Holcim needed a new corporate social responsibility campaign to build on past successes and improve its image beyond just economic performance. The campaign partnered with a public institution for media coverage and focused on cleaning up rivers and banks, installing waste bins, and educating the public, especially children who could influence parents. Over 500 volunteers collected over 500 tons of waste from 7140 km of waterways and 60 cities. The campaign generated over 100 media articles and increased Holcim's corporate social responsibility media coverage from 9% to 33%. It received an award as the best green international campaign in London in 2008.

1. Let’s keep the waters clean!
Să păstrăm apele curate!
Best Green International Campaign
at Green Awards London 2008

2. Challenge
• Holcim needed a new CSR campaign to continue the great success
of “Create your environment!” or “Build you future” campaigns.
• More than that, analyzing the companies image vectors we found
out just one the economic performances. From a crisis management
perspective we had an issue.
• Another challenge was to find a way to generate an extensive
media coverage in the national and local media.

3. Strategy
The best solution for Holcim was to become a partner
with a public institution, for media coverage reasons, in a
national campaign that impacts a large number of people
especially in the regions were Holcim activates.
The campaign as main objectives to cleaned up the banks
and rivers areas (7140 km), install selective waste
baskets so that these areas could remain clean and
educate people.
The communication tactics were: press conferences,
workshops, press releases, campaign blog, distribute
leaflets, etc. The children were one of the main
educational campaign target because they have a great
influence over parents. For them we’ve organised
workshops, produce a educational children book.

4. Outcome
• The campaign involved over 500 volunteers and collected over
500 tones of waste (plastic, paper, metal etc.) on 7140 km of
water route and 60 cities.
• The campaign generated more than 100 articles in print (70%)
and online media (30%).
• Analyzing the media coverage generated in 2008 Holcim
articles related to CSR topics increased from from 9% (2007) to
33% (2008).
• The campaign received the Best Green International Campaign
award at Green Awards London 2008 and was shortlisted at
EACA CARE AWARDS, Brussels, Belgium.
Holcim image vectors
in 2008.