Michael Arkes,
president and CEO of Hinda Incentives, based in Chicago, is
launching Helping Hand Rewards, an initiative to use products from
charitable companies for merchandise incentive programs.
M&C chatted with Arkes about the concept.
How does Helping Hand
Rewards work?
I’m in the process of developing a
broad assortment of products made by socially responsible companies
like the Enterprising Kitchen, a not-for-profit corporation that
manufactures handmade soaps and hires women trying to come off
welfare. We’ve included the product in our assortment; by fall we
expect to launch the program.
What other companies would
be included?
John & Kira’s chocolates, a company
in inner-city Philadelphia that hires from the local community.
Also, a company that produces sandals and purses and bags out of
rubber from the Amazon. And then there’s a group that runs a
shelter for the homeless, and they make soups based on recipes from
prominent restaurants.
Why now?
There’s this whole trend now for
corporate social responsibility. Corporations are spending money to
enhance their image, and it’s a good financial decision to do
that.