Opening doors
The Sloros company launched a social project, in which the cabinetry manufacturers are getting actively involved.
30/10/2017
Sloros came up with an idea on how to join the unjoinable – charity and commerce. The distribution company that supplies the Russian market with reasonably priced hardware under the Titus brand, started to sell the partner holding’s hit products to the end buyers of furniture. The company decided to allot one ruble from each sold set of hardware for charity. They called their campaign “Open the door”.
“Many of us always want to see business not only as a way to earn money but also as an opportunity to do something more valuable that improves the life around,” said Stepan Hotulev, the leading manager of Sloros. “Our project is a good undertaking not least because it is open for all colleagues in the market. Many companies are willing to help, but they merely don’t have enough resources, in particular human resources, to do it systematically. To participate in the program “Open the door” no serious organizational efforts are required.”
Sloros put across the idea of the project to the furniture manufacturers: factories and trading companies allocate space for affordable impulse goods in their shops – hinges, door closers, push latch bases by Titus. The fittings go with the furniture set as an optional extra. For the buyers, the benefit is in improving the functional qualities of furniture (for example, the door closers in the kitchen cabinetry and in wardrobes wouldn’t be out of place). The store benefits from the trading margin. The benefit for Sloros itself is in the increase in turnover and the wide promotion of Titus products.
Sloros took care that the project partners had a full package of promotional and explanatory materials and that the campaign fittings were packed properly. The company even installed a full blister line at its main site. A giant circulation of leaflets telling about the campaign is printed. All products are provided with clear instructions.
“We also placed a QR-code on each package, which leads to a product demo video,” says Stepan Hotulev. “Buyers can see how the mechanism works and how it is installed. In fact, we are sure that Titus products can be installed by anyone who has two hands and a screwdriver.”
Large furniture companies, as well as retailers, joined the “Open the door” project almost immediately. The first 200 thousand rubles collected by Sloros and the like-minded people (TriYa, Lubidom, Tvoy Dom, Lerom, Kvaik, etc.) were donated for the making of furniture for the Sozvezdie orphanage in Ruza, Moscow Region.
“In the long term, we would like “Open the door” to become the most visible social project in the furniture industry,” says Stepan Hotulev. “And we had a very promising start.”
