Winner: The Hartford Financial Services Group
Campaign: Coexistence: The Hartford Demonstrates the Art of Diversity
Although Hartford is located in Connecticut, one of the nation's most affluent states, 32% of its residents live in extreme poverty. This dichotomy staggered Hartford
Financial Services Group (HFSG), a foremost insurance company.
Eager to bridge the divide between the wealthy denizens of the Hartford suburbs and the indigent inhabitants of its surrounding areas, HFSG launched an initiative that would
promote diversity and inclusion at the company, while increasing visibility for the firm's CSR efforts among local leaders. The firm also sought to engage employees and
community members in activities that foster diversity.
Coexisting in Hartford
The linchpin for the program was Hartford Financial's 2007 corporate sponsorship of an exhibit called Coexistence, which featured 45 billboard-sized panels of international
artworks urging tolerance, diversity and acceptance (see inset photo). Executives at the Hartford Financial Services Group thought the company's homebase would be the perfect
venue to host the exhibit. Not only would this garner positive attention for the Hartford community, but it would draw a broad cross-section of people to an area of Hartford
widely considered underserved.
For Michael Gannon, manager of corporate social responsibility for the Hartford Financial Services Group, the challenges were twofold:
"How to minimize any public opposition to the bold, controversial and provocative [art in the Coexistence exhibit]. And, how do we draw the community into a part of the city
that empties out after 5 p.m. when people go home to the suburbs? We had to work hard to change negative perceptions."
Targeting schoolchildren in the greater Hartford area, Hartford Financial employees, faith-based groups and community leaders, the campaign placed a premium on education.
Outreach activities were developed for children, and a Web site was created to share the exhibit with the public and all employees.
The ROI was overwhelming. The Coexistence exhibit drew thousands, while the major daily, The Hartford Courant, lavished praise on Hartford Financial, calling the exhibit a
"must-see for children." The community rallied behind the initiative as 50 local leaders served as honorary committee chairs. More than 30 schools participated, and 600
schoolchildren toured the exhibit.