#ShareYourGoodness: How Nestle botched a perfectly good opportunity

“Sarvajanah sukhino bhavantu”. These ancient words mean ‘May all the people in this universe live with happiness and prosperity’. They embody the spirit at Nestl and reflect its business philosophy and social responsibility initiatives. Nestl believes that business and long-term social benefit go hand in hand, entwined like the branches of a banyan tree.

Nestl’s business philosophy demands compliance with laws and conventions, and emphasises the preservation of the environment for sustainable growth. It is the third dimension - the creation of long-term value for both society and stakeholders - that makes it unique. Nestl calls this ‘Creating Shared Value’.

“Nestl is a leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company that continues to create economic value for society. With its philosophy of ‘Creating Shared Value’, Nestl has gone a step further,” said Nestl Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Antonio Helio Waszyk.

To launch a movement that captures this spirit, Nestle India released this TVC, announcing the hashtag #ShareYourGoodness. Here’s the film.

Shortly after, Nestle launched a second #ShareYourGoodness film, one centred on the much used, much misused Mumbai dabbawalla. The film shows the ‘goodness’ that dabbawallas share. One segment shows the role that a dabbawalla played in bringing peace to a couple upset with each other. A second shows how a dabbawalla brings peace of mind to a man paranoid about having his pocket picked.

Both the situations, sadly, are completely removed from reality. In the first case, the film tells the story of a dabbawalla picking up the lunch from the wife and delivering it to the husband. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of how the dabba system works would know that this is impossible. One particular dabba changes many hands to and fro on both legs of the journey, so this tale is, to be charitable, just make-believe.

The second tale can be dismissed in a millisecond. In this day and age, would the man depicted in the film ever receive his salary in cash? For a moment, suppose that he was one of the few who still receive cash, is it even conceivable that he would place his hard-earned money into a dabba - one which will pass through many, unknown, hands?

If these two stories - parts of the long communication - are dismissed, then the third part, where Nestle rewards and delights the dabbawallas, is dismissed as well.

The big question, though, is: couldn’t one find enough genuine, credible examples of sharing in this huge country rather than resort to artifice?