UNITED NATIONS TARGETS FIRMS USING ANIMALS IN ADVERTS.

Nairobi, KENYA:
Companies that use animals to market their brands will now be required by United Nations Development Programme to raise funds for wildlife conservation.

In the new initiative dubbed Lion's Share, the corporate world in all UN member states will be expected to make voluntary contributions every time an animal appears in their adverts.

The money raised will be channelled towards conservation of wildlife habitats and animal welfare.

Advertisers like Kenya Commercial Bank which uses a lion in its logo or Nakumatt chain stores that uses elephant symbol are being asked to contribute 0.5 per cent of their media spending for each TV, print or online marketing campaign featuring an animal.

The campaign argues that whereas many corporate bodies use animals to advance their commercial brands and make profits, little or nothing is channelled back to the wildlife, most of which continue to be endangered due to human activities.

The Lion's Share Fund gives brands the opportunity to take urgent and significant action to play their role in protecting wildlife conservation and animal welfare by raising money, beyond corporate social responsibility, in a more sustainable way.

According to Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, the director of UNDP's bureau for policy and programme support, the initiative is a coalition of the willing and anyone who feels compassionate enough to give back to the wildlife, they are using to generate profits.

"Everyone is commercially abusing the wildlife to advertise their products from airlines, hotels, banks, manufacturing firms, but despite this profit-making significance, animals do not always get the support they deserve" he said in an interview with the Nation.

SOURCE: Nation.