Case Study / CSR Strategy
Renault
Strategic Adaptation of a CSR Initiative for the Bulgarian Market
A CSR concept adapting Renault’s Cars to Work platform to the Bulgarian context through a partnership model connecting access to a vehicle with employment, local logistics and essential services in underserved communities.
context
When limited mobility means limited opportunity
Renault’s original Cars to Work initiative addresses so-called “mobility deserts” - areas where people cannot realistically access employment without owning a vehicle.
In Bulgaria, similar mobility barriers are compounded by limited transport links and reduced access to services in smaller settlements. The project explored how Renault’s existing CSR platform could respond to this wider form of local isolation.
challenge
How could a global mobility initiative be adapted to solve a specific local problem in Bulgaria?
In smaller settlements, the challenge is not limited to reaching a workplace. When active courier coverage disappears, local businesses struggle to send products, residents lose convenient access to online services, deliveries and essential goods, and the community becomes increasingly disconnected.
The strategic challenge was to turn Renault’s global CSR logic into a credible local model with a clearly defined problem, relevant partners, a practical mechanism and measurable social value.
insight
Sometimes, access to a vehicle is access to the chance to start again.
strategic adaptation
How can a global CSR platform become locally relevant?
Instead of changing the original cause, the project reframed mobility through a specific Bulgarian pressure point: small settlements without active courier coverage.
A Renault vehicle could enable one local person to build a sustainable source of income while restoring access to services and economic activity for the wider community.
01. LOCAL PROBLEM
Small settlements without active logistics coverage become increasingly disconnected from essential services and commercial opportunities.
PROPOSED MODEL
The proposed 18-month pilot was designed to restore courier coverage in at least ten underserved settlements.
Renault would provide selected local couriers with a Renault Express Van through a partnership with Econt. The model includes a six-month risk-free trial during which the vehicle, insurance and servicing are covered, while Econt provides training and operational support.
When the activity proves sustainable, the participant can continue through a social leasing agreement. If it does not, they can leave the programme without taking on long-term debt.
02. BRAND ASSET
Renault can contribute its core resource - vehicles and mobility expertise - through a social leasing model designed to reduce the financial risk for participants.
03. PARTNER ECOSYSTEM
Econt, municipalities and employment institutions could support candidate selection, training, logistics infrastructure and direct access to local communities.
04. SOCIAL VALUE
The vehicle becomes a tool for income, entrepreneurship and renewed economic activity rather than simply a means of transport.
creative idea
One key as a symbol of a new beginning
The creative concept translates the programme into a simple, human symbol: the Renault key.
It unlocks more than a vehicle. It represents access to income, independence, essential services and renewed connection within the community.
“Sometimes one key unlocks more than one door.”
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Landing page
A central information and conversion point explaining the programme, eligibility requirements, participation process and application mechanism.
Social Media
Content across Renault and Econt channels focused on participant stories, the application opportunity and the wider social purpose of the programme.
Econt Offices
Posters, QR codes and concise programme information placed in locations with a direct connection to potential applicants and smaller communities.
OOH and PR
Focused visibility in pilot settlements, nearby regional centres and areas around industrial zones, supported by earned media explaining the programme and its local impact.
My role
Strategic Analysis & Local Adaptation
This was a three-person university project developed with Polina Drumeva and Selin Mehmed. As a team, we worked across CSR case analysis, local strategic adaptation, creative concept development and communication planning.
My contribution focused on analysing the original Cars to Work initiative and exploring how its global CSR logic could be translated into a locally relevant model for Bulgaria. I worked on connecting a specific social problem with appropriate partners, a practical programme mechanism and an integrated communication direction.