As expected, the Marketing Edge night of excellence saw brands, corporates and personalities in the IMC industry cart away awards for performing creditably in various categories. Airtel Nigeria couldn’t have been left out because the main competitive advantage of being a purpose-driven brand is the gradual transformation of a firm into a catalyst for system-level change.
Airtel Touching Lives is an inspiring corporate social responsibility initiative designed to offer practical relief, succour, hope, opportunities and credible platforms to liberate and empower the underprivileged, disadvantaged and hard to reach persons in Nigeria.
A statement by the Publisher/Chief Executive Officer of Marketing Edge Publication Ltd, Mr. John Ajayi stated that, “the nomination and subsequent emergence of Airtel Touching Lives As Marketing Edge Innovative CRS Leadership Awardee was a product of painstaking review and assessment of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in Nigeria. He further stated that, it is on record that Airtel Touching Lives, now in its fifth season has, right from its debut, been highly innovative in its package and delivery. Needless to add, here, that it has also been so impactful and, as such, has gained so much traction with the Nigerian people and communities; as it keeps promoting the spirit of giving, self-sacrifice and love among Nigerians in a unique way”.
So far, Airtel has touched the lives of over 2 million Nigerians who were directly or indirectly plagued with varying forms of afflictions ranging from health challenges to financial woes. The beneficiaries of the Airtel Touching Lives initiative are carefully selected from a pool of nominations by members of the public. Airtel, thereafter, offers support/empowerment to identified beneficiaries after relevant due diligence and verification exercises.
What’s more, with a vision to become Nigeria’s most loved brand, Airtel’s concept of social responsibility is not limited to a concern with welfare schemes, charity work, or the occasional support for Health, Education, Security/Emergency, Sports, and the Arts. The company is positioned as an integral part of the country, which must be socially responsible at all times in all its dealings, maintaining high ethical standards and compliance with the rules and regulations in its methods and practices of doing business.
Among the Airtel Nigeria Corporate Social Responsibility Programmes include Airtel Touching Lives, Adopt-a-School Program, Employee Volunteer Scheme, Christmas Charity Campaign, tagged “Five Days of Love”, Partnership with Nigeria Police and Airtel Rising Stars, among many others.
Suffice to say that there is no more deserving cause for Airtel Touching Lives to win the Marketing Edge Innovative CSR Leadership Award 2020 than the foregoing account.