Bol.com asked Altavia Unite to come up with an inspirational impact meter for their ‘Bollenbozen’ programme. Sometimes, creativity and sustainability come together in the best way possible.
The bol.com bollenbozen initiative
We all deserve equal opportunities for landing our dream job. However, in the Netherlands and Belgium, not everyone has the same chances of doing so. Linguistic disadvantages and a lack of digital skills can cause inequality and limit children from achieving their goals. In response to this inequality, Bol.com launched the bol.com bollebozen (bright sparks) programme. This initiative contributes to creating equal opportunities for children by encouraging them to read stories and develop their digital competencies.
But how do you share the impact of this programme with co-workers? Evita Dupker, Sustainability Project Manager at Bol.com took on the project. “We wanted to highlight the results of our initiative in a creative way,” Evita explains. “An impact meter that illustrated the effect of our programme. But without being yet another dashboard.”
Impact meter and reading nook rolled into one
Evita turned to Dave Metz, Project Manager at Altavia Unite and her first point of contact. She asked him to come up with a creative idea for Bol.com’s Impact Meter. A simple assignment, yet with a demanding dose of creativity.
“Evita asked us to develop something that was both creative and insightful. It was quite challenging because the Bollenbozen project comprises several variables, including the number of children reached, participating colleagues, and hours spent volunteering. We also wanted the concept to be as sustainable as possible.”
Inspired by the charitable initiative, Dave gathered various experts from Altavia’s in-house departments, including Strategy & Campaigns and Design & Studio. They pitched a house-shaped bookcase made from recycled cardboard where every shelf represents another variable. “Altavia’s idea was to place to bookcase within the Bol.com library and function as a reading nook for employees,” Evita explains. “The concept really was spot on, so we quickly decided the bookcase was a go and we would place it in our library for at least a year.”
When a plan comes together
Why did Altavia Unite decide to create an actual reading nook within the Bol.com library? “We wanted to create a space where Bol.com employees can come together and actually see the results of the project,” Dave adds. “The stop-element makes people actively think about it.” The team also decided to use sustainable materials such as cardboard. The books used to illustrate variables are dummies and will serve as notebooks when the project ends.
The Bollenbozen reading nook is just one of the assignments that Altavia Unite recently took on for Bol.com. So, what makes this project stand out? If it’s up to Evita, it’s because of Altavia’s creativity and the generated results. “People at Bol.com are very excited about the reading nook and the impact it represents. After placing the bookcase in our library, we’ve seen the enrollments for our Bollenbozen initiative increase significantly. It’s great to see when a plan comes together!”
Dave Metz – Projectmanager at Altavia Unite
