Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility or Not for Profit / Pro Bono Programmes

Sponsored by

Winner

Around the Kitchen Table

by Tonic Life Communications for Eisai

Summary of work

As part of the company’s human health care (hhc) mission, Eisai’s oncology business unit asked Tonic Life Communications to devise a non-profit initiative that would provide a practical support service, involve Eisai staff in experiencing the lives of people with cancer, enhance the reputation of Eisai among key oncology stakeholders, build mutual trust and be genuinely ‘different’. Partnering with UK cancer support network Maggie's, chef and cookery author Penny Ericson, an NHS dietician and cancer patients in the UK, Germany and France, the 'Around the Kitchen Table' chemotherapy cookbook was born. Containing over 50 recipes and dietary information, the book and its subsequent roll-out has exceeded expectations through its internal employee engagement, traditional and online media coverage and patient advocacy support. The cookbook has been distributed to Maggie’s Centres, other cancer charities, Eisai employees and healthcare professionals. It is also available to download as an e-book free of charge. The initial 2000 print run in English has now been translated into 3 languages and 15,000 more copies are being rolled out across Europe. Over 500 Eisai employees have been actively engaged in the project and the cookbook received internal recognition by being nominated for a global hhc CEO award.

Judges’ comments

Engaging and simple, this was an innovative and different approach that hit all the spots and has real heart to it. There was a clear win:win on both sides thanks to a strong cost-effective partnership. There was wide-scale employee engagement, patient-centric outcomes and all the objectives set were blown out of the water.