages
We managed to get responses from 14 business,
including former clients of EE, contractors of Arcos and other
businesses either based in the same building as Arcos or
friends of friends.
Research

29.
1. Business are aware of their environmental
duty.
2. The environment is definitely the main motivator
– they are aware of catadores but helping them isn’t their
priority.
3. But these guys are busy - they want easy and
convenient solutions.
4. Costs of a recycling system might be an issue.
5. The awareness of EE is minimal – Word
Of Mouth is a key
Research results

30.
Strategy
We decided to target medium-sized
businesses, mainly office based. This was
to test the idea and logistics of working with this
new audience.
The value proposition evolved around
convenience in fulfilling the
environmental duty. The local aspect
played a crucial role too.
“It is simple, it is green, it is
local.“
To achieve the objectives, we want to focus on:
• Providing tools for EE (updated website,
leaflets, folders)
• Starting social media presence (Facebook,
YouTube)

31.
Where and when will they be the most receptive to our message? WHERE
DM, Email, press, internet and social media, folders, leaflets, desk media, PPT
Single minded proposition: BY
EE – making green savings for better future easy for your business
É simples, é verde, é o nosso futuro.
Who do we want to get? GET
Medium sized business mainly office based, services sector
What do they currently think? WHO
Are already aware of their green duty but need convenience
What do we want them to do? TO
Sign up to the EE scheme
What could we do? WHAT
Easy green steps to better future, illustration of small changes - big future
impact on the planet, green certificate leading to better image & success of
businesses

32.
5. Social media & website

33.
Social media
Before arriving to Brazil, I wasn’t sure whether social media is the
right way forward for Edificio Ecologico. I soon found out thought
that Brazilian love Facebook and the internet.
Therefore, we decided to open a Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/EdificioEcologico) and YouTube
channel (http://www.youtube.com/edificioecologico), in order to
spread the word (as awareness of EE was minimal) and engage
with environment enthusiast.
I created a strategy and content plan for Facebook
and helped Mark (the NGO owner) to learn the social media tricks.
We also set up a YouTube channel in order to ‘catch’
anyone interested in the topic and drive them to the EE website.

34.
Website
Edificio Ecologico website
needed a bit of a refresh in order to add
up to date content, social media
share buttons and to strengthen the
contact us section.
We also needed to make the best out of the
case studies and testimonials
buried in between other less important
content.
We couldn't afford a full refresh but we
needed to strengthen it prior to driving traffic.
www.edificioecologico.org.br/

35.
6.Creative idea & comms
campaign

36.
What would rubbish say?- the idea
The idea is direct and provocative but
personable and fun at the same time.
The concept is based on an idea of bringing
unpleasant topic such as rubbish to live by giving
it voice and personality:
”What would rubbish say?”
Cute, little images are combined with an
educative message.
“Recycling isn’t important for you –
recycle this idea, change your mind!”

37.
Comms plan
GET READY
March – April 2012*
GAIN AWARENESS
March - May 2012*
ANNOUNCE
May 2012*
CONVERT
May 2012 + *
Preparing professional materials
for EE: leaflets, inserts, pens,
letter heads and EE email
address
Creating new channels:
Facebook, YouTube and updating
the current site
Getting ready via social media
training: Facebook and YouTube
Build awareness & create reliable
and professional picture
Launching new channels: WOM, on
all new stationary and distribution via
friends and current clients
Utilising new stationary to gain
awareness
Facebook page launch
Main launch
Newspaper article
Newsletter mailing with a CTA
for a free consultation
DM mailing with a CTA for a free
consultation
Elemidia
Face to face meetings with
warm leads
Concepts and production via
Arcos
Training Ewa and Mark
Social media
WOM
Media
Broadcast campaign to
businesses

38.
Comms plan
DM
and
email
EE phone
number
EE
refreshed
website
Free
consultation
for first xx
respondents
Sale
On going awareness via: desk media, leaflets and inserts, PR, Elemidia
On going engagement and social recommendations via Facebook

39.
Comms materials

40.
Offline materials

41.
7.Measurements

42.
Measurements
Raise awareness of EE
Increase number of businesses
partnering with EE
Help improve lives of catadores
& help the environment
• Conduct awareness research post campaign*
• Measure increase in awareness around EE existence
• Measure number of business partners gained in 1
year post campaign
• Measure number of catadores working with EE

43.
8. Objectives of my
experience

44.
Objectives of my experience
Before living the UK, I needed to set objectives of my Brazilian
experience. This was to help me focus and achieve all the goals.
Personal objectives:
My primary personal objective is to gain confidence as an Account
director by leading a project completely on my own (working with an
unknown client, agency and strategic problem) and by working on all
stages including planning.
Business objectives:
The primary business objective is to offer communications skills
from Proximity to an NGO in the developing country as a part of the
CSR programme.
Social objective:
My primary social objective is to contribute to a tangible change
within Edificio Ecologico, the society and environment of Recife.

45.
9.My reflections

46.
Unforgettable experience

47.
Thank you!

48.
Intern
As a part of streamlining the way
EE operates, we decided to look for a
student intern to help with running the
NGO. The tasks we had in mind included:
• Admin
• Leaflet distribution
• Cold calling
• Database update
• Social media content research
NGOs operate in a tough
world of minimal profit. Hence
operations are based on a free time of its
founders and all the tasks are usually done in
between daily jobs.