In this conversation with Hartell, I uncover how that serious family moment led to him to so extensively engage with and support the JDRF. We also discuss how Publicis Media then got involved with the foundation’s recent One Walk event in New York, and what lessons Hartell and his colleagues learned along the way.
Philip McKenzie: What motivated you to get involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation?
Richard Hartell: Three years ago, my son, nine years old at the time, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It was a shock to my family and we didn't know what to do. Everything happened very quickly as [he went] from a state of being fine to being very sick. Having to tell a nine-year-old boy that this disease will be a part of his life is a heart-wrenching experience. So, in trying to cope and handle all of this, we did some research and came across the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I got in touch and they were super helpful and a valuable resource to my family and me. That first year, I raised money during my New York City Marathon run. I knew I wanted to do more. Subsequently, I was asked to be a chair for their One Walk event, and I thought that would be great for a more significant contribution.
McKenzie: What was it about the culture at Publicis that made you feel it would be the right environment for a program like the One Walk event?
Hartell: I felt confident that Publicis would get behind it and support [JDRF] because I have witnessed that before with other people who have a personal attachment to a charity. First, Publicis is very engaged when the required action goes above and beyond a sponsorship and the work is focused on a particular program that is a direct benefit to the charity. Second, we have many agencies within Publicis that have robust employee engagement programs that are looking to get people involved. Third, as an agency, we have partners … and an extended vendor community that might also want to be involved. So, all of those factors told me we were dealing with an ecosystem that had the willingness and the resources to do something extraordinary.
McKenzie: What were some of the steps needed to pull all of those resources and affinity groups together?
Hartell: The first thing we did was to organize a series of breakfast events throughout our agencies with myself and the JDRF NYC lead to educate people on what juvenile diabetes is and how it affects people. As we started to have these conversations, we wanted people to understand what it took to manage this disease and what it was really like. I [shared] my situation with my son.
Once we connected in these personal ways, it all started to snowball in terms of activity. We began to channel that activity into a direct sponsorship via Publicis and other partners. As the momentum built, more people [started] to come forward because the disease had touched them in some way, and they wanted to give back. Our activity ended up being a connective tissue for many people who were in various relationships with the disease to find one another.