Participation in the public service is "my share of work", a return to the community
2018-07-23
Interview with Cai Yihui, 25 hours founder
Written and photo taken by Zhou Mo
Cai Yihui’s recent photo
At the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation (hereinafter referred to as SSCLF) in April 2016, the SSCLF’s new short film – “Power of Change” conquered all audiences. Simple screens, concise narrations, unique perspective not only clarified the concept of Soong Ching Ling's philanthropy, but also recorded the SSCLF’s pace on the public welfare road for more than 30 years. For more than two years, SSCLF’s “Power of Change" is an indispensable "visual feast" whether to host visiting guests or to host large public welfare events. It is just 4 minutes and 31 seconds film for the viewer to approach the successors of Soong Ching Ling Public Welfare cause……
The short film "Power of Change" was produced by SSCLF’s partner - 25hours Advertising Company (hereinafter referred to as "25 hours"). Over many years, the SSCLF’s many important promotional activities have come from 25 hours hand, from film shooting, brand strategy development, important designs (such as annual work report, theme event background board), etc. to an invitation letter, meeting notice, business card design, etc. 25 hours has never refused SSCLF’s request and never received a penny. Why is a company with advertising creative planning as the main business willing to contribute to public welfare organizations so selflessly? Not long ago, the author had an interview with Ms. Cai Yihui, head of 25hours.
Form ties of affections with SSCLF
Q.: The short film “Power of Change” produced by 25 hours for SSCLF’s thirtieth anniversary has been widely acclaimed. As the founder of 25-hour, can you talk about some of the behind-the-scenes things you've been doing with this film, such as how to conceive it? Did you encounter any difficulties during the filming? What are the stories or episodes worth mentioning? How do you evaluate this piece of publicity?
Cai Yihui (right) with SSCLF’s executive vice chairman Zou Wei (middle) and pianist Kong Xiangdong
Cai: Thank you very much for your recognition of the film "Power of Change". When we took over the project, the time was very tight, only one month left from the release. Usually a film requires a three-month cycle from the creative ideas to shooting and production. The film reviews SSCLF's 30 year history, representing the brand image of China's most credible public welfare organization. We decided, no matter how tense the time is, and no matter how big the challenge is we must go all out to do the best of the film. On the creativity of the film, 25hours creative team conceived more than 10 different angles, after the internal seven times of the repeated review, finally got the best creative direction. We believe that the public welfare is not a simple love to pay, what is more important is to solve social problems, and thus bring about change and it is the change that drives the world forward, and the change that makes the environment for everyone to live better. From Mme. Soong Ching Ling to Chairman Lu Ping, they devoted their life into the practice of creating changes, promoting changes and countless people in the public welfare industry are convinced of“Power of Change”. When the theme of "Power of Change" was unanimously identified, various creative ideas are inspired. The film begins with the historical materials of the great changers changing the world, Mother Teresa, Soong Ching Ling, Martin Luther King ... Great men share a common belief that they believe in Power of Change. For more than 30 years, SSCLF’s leaders led the foundation’s staff work together with 25 hours team, strongly presenting the short film of "Power of Change".
SSCLF’s vice chairman Xie Lijuan (left) and SSCLF’s honorary director Cai Yihui
Q.: The SSCLF’s many important public welfare activities’ promotion designs in these years came from the 25-hours hands, ranging from the brand strategy formulation, film shooting, annual report layout, to the invitation letter, meeting notice, business card design, etc. SSCLF thought that it is the most reassuring to entrust 25 hours to do those promotion designs. What do you think of “what is even beyond your duty" for a professional company with a certain scale and heavy workload?
received information
Cai: As the founder of 25hours, I think there are many different forms of doing public welfare, and it is the most ideal for anyone to find his most valuable part to repay the community. I am a 20-year advertiser, and my team's experience and expertise in brand building is our most valuable part. 25hours team can help enterprises through professional brand building, to make them thriving, and it also can contribute to the development of public welfare institutions. We hope that through our power to strengthen the construction and promotion of public service brand, and amplify the sound of public welfare through our professional power, combustion-fueled the flames of love of all the society, to play a better role in promoting public welfare causes. 25hours public welfare team agreed that participation in public welfare undertakings is simply our duty, our return to the society.
Q.: When and for what reason did you make connection with SSCLF? Why are you willing to do so much for SSCLF without any financial return, but even with a lot of man power, material and extra work?
Cai: I have good relationship with SSCLF for seven or eight years. I have always felt that we should do something for the society. By accident in a foundation’s public welfare event, I had connections with SSCLF. At that time, I was attracted by Soong Ching Ling’s concept of philanthropy and its excellent work style. At the invitation of the Foundation, our company has officially become a partner of SSCLF, and has initiated cooperation with SSCLF on its various projects.
I hope that SSCLF’s public welfare projects can affect more people in the whole society, through our professional help, to pay money, efforts or time to the public welfare projects, so that more children and families benefit. I think it is meaningful for me to do this kind of public welfare work, the pure pay to the public welfare makes my heart full of positive energy, makes me love myself, others and the world.
How to do a good communication
Q.: Doing the public welfare service is to help more people in need of help while we hope more people will pay attention to, and participate in the public welfare projects. How to attract the public, communication is very important. Now it is an internet age, how to improve the efficiency of communication, attract more people to pay attention to, understand and participate in all kinds of public welfare activities is the problem faced by a lot of public welfare organizations and charitable institutions. You are a professional in the advertising industry, also an active participant in SSCLF’s public welfare events, what do you think of the dissemination of public welfare organizations?
In the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation’s office
Cai: I think that in today's mobile internet era, communication is no longer to spread from one point to the other and from top to bottom. Today, everyone is the recipient of information, but also the person who transmits the information. Today's communication is no longer the era to define the effect of the dissemination with the budget of dissemination. Today's recipients with the right to decide whether to accept information, we have no way to force the recipients to accept what they are not interested. However, the only thing that can achieve the effect of communication is the content. Whether the content we create is interesting to them, whether it is to impress them, whether they are valuable to them, determines whether our dissemination is effective. This year, our company is responsible for the brand communication work of Tencent 99 public Welfare Day. Tencent has access to internet huge flow, but we know that without any moving content, even with billions of flow, it is also an ineffective transmission for recipients who have their self - shielding. The good content can touch people, can cause the media effective in the recipients, and make each recipient become our communication body.
Q.: SSCLF will have a public welfare micro-video contest, conducted first in SSCLF’s Special Funds and its partners. We encourage everyone to participate in public welfare video shooting, recording and accumulating its own image data, and constantly improve the shooting level, enhance the video appeal, and achieve better transmission effect. What advice do you have for this?
Cai: I suggest that as a public welfare micro-video contest, should enlarge the sense of participation, how to set up the mechanism to inspire more people's public welfare interest and creative desire, do not pursue how professional level of the participating works, but to pursue the maximum participation. If you can contact the flow media platform, so that the outstanding works to get a wider exposure in the platform, as the show of the public welfare works can also magnify its effect.
Q.: The popularity of smartphones makes it possible for the ordinary people to complete short videos and micro video. There is no doubt that the mobile phone has become the most widely used, the fastest transmission, the most influential, but also the most convenient video communication tools, but it is not easy to draw an equal sign between lifting one’s finger and attracting the eyeball. Do you think that if you want to maximize the influence of the public welfare micro-video through mobile phone, what links you suggest us to pay much attention?
Sitting in front of the old piano
Cai: First, I think the topic is the most important part of the best public welfare video. There are many demands for public welfare service, how to choose one of the most sympathetic appeal, is the basis for the success of micro - film works. Secondly, I think it is the most important for a good video works that it is not how high shooting skills is, but whether it can be attractive, emotional, revealing the true sentiments. It is fundamental for the works to have its soul. Thirdly, I think a good video works is to have a sense of empathy, to convey the content that is able to trigger resonance, rather than not popular, few people can understand. Finally, I think a good works, is to be able to generate the power of action, that is, when the recipients read or watch this works, they will be able to trigger his action force. To put it simply, a good public welfare works should be able to "tell a good story, to move one’s heart and inspire others to do public welfare projects."
A group photo of Cai Yihui (second from right) and three founders of SSCLF – Ed-ability Special Fund
Focus on family education on children
Q.: I heard that you are very interested in family education on children recently, and you are willing to do some public service in this field. What is the reason for you to be willing to put down some of your business booming development, to care about the young parents?
Cai: Because I see many social problems, such as: high divorce rate, melancholia, poisonous milk powder, poisonous rice, child abuse and unbearable pressure students jump ... behind these problems, in my view, is the seriousness of the problem of education. If a person who have established correct three concepts from an early age, must have the ability to find problems and solve problems, and will have a positive solution to any problems encountered on the way to grow up. When everyone grows up with fewer problems, there is less social problems. Half of education is in school, and the more important part is at family. School education needs the cooperation of the family to enable the child to absorb effectively. This part of family education is now relatively weak, and the importance of young parents ' participation in education has not been embodied in substantive and professional aspects. I would like to work together with a group of people including relevant professionals interested in public welfare family education on children, to solve and improve these social problems. I want to appeal to the whole society through public welfare project to treat family education correctly and understand the importance of family education. I hope that more family support people will develop certain degree of professional parenting skills through professional learning. Let the family education correctly assists the school education, thus produces the effective education resultant force, impels the education development, so that many social problems will improve fundamentally from the source.
A group photo of Cai Yihui (second from left) with autistic children and volunteers in the public welfare activities
Q.: What kind of status of Chinese family education on children is now? What are the main problems? What is the relationship between a child and a parent in the family? What can you share with us about your family education on children?
Cai: At present, the main responsibility of children's education in China fells to the elderly and nannies. Young parents are willing to spend more money and give less time to accompany their children and even fewer young parents understand self - learning expertise can give children quality companionship. Most families are able to feed and clothe their children and take good care of their children. However, the construction of mental and psychological aspects of children is deficient, and most of the caregivers do not have the professional knowledge and ability to educate their children. If the main caregivers of the family lack the correct knowledge of the children and lack of ability, they will wrongly look after children and deal with the problems and situations in the children's growing up. Children's growth problem cannot be understood and tolerant, not get the right guidance, or even basic respect. The accumulation of every little problem in the process of growth often eventually leads to big problems.
Cai Yihui (second from left) with the volunteers
I think the relationship between children and parents in the family first is mutual respect. Any situation should be treated in the principle of finding and solving problems, any problems should be correctly and positively treated and solved. Secondly, it is necessary for children to grow with enough patience, respect the child's growth rules and respect different individuals. I think parents should continue to expand their knowledge of childcare, so that they have the ability to correctly deal with the problems encountered in each child's growth phase, correctly treat and understand their children, respect their children, and properly guide their children. In the course of children's growth, parents need to keep good communication with their children, so that children learn to express and listen from an early age. Help the child to establish the correct three concepts from an early age, cultivate all aspects of good habits. Through their own continuous learning, parents give children the right and effective help in their growth, to accompany the children to grow together.
Q.: Family education on children is a big topic that is related to the interests of tens of thousands of families, and it needs the whole society to pay much attention to. Do you have any public welfare ideas in this respect? What channels, forms and activities are you preparing to take in promoting the change and progress in the field of family education on children?
laugh heartily
Cai: Indeed, the problem of family education is a very big issue, each developed country takes family education as a national project, and promotes the improvement of family education through legislation. Our country has also begun to attach importance to family education these years. I am an advertiser for 20 years, a senior brand planning and marketing strategy person. I would like to use the power of my professional team to join in the strength of the professional education team and other relevant public welfare industry to unite education institutions to awaken more families to pay attention to the correct family education. Let young parents understand they are indispensable in their children's education, and they are willing to arrange time to study regularly and improve their knowledge of childcare, so that they can correctly and effectively educate their children. Let all direct caregivers strengthen their own learning, master the basic knowledge of family education, and give children the most correct education. Combination of family education and schooling create a resultant force really helping kids grow up physically and mentally. I hope that our various related industries who are determined to promote family education together with public welfare people’s continuous efforts will affect each family, so that more families are willing to make some changes in family education, to promote the progress and development of family education on children.
(From SSCLF’s Quarterly “Change” Ninth Issue in July, 2018)
