(Updated: Oct 2012) This week, we distill insights around Alpenliebe Kindness Movement - a movement that crowdsourced stories of kindness in China. 50+ thinkers and planners within MSLGROUP share and discuss inspiring projects on corporate citizenship, crowdsourcing and storytelling on the MSLGROUP Insights Network. Every week, we pick up one project and do a deep dive into conversations around it -- on the MSLGROUP Insights Network itself but also on the broader social web -- to distill insights and foresights. We share these insights and foresights with you on our People’s Insights blog and compile the best insights from the network and the blog in the iPad-friendly People’s Lab Quarterly Magazine, as a showcase of our capabilities. For more, see: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

1. crowdsourcing | storytelling | citizenship
People’s Insights: Volume 1, Issue 34
Alpenliebe
Kindness
Movement

2. Alpenliebe Kindness Movement in China
In 2011, Alpenliebe launched a year-long initiative to catalyze a
kindness movement and inspire millions of Chinese youth to appreciate,
share stories about and engage in everyday acts of kindness.
page.renren.com/alpenliebekindness

3. Importance for Alpenliebe
The kindness movement coincided with Alpenliebe’s 15th anniversary in
China, and was the first step in reviving the brand and helping it stand
out in an increasingly competitive market.
Photo: keystothemagictravel.com/2012/08/epcots-mitsukoshi-department-store-or.html

4. Why kindness?
Kindness provided urban Chinese youth with a natural outlet for the
relentless pressures of China’s economic progress, and an opportunity
to connect with people in an increasingly solitary life.
China Daily
“
“
Marketers should approach customers as whole human beings with mind,
hearts, and spirits, because consumers are looking for solutions to their
anxieties about making the globalized world a better place.
- Philip Kotler, Marketing 3.0

5. Acts of kindness define people
Social standing and wealth are important aspects that define people in
China. People without these aspects shared that their actions served to
define them, and that acts of love and kindness increased their dignity.
“We might not have prominent status or earn less than others, but love makes
our life more dignified.”

6. Stories that inspire & shape the world
People shared stories that inspired them believe in positivity and love,
as well stories that inspired them to make a difference and shape the
world they live in.
“Thank you all for sharing the happiness and sweetness with me, and thank you
all for letting me witness love and believe in love.”
blog.sina.com.cn/lanyudesign

7. Rich collection of stories
By the end of the campaign, Alpenliebe had collected a rich database of
personal stories, stories that resembled old wives tales, and stories
picked up from the internet.
“A six year old American girl named Elena Desserich, was suffering from brain
cancer. During the last 9 months of her life, she left many notes with paintings
and words like I love you and hid them in her father's briefcase and mother's
handbag without their notice.”

8. Local stories, local pride
A theme of local pride emerged as people shared kindness stories from
smaller towns and cities, where local communities had rallied together
to make a difference.
1) A friend in need is a friend indeed - Kind Wenzhou people
2) The city of love - Changchun: Traffic officer helps vegetable farmer sell green onions.

9. Inspiration from animals
Several participants in the kindness movement shared inspiring stories
of kindness amongst animals. People from the greater online community
pointed out that humans should learn compassion from these stories.
The people in the water found out a group of shark were closing to them after
seeing the dolphins' aggressive behavior. The kindness dolphins were protecting
human being in their own way at the desperate hours.

10. The Kindness Bible
The most popular of the stories shared were compiled to create
Kindness Bibles. 300,000 copies of the book were distributed during
Alpenliebe’s seasonal sales promotion around the Chinese New year.
youtube.com/watch?v=r1CiQ6Ckysg

11. Candy and kindness
Alpenliebe encouraged people to share their “sweet moments” with
Alpenliebe during the movement, and also received stories in which
candy was used to spread kindness.
1) Photos of Alpenliebe candy shared at page.renren.com/alpenliebekindness
2) A small kindness during overtime

12. Impact
The emotional connect with kindness, and the campaign’s widespread
reach translated into a 16% increase in sales revenue. 151,000
kindness stories were shared, and 8.7 million people touched.
youtube.com/watch?v=r1CiQ6Ckysg

13. Trend: crowdsourcing kindness and cheer
Alpenliebe’s success with its Kindness Movement in China shows that
kindness is an attribute that is in demand globally, and one that can lead
to an increase in sales.
guardian.co.uk/money/2012/apr/13/better-business-acts-of-kindness

14. More People’s Insights Weekly reports
Every week, we dive into one topic for discussion on the MSLGROUP
Insight’s Network and discuss insights and foresights, in three key
areas: crowdsourcing, storytelling and citizenship.
Crowdsourcing Storytelling: Citizenship
Mahindra Spark the Rise @MarsCuriosity #Kony2012
For more reports, visit: peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/

15. Read People’s Lab insights and foresights
The People’s Lab team shares the insights and foresights from the
MSLGROUP Insights Network on the People’s Insights weekly blog and
the People’s Insights Quarterly magazine.
MSLGROUP Insights People’s Insights People’s Insights
Network weekly blog Quarterly magazine
50+ MSLGROUP planners We deep dive into Every quarter, we will compile
share and discuss inspiring conversations around one the best insights from the
projects on corporate project -- on the MSLGROUP network and the blog in the
citizenship, crowdsourcing and Insights Network itself but also iPad-friendly magazine, as a
storytelling. on the broader social web -- to showcase of our capabilities.
distill insights and foresights.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

16. Coming soon: People’s Insights Annual
Report
In early January 2013 we will publish the People’s Insights Annual
Report, in which we synthesize our insights from throughout 2012 and
provide foresights for business leaders and change-makers for 2013.

17. People’s Lab: Crowdsourcing Insights &
Innovation
People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform and
approach that helps organizations tap into people’s insight for
innovation, storytelling and change.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

18. For People’s Lab
solutions, contact
pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com