1. No category

ReSPECT Rep
ort 2013
1
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
Benchmarking
Benchmarking our Corporate Responsibility performance
is important to us. This ensures we maintain a position
of leadership that has been built up over many
years. Our main benchmarking tool is Business in the
Community’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) Index, a
public exercise in transparency, the index provides a
robust tool to help companies systematically measure,
manage and integrate responsible business practices.
since we first began to use the Index back in 2006.
Our current Platinum Big Tick Status means we have
gained recognition for our thought about global megatrends, such as population growth and resource scarcity
and the impact that this will have on our business. It
means we have demonstrated how we make long-term
investment decisions to improve the environmental and
social credentials of our products. It means that our
vision and values are embedded throughout our business
and that our senior management team are educated
and trained in relevant corporate responsibility issues.
We are immensely proud of our performance in the
CR Index, showing regular improvement in our scoring
s
atu
nz
o
Br
2007
2
t
eS
us
er
v
sil
2008
s
s
t
Sta
ld
go
2009
S
u
tat
m
u
tin
s
s
u
tS at
m
u
tin
u
tS at
m
u
tin
pla
pla
pla
2010
2011
2012
u
tS at
big
um us
n
i
t
lp at k Sta
tic
2013
Hallmark ReS
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
Contents
Welcome4
ReSPECT5
ReSPECT Committee7
Responsible Employer8
Sustainability10
Business Performance12
Environment14
Community16
Trading with Integrity18
3
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
Welcome
message
Hallmark takes corporate
responsibility seriously, that’s
why we created ReSPECT.
“Welcome to the
Hallmark Cards
2013 corporate social
responsibility report.”
ReSPECT puts responsible business at
the heart of Hallmark - from the way
we treat our colleagues and manage
our impact on the environment to our
trading performance and community
work.
Although the last 12 months in UK retail
have been tough, Hallmark continues to
perform positively. This is down to great
people, unique products and a passion
for what we do - we make ‘life a special
occasion’ for our consumers.
At Hallmark, we know what makes
a great greeting card and connect
with our consumers through a unique
offering that combines insight-led
design, standard-setting editorial,
superior production quality and a strong
brand. We’re expanding this consistent
experience across the gifting and
4
licensed ranges in our
product portfolio.
But it doesn’t stop there,
at Hallmark corporate
responsibility is key to our story and
we’ve got a great one to tell. We
continue to punch above our weight,
rubbing shoulders with the biggest
and best in the UK. We are very proud
to have achieved Platinum Big Tick
status in the Business in the Community
Corporate Responsibility (CR) Index.
In addition, we lead our sector as the
only company to feature on the index
and have embraced the challenges and
scrutiny that comes with this to rank
among the best of the best.
The impact of this success can be felt at
grass-roots level in the communities we
are part of and generates a feel-good
factor for our employees and those
they interact with. We are proud to
be located in Bradford, West Yorkshire
and to be champions of the creative
and industrial
heartbeat
of the
region. This
commitment is born out in our
recognition as ‘Employee Volunteering
Company of the Year 2013’ in the
Yorkshire & Humber region and gives
us another reason to be proud to be
Hallmark.
Over the following pages, we share
some of our successes from the past
year across the ReSPECT programme.
I hope you will share my pride in what
we’ve achieved and take a little time
to learn more about some of the great
work that’s gone into making it happen.
Steve Wright
Chief Executive Hallmark Cards PLC
Hallmark ReS
it’s all about
Our corporate social responsibility
programme has been divided into 6
core areas of activity to ensure that
we address the many complex elements
involved:
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
with respect
we’re better
than the rest!
ReSPECT is our approach to
corporate responsibility and has been
divided into 6 core areas that we call the
‘platforms’ of the ReSPECT programme.
This ensures that we have a holistic and
integrated approach to managing all
aspects of corporate responsibility in our
business.
We have robust governance of the
ReSPECT programme ensuring that
all aspects of corporate responsibility
are embedded into our core business
activities. Our governance team is headed
by a member of the Hallmark board,
responsible for setting the CR agenda,
and an operational team that brings the
strategy to life and engages the wider
business.
The governance team is made up from
colleagues company-wide ensuring the
ReSPECT programme reaches all corners
of our diverse business and becomes part
of our everyday activities and decision
making processes.
It is the responsibilities of the governance
team to: •
Recommend the strategic direction for CSR for Hallmark for board approval and from this formulate strategies and plans to be delivered by the business.
•
Act as ambassadors for CSR activities and the ReSPECT Programme, raising the profile wherever possible, both internally and externally and using these opportunities to promote the Hallmark Brand.
•
Provide credible links between business and CSR strategies ensuring alignment and consistency where possible, and justification where deviations occur.
•
Actively engage board and senior management team members to increase their own understanding of the ReSPECT Programme and provide support on ReSPECT initiatives in the wider business.
•
Engage senior managers to increase their own understanding of the ReSPECT programme and to ensure the business can maximise commercial opportunities resulting from CSR performance and connections.
• Set and/or approve targets and objectives for the Operational CSR Team to deliver.
•
Provide guidance on prioritising targets and objectives to ensure the activity of the Operational CSR Team is in line with current business strategy and priorities.
• Evaluate external benchmarking opportunities for CSR in its entirety and as individual components.
5
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
With
Platinum Big Tick Status
We are delighted to have
achieved Platinum Big Tick
Status in the Business in
the Community Corporate
Responsibility (CR) Index.
This accolade is reserved
for organisations that are
recognised as leading
the way within the responsible business
agenda – ensuring our long-term strategy
and vision builds resilient communities and
more sustainable futures.
This recognition further builds on our
previous achievements in the CR Index,
where we have shown year-on-year
progress since our first participation back in
2006. We remain the only company in our
industry that is transparent in all aspects
of Corporate Responsibility, and fully
participates in industry benchmark tools like
the CR Index.
Some of the reasons we have been
6
we’re better
than the
rest!
recognised as a Platinum Big Tick company
include: • Robust corporate governance approach
•Reward and remuneration system that recognises consistent achievers
• Fully integrated Corporate Responsibility practices into day-to-day business
• Leading business collaboration on the key issues
Recognition for our
Community Work
The last 12 months have seen us making
great strides in both how we interact
with local communities, and the number
of employees that are engaged in the
programmes we run. External recognition
has followed for both the way in which we
embed volunteering opportunities into the
business, and the impacts our programmes
are making.
Employee Volunteering Company of the
Year Local Impact Award
Recognising our efforts to effectively
embed volunteering opportunities into our
business, and build them around a focused
Community Strategy, delivering meaningful
and measurable benefits to the community.
Building Stronger Communities Local
Impact Award
Recognising the genuine partnerships
between Hallmark and community
organisations, which identify and address
a key social issues through sustainable
projects or initiatives and are making a
lasting impact on local communities. Our
relationships with Bradford Foyer and
Bradford Environmental Action Trust were
used as case studies to support this.
Game Changer
In 2012 our Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) Manager, Steve Smith, was named
a Game Changer by Business in the
Community, all down to his excellent
Leadership of the Corporate Responsibility
(CR) agenda at Hallmark.
The Game Changer is a one-off Award to
recognise individuals who have made a
demonstrable contribution to integrating
responsible business policy and practice
within their organisation. Each Game
Changer is an advocate of responsible
business who, by helping to shift corporate
responsibility from niche to mainstream,
has played a significant part in advancing
the movement.
In particular BITC felt that,
“Steve works tirelessly to ensure all
colleagues are fully involved in best
business practice and also ensures that the
CR programme is integral to Hallmark’s
approach to stakeholder engagement.”
Steve received his award at the BITC AGM
in December 2012 and was later invited to
lunch with Prince Charles, who was keen to
recognise the achievements of the Game
Changers personally.
Hallmark ReS
committee
PECT Rep
or
“At Hallmark we recognise the sta
keholders in our
business have a valuable contribu
tion to make in
shaping the success of both our bu
siness and our
ReSPECT programme. Stakeholders
with whom
we regularly collaborate include ou
r employees,
customers, suppliers, regulators an
d financiers.”
t 2013
Platform Owners
Strategic Committee
Each of the 6 ReSPECT Platforms is championed by a
functional specialist, responsible for performance improvement
and reporting against key performance indicators.
The board sponsor leads a group of Senior Managers
in the strategy development and objective setting
for the programme.
The committee consists of:
International Supply Chain Director
CSR Manager
HR Manager
PR & Social Media Manager
Sustainability
ana
mental M
Environ
Environmen
The 6 platform
s
Operational Comittee
The committee Chair guides the team through
delivering the strategy and monitoring performance
against objectives, reporting key performance
measures back to the Strategic Team.
Environment
ger
tal Manager
of
Performance
Trading with Integrity
PR & Social Media Manager
pl
Supplier Com
The committee consists of:
iance Manager
CSR Manager
Environmental Manager
Supplier Compliance Manager
Internal Communications Manager
Facilities Manager
Quality Assurance Engineer
Head of Merchandising
Responsible Employer
HR Manager
CSR Manager
Community
CSR Manager
Operations Graduate
7
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
responsible
employer
Our Vision is to create a positive
culture where each individual gives their
best, enjoys work and is rewarded fairly,
is trusted and respected.
Our Strategy is to value
everyone’s contribution, encourage
learning as a fundamental practice and
aim to provide an environment that has
the highest levels of safety and facility
provision.
One Voice
One Voice is our employee forum which
was set up in 2012 to facilitate 2-way
engagement with colleagues across
the business. Discussion topics already
raised and debated include Internal
Communications, Working Flexibly, and
Benefits.
The One Voice forum members also play a
vital role in formal consultation processes
as we go through a program of change in
different parts of the business.
Members of the localised One Voice
Forums are connected to each other
via a UK-wide forum that aims to share
discussion topics from across the business
and keep one another updated
on content from all areas of the
business.
Benefits
In response to colleague
feedback we have broadened
8
Hallmark is committed to treating everyone
equally and believes that everyone has an
important contribution to make.
for all colleagues. At the same time we
continue to work on aligning our benefits
and making sure we are competitive in the
external market.
Perf
orm pay for
an
ce
Change Agility
rewarding you...
...
the range of discounts we offer as part of
our benefits package. We have made the
range of benefits available more flexible
to colleagues to enable them to tailor
benefits to suit their lifestyle. For example,
we have launched a special days scheme
where individuals who are moving house,
getting married, achieving a milestone
birthday or becoming a new mum or new
dad qualify for a £50 gift voucher or extra
day’s leave.
We have raised the awareness of the
benefits of working at Hallmark through
the launch of our new website and booklet
Our key people managers in the business
have attended thought-provoking Change
Workshops with inspirational speaker
Damien Hughes. The content of these
sessions included discussions with small
groups working on the challenges of
change. Managers have since led followup sessions with their teams to introduce
practical techniques to support an
empowered approach to change.
We now have a forum for managers to
regularly meet and discuss their ideas
around change and share ideas and best
practice for their areas.
Police Contact Point
We have built a great relationship
with West Yorkshire Police, working in
Hallmark ReS
partnership to ensure that our buildings
and people remain safe at all times. The
Police have been supportive of our Let’s
Keep Safe with Hallmark initiative and
attended our Family Fun Day in 2012 to
give colleagues an insight into the role of
the police. Colleagues and their families
even got the opportunity to be locked-up
in the back of a police van!
As a result of our closer working
relationship with West Yorkshire Police
we have instigated a police Contact Point
on our Head Office site where colleagues
have the opportunity to talk to local police
representatives about any questions they
have, or concerns they wish to raise. These
sessions have proved really popular with
both our colleagues and the police and
now take place on a monthly basis.
Family Fun Day
September 2012 saw us hold our first ever
Family Fun Day, with employees given the
opportunity to bring friends and family to
their place of work for a fun-packed day!
A range of activities took place to keep
the kids entertained, including fairground
games, a climbing wall and a bouncy
castle. There was also the opportunity for
young and old to put their creative skills
to the test by making some handmade
greetings cards.
Detailed investigations and trend analysis
following incidents has enabled us to tailor
our areas of focus for 2013 with priority
actions being given to where the greatest
opportunities for improvement lie. Such
areas include slips, trips, falls, cuts and
grazes.
All proceeds raised on the day were
donated to our employees’ charities of
choice and we are delighted that £2,561
was handed over to Cancer Research UK
and Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.
Focus was given to our retail colleagues
in 2012, that’s those working in store
dressing displays in our customers’ stores,
and our own retail stores. This is an area of
focus we have already continued in 2013
as we continue to build our retail offering
both on the high street and factory outlet
formats.
Staying Safe
In 2012 we again continued the trend of
accident reduction across our sites and
those external sites where our employees
worked. We saw a 4% reduction in the
total number of accidents versus 2011, and
whilst this is a positive trend we have more
to do. When these numbers are actualised
against the number of hours worked by
our colleagues a small increase in the
accident frequency is seen in comparison
to 2011 as the graph shows.
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
9
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
sustainability
Our Vision is to minimise
the impact on the natural world by
making use of the earth’s resource in a
responsible and sustainable way.
Our Strategy through being a
responsible employer we aim to increase the
awareness of sustainability issues within our
own workforce and communicate sustainable
marketing messages to our retailers and
consumers.
10
Our business is built upon the resources that
the earth provides, and the future existence of
our business depends upon these resources being
readily available for years to come.
Over the lunchtime period colleagues
worked with local children from Heaton
Primary School to plant the trees in
woodland adjacent to the office. Each
child that participated adopted a tree
they planted and plan to visit each year
to chart the tree’s progress and growth in
comparison to the child.
Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) Friday 2012
Yorkshire Water Sustainable
Use of Resource Award
We again supported this national event
aimed at raising awareness of the
principles of FSC amongst consumers and
the next generation. We sponsored t-shirts
used by FSC at national events run to
promote FSC.
Hallmark was invited by Yorkshire Water to
enter the inaugural ‘Taking Responsibility
for Business Awards.’ This provides a
platform for Yorkshire Water to recognise
the work undertaken by their customers
in moving towards a more sustainable
business model.
Closer to home, colleagues arrived at our
head office site to be greeted by tree-lined
walkways into the building, generating
an atmosphere of intrigue. Once inside
they were met with information explaining
the principles of FSC and how Hallmark
work with FSC to promote responsible
purchasing practices amongst consumers
at retail.
We were delighted to be recognised
with the Sustainable Use of Resources
Award, rewarding our efforts in sourcing
and manufacturing with only certified
well-managed materials for greetings
card production, and educating others in
sustainability messages via our community
partnerships.
Kevin Barefoot, Business Services
Manager at Yorkshire Water said,
“The Taking Responsibility for Business
Awards recognise the exceptional work
that our customers undertake day in, day
out. Their proactive attitudes not only
positively contribute to the sustainability
of their business but to the sustainability
of the Yorkshire region and a much wider
supply chain.”
Hallmark ReS
H
Responsible Sourcing
The origins of the materials we use in our
products is very important to us and we
continue to maintain the momentum built
over previous years in sourcing only FSC
certified or recycled materials for the
manufacture of greetings cards.
All new product
designs are now
carrying the
FSC trademark
to demonstrate
the sourcing
credentials to
consumers, and
reprinted bestselling designs
are having the
trademark applied retrospectively where it
is possible to do so.
Internally we maintain a chain of custody
portal that details the origins of every raw
paper material we use for manufacturing
products. This information details all
W
o
o
s
’
d
k
l
and
r
a
m
la l
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
information back to the tree species used
for making the paper, and the information
is used by colleagues when answering
retailer and consumer questions about
individual products.
Woodland Management
Hallmark is privileged to own an area of
woodland adjacent to its head office site.
We work in partnership with Bradford
Environmental Action Trust and Belle Vue
Girls’ School to manage the woodland and
perform community, education and skills
development activities with local groups.
Images courtesy of Phil Matthews
As part of the community programme
we provide an area for the planting
of trees gifted to people to celebrate
special occasions, and those donated in
memorial of a loved one. We dedicate
special days when groups can access
the woodland, and with our help, plant
the trees they have donated. In 2012 we
planted over 400 saplings as a result of
this programme.
11
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
Business
Performance
Our Vision is to ensure a
financially stable environment for all
Hallmark employees, customers and
suppliers via successful and profitable
trading performances.
Our Strategy is to provide emotive
and trustworthy products that customers
can rely on to help them celebrate life’s
special occasions, however big or small
they may be.
12
The economic performance of our business underpins
everything we do within the organisation. We
firmly believe that a responsible business is more
likely to be a successful business
Licensing
Licensing continues to play an important
role in Hallmark’s strategy and the
portfolio of licences is impressive and
varied. Hallmark has established strong
relationships with the world’s leading
entertainment licensors, led by Disney,
Warner Brothers and Fox. Design led
licences also play an important role, with
the beautiful illustrations of Janet Hill and
the photography of Deborah Schenk both
inspiring highly successful ranges. There
are now over thirty separate licence deals
in place for Hallmark UK, plus many more
solely for Tigerprint.
Sales of cards featuring licensed
properties represent 9% of Hallmark’s
UK business, and our creativity and
market insight put the company in a
strong position to win hot new licences.
Recent signings include the wellsupported revival of Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, plus photographic ranges
from the RSPCA and Discovery Channel.
At the centre of Hallmark’s
portfolio is Forever
Friends, the established
favourite first launched
twenty six years ago and is
now an international hit for
Hallmark with over 80 licensees worldwide
and an impressive array of product from
nightwear to jewellery, celebration cakes
to bedding. In the UK, across cards and GP
alone, Forever Friends actually generates
more revenue for us than the rest of our
licensed ranges combined! We also have
a wealth of other classic designs and
characters some of which have appeared
in Hallmark’s new recently launched gift
ranges including Baby Bellissima, Heritage
Press and Sew Lovely to name but a few.
Emily Button, the ragdoll
brand created exclusively
for Marks & Spencer,
demonstrates our inhouse brand capability. A
commercial success that has
delighted Marks & Spencer, Emily marries
traditional girl’s play patterns and crafting
with modern family appeal and we’ve
recently signed our first pan European
license with plans to extend globally. 2014
will see this activity grow as we look at
new ways to grow the Hallmark brand
and utilize the exceptional talent we have
within Hallmark.
Consumer Insights
We have a long standing commitment to
consumer and shopper insight which is
unique within the card market.
We have a specialised Consumer Insight
team of three who work solely on
supplying employees with invaluable
consumer information across all business
areas. By interacting with 1000s of
consumers every year we’re able to learn
more about our consumers than ever;
learning first-hand about their lives,
families, relationships and celebrations.
We’re also able to draw on US research
which is another great resource enabling
us to discover even more.
Hallmark ReS
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
“I’ve re
Hallmarkaislly enjoyed blogging
involved to doing a great job aand I feel
lives. Gettin find out how we t getting
and producg an understandingall live our
ing cards th
fi
at relate trost hand
us”
Cons
Types of Research
We use a number of different methods
and techniques to gather our insights.
These include regularly tracking societal
changes, studying brand awareness and
perceptions, keeping tabs on changes
in consumers’ shopping behaviour and
creating a round-up of consumer focussed
news stories among others.
We also carry out family research which
entails people from around the business
‘buddying up’ with consumers to spend
time with them in a natural setting over
the course of a month and involves video
diaries and blog entries.
How Are the Insights Used?
We bring consumer insights & societal
trends to life through the editorial and
design of our products for example by
using voices and vocabulary relevant to
today’s lifestyles and consumers. We hold
a unique advantage over our competitors
because by working so closely with our
umer
Insig
ht s p
ar tic
ipant
consumers and immersing ourselves
within their lives we’re really building an
‘emotions database’ to truly understand
the deep connection sends, which we
believe can be our key point of difference.
Social Media
Keeping connected is the
essence of what we are all
about, and that’s why we
love talking to thousands
of people every day on
social media. Whether it is through
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Google+,
we love being able to have
a conversation with people.
For us it’s not as much
about you hearing about
us, but us wanting to
hear about you, whether
that’s through you writing to us or sharing
pictures of what’s going on in your lives.
That’s one of the great benefits of us
working with a Hallmark community of
Mum Bloggers. We get to understand
what’s important in their lives, what
makes them smile and equally what can
drive them mad! Our Mum Bloggers are
a wonderful panel who give us honest
reviews on our products as well as inspire
us and our social media community with
stories of their lives.
We also like to use social media to help
us be creative, be it through our Creative
Blog, competitions or partnerships such
as when we teamed up with Twitter
to create The Queen a birthday card
created from tweets from all over
the country. We created the hashtag
#Happybirthdaymaam and asked the
nation to share their favourite memory
of Her Majesty. The card stood nearly
6 feet tall and was hand delivered to
Buckingham Palace. It was not only an
honour to create such a memorable card
for such an auspicious occasion, but we
also generated a huge amount of buzz
online, and received coverage in 3 national
newspapers.
Text Santa
Hallmark was proud to be the exclusive
Christmas card partner for ITV’s Text
Santa charity campaign. We joined forces
to help raise funds from the sale of our
packs of celebrity designed Christmas
cards to make a difference to 6 fantastic
charities. Gary Barlow, Emmerdale’s
Matthew Wolfenden, Tulisa, The Saturdays
as well as Daybreak’s Aled and Lorraine
all got involved in designing a unique
Christmas card for Text Santa in 2012.
Their designs were joined by the winner of
the Hallmark and Daybreak ‘Sketch Santa’
competition, which saw thousands of
children send their Christmas card designs
to Daybreak to sit alongside the celebrity
cards.
The cards were sold in Hallmark shops,
Hallmark.co.uk and Asda.
As a Text Santa partner, Hallmark gained
primetime TV coverage seen by millions of
viewers within our target audience, not to
mention extensive coverage throughout
the social media landscape and in the
media, including Femail, one of the most
read websites on a global scale.
13
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
Environment
Our Vision is to achieve sustained
reductions in the carbon emissions
associated with our business and be
recognised as leaders in the field of
Environmental Management.
Our Strategy is to minimise waste,
reduce energy use, source our products
responsibly and continue to promote
environmental awareness internally and
among our customers, suppliers and
business networks.
14
In a modern environmentally conscious world,
recognising our environmental impacts and
acting to reduce these so far as possible is a key
feature of the ReSPECT programme.
War on Waste
Waste disposal continues to be one of
the major environmental impacts of
our business and our continued resolve
to improve this impact area has paid
dividends in 2012. During the year we
saw a further increase in the overall
percentage of solid waste generated being
recycled by the business. Our solid waste
recycling measure now stands at 87.28%.
Our waste improvement programme
includes the continued education of
colleagues and the search for new
recycling outlets for previously nonrecycled materials. One such success
story from the last 12 months is
glossy label backing paper that we
have previously struggled to secure a
recycling outlet for. Working with our
recycling partner we have now found
an outlet for this and in 2012 we recycled
approximately 36 tonnes of this material.
We have successfully reduced the
volume of general waste generated
by the business by a further 12% in
the last 12 months. General waste
volumes in 2012 were recorded at
550.37 tonnes, compared to 626.82
tonnes in 2011.
Every Drop Counts
It is only a little over 12 months
since drought-like conditions were
prevalent through much of the
country and at Hallmark we believe
we have an important role to play in
minimising the water stress placed on
communities. We achieve this
by promoting water
efficiency amongst
colleagues and
implementing
water saving
technologies
where it is
possible to do so.
In 2012 we
successfully reduced
water use across our 3 operational sites
by a combined 7.7% in comparison to the
previous year. This builds on our previous
Hallmark ReS
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
In 2012 we successfully reduced water
use across our 3 operational sites by
a combined 7.7% in comparison to the
previous year
successes and beats the target of 5% we
set ourselves. We aim to further build on
this in 2013 and have set ourselves the
target of reducing this by 2% over the
course of this year.
Our strategy for achieving these continued
reductions is one of using consumption
data to highlight trends and peaks
in consumption and really begin to
understand why these occur. Once we
have built an understanding of these
trends we will then look to utilise simple
technologies such as flow regulators to
reduce consumption further.
Managing Consumption
We continued working with our crossfunctional Utilities Review Team in 2012 on
a number of energy efficiency initiatives
including installing occupancy sensors to
all individual offices at our production site.
We replaced further old and inefficient T12
lighting in our samples areas in favour of
more modern T5 alternatives.
We conducted a full review of our
compressed air systems during 2012 and
carried out repairs and maintenance on
all detected leaks and defects, which we
expect to result in savings in the region of
300,000Kwh.
Whilst total electricity consumption in
2012 increased by 2% in comparison to
2011 usage, our consumption since 2009
remains 13% lower. It is our objective to
regain the momentum in 2013 and drive
further energy reduction measures.
15
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
community
Our Vision is to create a positive impact
on communities and charities in all areas in which
we operate beyond.
Our Strategy is through a combination of
volunteer programmes, donations, partnerships
and regeneration projects we will create a
positive impact in all communities we touch. We
will increase our work with the community and
charities each year by encouraging our people,
partners and suppliers to participate in all the
programmes, schemes and projects we are
involved in.
16
As a major employer we recognise the positive impact
we can make on our communities and people’s lives.
We believe that the care and sentiment that is
embedded within our products crosses over into the
relationships we have with local communities.
Christmas in the Community
so beautifully presented, which has saved
us a lot of work!” Caroline Heward; Corps
Christmas can be a real
time of hardship and
loneliness for many
in our communities.
At Hallmark we are all
about celebrating the
occasion and believe
we have a role to play in extending the
festive cheer to those less fortunate than
ourselves. Christmas 2012 saw us partner
with the Salvation Army in Bradford
to provide Christmas presents to 30
teenagers.
Officer – The Salvation Army.
The Team at our Operations site held
a raffle and raised money used to buy
presents, and enough money was raised to
make a cash donation of £220 as well.
“I am truly amazed by what your team at
Hallmark have done for us. For a number of
years we have partnered with companies
like this for Christmas gifts, but this has
truly been the most generous we have seen!
Thank you for the way in which each gift was
Surplus Product Give Away
communities that work on issues that they
tell us are most important. Working in
this targeted way enables us to focus our
efforts on the things that can make the
biggest difference.
Like any other trend-led business we face
a battle with surplus stock as consumer
tastes change year-on-year. Whilst we
have become more accurate at forecasting
production volumes to ensure the volume
of surplus product is minimised, there
will always be some product that remains
surplus to requirements.
Charity Fundraising
As such, we have a redundant product
giving programme that offers local
charities and community groups the
chance to be the benefactors of product
donations to use for fundraising and art
& crafts sessions. In 2012 we were able to
provide product donations to 125 different
organisations worth a collective value of
£9,926.
Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice work
locally by providing a range of respite
and end-of-life care for families with sick
children in the West Yorkshire area.
Like all our community activity, we focus
on helping those organisations in our local
Our 2012 employee nominated charities
are two very worthy causes. Cancer
Research UK, who work nationally at the
leading edge of cancer treatments and
increasing our understanding of this truly
awful disease.
During 2012 our colleagues participated in
a range of fundraising events from 5-a-side
football and sponsored walks, to product
sales and raffles. Through a diverse
range of engagement opportunities our
colleagues generously raised £11,529.92,
surpassing our target of £10,000.
Hallmark ReS
Community Volunteering
We believe passionately that we can
play a lead role with local communities
in sharing our resources and expertise
for the collective good, and that this is
mutually beneficial for both Hallmark
and our communities. With this in mind
we remain committed to providing every
employee with 1-day’s paid leave per year
to participate in community volunteering
activities that work towards the
achievement of our community strategy.
In 2012 we had 231 employees participate
in community volunteering activity, an
increase of 65% versus 2011. Here are
some examples of what colleagues have
been involved with in 2012:
Forget Me Not Garden
2012 saw us sponsor a show garden at the
BBC’s Gardeners’ World Live Event. We
partnered with local gardening enthusiast
Erica Ward to create the garden, and
worked with Erica after the show to ensure
the garden had a longer-term use. We
identified an area within the grounds of
the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice
to recreate the garden, and engaged a
group of volunteers from our Distribution
Centre to complete the recreation.
This opportunity provided the perfect
extension to our employee nominated
charity partnership (see above) and
received glowing feedback from Kate
Goldring; Fundraising Manager at the
hospice, “It’s looking great. Thank you for
your support.”
Bringing Cheer to the
Children’s Ward
Our creative licensing team worked with
the Children’s Ward at Bradford Royal
Infirmary to run creative sessions for
children staying in hospital. Our team
took over the on-ward playrooms for a
day armed with a range of materials from
the studio to use for the session.
The children, and their parents, had an
opportunity to get creative and make
a range of handmade cards and gifts,
with our creative colleagues on hand to
offer expert guidance. The sessions were
enjoyed by all and offered a welcome
break from the routine of a hospital stay.
Sharing our Story
Our position as industry leaders in a
number of areas including environment
and sustainability gives us a great
opportunity to share our story with others
and inspire them to follow our lead.
Over the last 12 months we have worked
with both undergraduates and postgraduates at The University of Leeds and
The University of Bradford to help them
understand the environmental challenges
a business like ours faces.
This forum provides the students with
a link between text book theoretical
learning and real world business
examples to which to apply their learning.
The sessions were well received with the
last University of Leeds session returning
feedback that said 95% of the delegates
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
enjoyed the session and learnt something
new.
Emerge
Emerge are a local youth work support
organisation that work with children
and youths to inspire them to improve
their lives. Working in many of the
toughest areas of the city to deliver vital
programmes their support services are
used by some of the city’s most challenged
youngsters.
In 2012 a team of Hallmark colleagues
worked with Emerge to bring some much
needed stimulating colour and vibrancy
to the Emerge building by planting a roof
garden on top of storage containers. The
challenge made use of waste wooden
pallets from our production site, which
were lined and filled with compost before
being planted with a range of colourful
perennials.
17
EC T
Hallmark ReSP
3
Report 201
Trading
with
integrity
Our Vision is to create a dynamic
supplier base capable of meeting the
needs of Hallmark, its customers and their
customers.
Our Strategy is to foster
partnerships that enhance our suppliers’
capabilities by inspiring innovation and
continuous improvement, supporting
management system development and
transparency, communicating best
practice, encouraging training, and
promoting knowledge transfer.
18
We realise that the impact we can have within
our own organisation is limited to the size of
the workforce. There is a greater opportunity to
positively impact people’s lives by working with
our supply base world-wide.
Monitoring Supplier
Performance
Supply chain
performance and
transparency have
certainly been high
on the agenda for
both business and
the public over
recent months.
Hallmark has a
robust management
system for managing suppliers and their
performance that is driven through the
Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX).
We require every finished product supplier
to be members of SEDEX and regularly
monitor lapsed membership amongst our
supplier base, encouraging suppliers to
continue engagement with this tool where
necessary.
We further monitor the level of completion
of the Self-Assessment Questionnaire
(SAQ) completed in the SEDEX system
by the supplier. Information submitted
forms an integral part of risk assessment
of the supplier, which in turn drives the
level of support offered to the supplier
by Hallmark to develop their own
management systems. During this process
we look for suppliers to have a 95%
minimum completion level of the SAQ.
On-going monitoring of supplier
performance uses details of actions raised
during 3rd party audits of the supplier
sites to drive continual improvement.
We regularly report on actions raised and
chart the progress towards closing any
actions raised in a timely manner.
We ensure that improvements are made
immediately in the period after audits
where issues are raised, as opposed
to waiting for the next audit cycle to
demonstrate improvements.
Hallmark ReS
ELEVATE Metric Managed
Service (MMS) Programme
Together with ELEVATE, a global leader
in social performance solutions, we have
adopted a metrics and Key Performance
Indicator programme to provide better,
more timely visibility into factory
performance versus the traditional audit
only model favoured in many supply
chains.
The programme in its pilot phase lasts for
15 months and focuses on 4 key areas that
include: -
Training & Education
Onsite Expert Support
Data Collection & Analysis
Peer Review 7 Performance Improvement
To date we have 3 core suppliers that
are part of the MMS programme and
are demonstrating improvements in key
impact areas. It is our intention to use
these suppliers and the improvements
they make as case studies for encouraging
further suppliers to become part of the
programme throughout 2013.
Rewarding our Best Suppliers
To minimise the risk to both the Hallmark
brand and those of our retail customers
we adopt an approach that maximises the
volume of product manufactured in our
premium suppliers.
PECT Rep
or
t 2013
In 2012 our target of placing 85% of
production volume through ‘A’ grade
suppliers was surpassed, with 93% of
production volume being placed with
these suppliers. This represents a further
increase on the 92% achieved in 2011. Our
experience shows that the prospect of
receiving additional orders is incentive
enough to encourage suppliers to
continue performance improvements.
This further rewards these suppliers for
the improvements they have made in their
management practices over the years.
“ELEVATE is pleased to partner with Hallmark to track and manage important business and social indicators at select Hallmark suppliers
in China. The KPI tracking program provides tremendous insight into the business and social issues that Hallmark suppliers are trying to
manage. The project forms a great foundation for Hallmark to work more proactively with these suppliers to help address issues before
they become problems. This proactive and innovative programme is helping Hallmark and its suppliers better manage environmental, social
and business performance more effectively.” Ian Spalding – Senior Partner; ELEVATE
19
Hallmark are FSC certified to produce greetings cards on FSC Mixed papers.
Hallmark Cards PLC, Bingley Road, Heaton, Bradford BD9 6SD
Tel. 0800 902 0900 | www.hallmark.co.uk