The following article was written by Marian Salzman, Deputy. President of Global Communication at Philip Morris International - winner of PR awards and marketing experts, author and trendspotter - popularizer of the term "metrosexual".
Many of the spontaneous and valuable acts of kindness that we are seeing as COVID-19 pandemics continue to spread are well documented. Major brands and multinational companies are offering and implementing bold and comprehensive initiatives to alleviate the shortages of medical equipment, protect their workers, and alleviate the uncertainty of the situation, confusion, and consumer uncertainty.
On the other side of the spectrum, individuals are doing amazing things to help others through the crisis, and making new connections through digital communities.
In between are small businesses, the backbone of any well-functioning economy. I am very grateful to local food retailers and pharmacists who are risking their safety to ensure the health and well-being of communities, but I am worried about all those other small businesses that need to stay closed. With more than 20 percent of the world's isolated population, our hairdressers, clothing stores, shoe repair shops and florists have closed. If these businesses fail, it is we who make each other fail.
What can we do to support these businesses dhe and our communities edhe even by keeping a safe social distance?
We can make purchases for local food collection points and for neighbors who may not be able to go to the shops or who have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet.
We can support restaurants by choosing the food delivery service at home.
We can help small local farmers with the purchase of eggs, jam, pickled vegetables or seeds and seedlings to start planting in our gardens.
We can use social media to promote small businesses that need a boost-such as the small candy store that suddenly failed to make the planned sales for Easter, the small bookstore, or the bakery.
I was thrilled to hear last night that in Portland, a bookstore in Oregon had re-employed 100 of its employees thanks to the strengthening of online sales. Amazon and other online sales giants are doing very well during this crisis. Let?s think about helping some small local businesses through online sales.
I was happy to see that small businesses are doing everything they can to keep jobs created by creating emergency relief funds for their employees, to employing the spouses of current workers. Others are re-qualifying and re-focusing their employees to take on new tasks until we return to normalcy.
With COVID-19, we are seeing that corporate overall social responsibility evolves into something much more personal. This crisis carries with it a rush that does not allow us to give up things. If we decide to wait for greater financial stability before we can support local businesses, it will be too late. There is nothing left to support.
And don't forget those charities whose work is even more vital today. As a family, we are supportive of scholarships for locals, and we always support the Bob Woodruff Foundation and other veteran philanthropists to give something to those who have given up self-sacrifice. These groups are even more vocal now as I see myself super-focused on the desire to help not only nearby activations, but also those individuals who are at the forefront of the fight against the crisis.
It gives me great pleasure to read the stories of the communities that gather behind medical staff in the front lines - people cheering every night from their balconies, Spanish police singing to quarantined families, all supporting health care heroes ( #HealthcareHeroes) worldwide.
Altruism has always been complex, pervasive with mixed motives. If it were a completely selfless act, wouldn't all charities be anonymous? But I don?t envy anyone who makes contributions or has a hospital or a football stadium that bears his name. Even those who donate anonymously receive something in return: Scientists believe that doing charity releases endorphins in the brain, producing a feeling similar to that of "runners." Generosity brings happiness. It works for me too.
Now that most of us have experienced these positive feelings to varying degrees, I would like to be able to move as a society, beyond Age of Rage to Era of Care. So that we can learn from social distancing that we are better off staying together - taking the time to show kindness and see who we can help. Can we dare to hope that after this terrible virus a generation of social goodness will be created?