Building a brand through social change - Idea Couture helps initiate the
Aviva Community Fund

TORONTO , Nov. 18 /CNW/ - Inspired by the belief that community ideas can create big change, Idea Couture, a strategic innovation and experience design firm was invited by Aviva Canada Inc., a leading Property and Casualty insurance group, to help create and support the Aviva Community Fund - a national initiative that empowers Canadians to create positive change in their communities. The competition encourages Canadians to submit an idea that will have an impact on their local communities and rally support for it by reaching out to friends, family, neighbors and social networks - the most popular ideas will have a chance to be funded with the $500,000 Aviva Community Fund.

The initiative is unique in approach and began with a nationwide ethnography by the research team at Idea Couture to uncover the disconnect and misunderstandings between Canadian consumers and insurance companies. By listening to the diverse voices of Canadian consumers, a formative insight emerged around the lack of tangibility and locality of financial services.

With a firm belief in the power of social change and community investment, Idea Couture and Aviva have worked to authentically build the Aviva brand, establish new bonds of trust and apply business innovation to create positive social change. The Aviva Community Fund is an initiative that engages and supports the community, promotes creativity and motivates customers. By supporting local communities, Aviva provides a thread that connects the business to the customers and to their own lives.

"We wanted an idea that would engage Aviva's target audience and reinforce Aviva's commitment to local communities," said Idris Mootee, CEO of Idea Couture. "We recognized a unique opportunity for Aviva to empower Canadians to create positive change." So far, Canadians have embraced the Aviva Community Fund as a platform for their ideas. "The program has given a voice to change agents across the country and has provided an outlet for community change ideas that have traditionally fallen outside the mandate of charities and government organizations. We hope other marketers and agencies take notice - the Aviva Community Fund is a powerful example of socially responsible marketing."

Building on Idea Couture's track record of creative positioning, the Aviva Community Fund is providing a vehicle for taking community innovations from idea to reality. Community enthusiasts nationwide are encouraged to submit ideas now through November 29, 2009 or vote for their favorite ideas at www.avivacommunityfund.org.

Idea submissions to date have come from individuals, schools, companies and local and national non-profit organizations. The Aviva Community Fund was recently featured on CanadaAM as well as We Day. Winners will be announced on January 25, 2010 .

For more information visit www.avivacommunityfund.org

IDEA COUTURE

Idea Couture is a global strategic innovation and experience design firm. The company brings together interdisciplinary thinkers to fill a void in the marketplace between strategic consultants, customer insight firms and design studios. They leverage design thinking, social technologies and deep customer insights to help transform business. Idea Couture works across a broad spectrum of industries, including fast-moving consumer goods, electronics, telecommunications, healthcare, financial services, media and publishing, and luxury goods. Clients include Fortune 500 companies in the US, Canada and Europe and China . The company is currently expanding its global footprints and opening offices in Shanghai and Mumbai .

www.ideacouture.com

For further information: Idea Couture, Ashley Perez, Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]