How The Home Depot Foundation expanded social responsibility efforts during the pandemic.

When the pandemic began, brands put a renewed importance on corporate social responsibility. COVID-19 disrupted so many things in 2020, but those disruptions came with a sharpened focus on supporting and uplifting local communities.

A leading example of a retail leader adapting their social responsibility efforts in reaction to the pandemic is The Home Depot and their nonprofit organization – The Home Depot Foundation.

The Home Depot Foundation traditionally centers its annual fall campaign, Operation Surprise, around the veteran community. However, to broaden their reach because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they diversified their volunteer efforts in 2020.

Big Red Rooster helped in expanding this focus to serving the broader community, including first responders, teachers, vulnerable communities, and those facing food insecurity. The result: a new philanthropic communications campaign – Good in Action.

“Good in Action is all about highlighting real associates, making a real difference in their local communities,” explains Todd Haislip, Group Creative Director. “Actions can speak louder than words – and we wanted to show that even during COVID, The Home Depot associates were there to help.”

This successful campaign underscored how The Home Depot Foundation, like many brands, found ways to adapt their messaging during such an unusual year – and put the spotlight on helping strengthen local communities in a variety of ways.

Looking to the rest of 2021, we are excited to see how this community-centric focus will continue to play out in brand campaigns – both while the pandemic persists, and beyond.