After the Corona outbreak life and business changed in an unseen way. Organisations had to implement remote working, some had to close their stores. Others are thinking about new ways to service customers. Even though these are uncertain times, we're seeing a surge of creativity and a showing of humanity like never before.
In our weekly digest, we'll highlight positive stories from brands that are showing resilience and that are innovating for the greater good. This week: Too Good To Go, BMW, Fitbit, Philips and bol.com!
Many organisations are offering their services to companies who are trying to keep their heads above water. Too Good To Go, a company that fights food waste, is one of them. Restaurants, supermarkets, butchers, etc. normally register themselves at Too Good to Go to sell surplus food that would otherwise end up in the bin. People can then simply buy the food via the app.
Today a lot of shops, cafés and restaurants are closing their doors until further notice. A possible solution is to offer takeaway meals instead. That requires technology that lets customers register their orders in a convenient and quick way. For a local bakery or butchery, this can be a new and unknown way of doing business. So Too Good To Go decided to expand their services to support local businesses owners. They can now use the platform to sell fresh takeaway meals - not only surplus food - and they can do so for free. Customers can come and pick up the meals during limited time slots so the business owners have time to prep and pack the food.
What do you normally do before you buy a car? You take it for a test drive of course. But because of social distancing and lockdown measures, hundreds of test cars at BMW Belux aren't being driven. Instead of keeping these unused test cars parked at the car dealerships, BMW decided they could be put to better use.
According to Jeroen Lissens, corporate communication manager at BMW Belux, they hear a lot of stories from hospital staff and caregivers who lose a lot of valuable time trying to get to work using public transport. Since they also have to work irregular hours it's not always possible to get there by train, bus or tram. So BMW is making their unused test cars available to hospital staff so they can get to work easy and on time.
With many people not leaving their houses, it's more important than ever to keep fit. Leave it up to wearables like Fitbit to give you an hourly reminder to stretch your legs and to keep moving. Fitbit interfaces are highly personalisable. The latest addition to this is 'Clean Cues', a free clock interface that sends users hourly reminders to wash their hands, "to help guard against the spread of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19". You simply click 'start washing hands' on your Fitbit screen, and then it sets a timer for a 20-second wash, as is recommended by health organisations. If you own a Fitbit and haven't installed it yet, it's a great additional safeguard!
Because medical staff need to visit so many patients and because Corona is highly contagious, they face a high risk of infection and they need to change protective clothes many times a day. Philips and bol.com thought of a way how doctors and nurses can communicate with patients in a more efficient and safer way, without having to enter a patient's room every time. Both companies are donating 1.600 Philips baby monitors to hospitals. This allows doctors and hospital staff to talk to and check-in with patients from a safe distance so:
You can read the full press release on the website of Philips Belgium.
Next Friday we'll be back with a new HC digest, to highlight more positive business news and to celebrate all the inspiring efforts that are being made. In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy and stay connected with each other!
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