The Polish Red Cross needed to increase donations to provide hot meals to children who otherwise could not afford them.

We introduced Very Good Manners - a new way of leaving cutlery on the plate after the meal. In participating restaurants when customers cross their cutlery (similar to the Red Cross symbol) they signal the staff that they would like to donate money to the Polish Red Cross. The staff collects the plate and adds 5 PLN (approx. 1.5 EUR) to the bill. The money is transferred by the restaurants to the Red Cross. This is enough to buy one hot meal for a poor and malnourished child. The idea is communicated in restaurants using paper table mats.

As the Red Cross lacked a media budget (apart from 1000 EUR which were spent on the table mats), we had to rely on PR to give this idea a wide coverage, to build awareness and encourage more restaurants to join.

Potential donors are reached at the right place and at the right time - when they are thinking about food. The table mats are placed on the table by the waiting staff when customers order their meals. So each customer has enough time to make a decision to donate. By crossing charity with table manners, we made donating effortless. As more restaurants are volunteering to join through our website, the idea is reaching more potential donors.

With only 1000 EUR of media budget (table mats), Very Good Manners started in 4 restaurants in 2 cities. Within just a few months the idea resulted in:

- 65% increase in donations for the Red Cross,

- 250+ publications in traditional, digital and social media,

- 15 000 000+ audience,

- EUR 800 000+ in earned media

- more than 30 restaurants in 16 cities joining Very Good Manners.

As more restaurants in Poland are volunteering, the Red Cross is planning to introduce this idea in France, Germany, Russia, Spain and United Kingdom.