Chivas just announced the official opening of applications for Chivas Venture 2018 competition. Nicolas Van Dijk, Chivas Brand Manager, is detailing the whys and wherefores behind the competition and what the brand is expecting from it.
(Featured Image: Nicolas Van Dijk during the official opening ceremony in Belgium / Image Credit © Chivas)
Why did you launch Chivas Venture?
Chivas believes that generosity and success go hand in hand – a belief inspired by founding brothers, James and John Chivas, who shared their success with the local community as their business grew, through contributions within the church, education and social support. The Chivas Venture aims to honour their legacy and support their modern counterparts – entrepreneurs who believe that sharing their success with society is when business becomes truly rewarding.
Today, Chivas calls on people to support the global community of businesses who are combining profit with purpose to win the right way.
“Since launching three years ago, The Venture has helped to support the wider movement of business as a force for good, which has seen exponential growth across the world; over two thirds of the population would like to work for a business with a social conscience in future.”
Promoting business as a force for good is a priority for Chivas Regal and this philosophy is anchored in the brands DNA. This is why collaborations such as Globe-Trotter but also LSTN have been initiated*.
Beyond this, as well as being accountable for solving future problems, previous global research found that 95% of young professionals look to brands and companies to solve today’s world problems. Chivas Regal supports this belief that big businesses should be doing what they can to drive positive change.
Since launching three years ago, The Venture has helped to support the wider movement of business as a force for good, which has seen exponential growth across the world; over two thirds of the population would like to work for a business with a social conscience in future. However, it is clear that an overwhelming number feel that businesses need to work harder; supporting Chivas’ belief that people want to back brands and companies that focus not only on their own financial success, but also on creating a positive impact on the wider world.
* We partnered with LSTN Sound Co. to celebrate their shared passion for craftsmanship, style and generosity and created an inspiring initiative – Generosity:Amplified. The partnership featured a range of activity including the launch of a limited-edition gift tin and a limited-edition pair of headphones made from the wood of Chivas whisky casks. Each tin and pair of headphones produced raised funds for Starkey Hearing Foundation, which enables people worldwide to hear for the first time.
What does it bring to the brand?
We firmly believe the best way to succeed as a business is to engage with our consumers in ways that are meaningful for them.
“The commitment to having a positive impact on the world is something that is embedded within the very DNA of the wider Pernod Ricard group.”
As said, like us, our consumers increasingly believe business can be a force for good; they see potential opportunities to have a positive impact on the world and we want to collaborate with them to make those opportunities a reality– which, we believe, will reinforce our success around the world in a virtuous circle. We want to practice what we preach: do well by doing good.
Ultimately it’s not just Chivas Regal; the commitment to having a positive impact on the world is something that is embedded within the very DNA of the wider Pernod Ricard group. Paul Ricard (grandfather of Alexandre Ricard) was ahead of his time when he founded the Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute in 1966 to fight against industrial pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. His legacy lives on today through a number of initiatives; one example is the TAKE OFF project – an initiative between The Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute and Pernod Ricard – whose primary ambition is to support young scientific researchers to help preserve the oceans.
What do you expect from 2018 edition?
Since the Chivas Venture first launched in 2014, almost 6000 social enterprises have applied for the chance to receive a share of the annual $1 million fund. (This year, 29 countries / 5 continents).
“We expect to see new projects, ideas and approaches especially knowing that the country has one of the highest rate in Europe of start-ups registered as having a social, societal or environmental activity.”
Ultimately, our goals remain the same: to help elevate the profile of social entrepreneurs from around the world, create tangible change by providing the most promising one’s with funding and support to grow their business, and to act as a catalyst to grow this important movement.
By opening the competition to Luxembourg, we expect to see new projects, ideas and approaches especially knowing that the country has one of the highest rate in Europe of start-ups registered as having a social, societal or environmental activity. We have to say that it’s also a great pleasure to collaborate with partners such as 6zéro1, Luxinnovation and nyuko as they come with a very dynamic and professional way of working.
We’re looking forward seeing the projects of the participants.
