Caseco’s Commitment to Community,
Giving and Pandemic Relief
A message from Caseco Founder Jay Rahman,
2020 is a difficult year.
Everyone, everywhere has been affected in some way by the global pandemic. The world over.
We’ve learned through this crisis that a virus doesn’t care about the things that make us different. Across borders and countries, across ethnicities and languages and party lines — Coronavirus makes no exception.
In a way, the experience brings us together. And together, we’ve got the best shot at beating this pandemic and getting back to our lives as quickly as possible.
As a small business headquartered in Canada, we’ve been lucky (and grateful) to see infection rates falling off as our cities and communities get the virus under control. Other communities in America are not so lucky. And like all small businesses, we simply can’t exist without our community.
That’s why, in my mind, giving back has always been a foregone conclusion.
Charitable giving is a cornerstone of Caseco’s philosophy. Our entire business is based around offering eco-friendly and budget-friendly for your smartphone, with a percentage going to specific charities that help educate needy children and fight pollution (more on that later).
However; in light of this new pandemic, and with the immediate threat our communities are now facing, Caseco will be pivoting a portion of its charitable giving to providing masks for communities in need.
Our existing relationships with importers give us a strategic advantage when it comes to sourcing and purchasing masks directly from the manufacturer. Our expertise in on-demand shipping and logistics help us even more to quickly and efficiently ship masks on demand wherever they’re needed.
With this new program, Caseco will be able to provide thousands of free masks directly to the schools, communities, and public facilities that need them most, starting with hotspots as far South as Florida.
We’re still working out the exact details, but know that with every purchase at Caseco, you’re helping provide potentially life-saving protection to a family in need.
For that, we thank you.
That’s not all you’re getting, either …
Free Reusable Mask with EVERY Purchase
After six months of wearing a mask in public, you’ve probably realized that they’re not exactly comfortable. Most don’t fit that well, or else can’t be reused.
The result? We all have a ton of masks, but we don’t like any of them.
Well, working with our existing suppliers, we’ve found a fabric mask design that actually works. It’s easy to wear, flexible enough to fit almost any face, uses soft elastic bands for a snug but comfortable fit, and it’s machine-washable.
We knew we found the right mask when everyone in the office started wearing them, so we wanted to share it with you. This kind of mask could easily cost $10 or more at retail, but you get one FREE with every purchase from Caseco.
This makes for a great combo with our new antimicrobial smartphone cases and screen covers, giving you enhanced personal protection before the coming cold season. Or even with one of our Bluetooth-enabled toques, a perfect way to beat the winter chill!
Whatever you decide to get; even if it’s just a backup accessory cable, or a hub for charging your family phones, we’ll ship you a free fabric mask along with our ongoing program to get masks to people in need.
While we integrate these new programs, I’d like to reassure you that we’re still retaining all our existing charitable partnerships …
Our Existing Charitable Partnerships
Of course, we’ll still be keeping our existing charitable partnerships with Plastic Oceans, Save the Children, and 1% for the Planet.
Our entire process is intensely eco-conscious, from the vegan leather we use in our smartphone cases to the plastic-free packaging each product comes in — so partnering with a nonprofit like Plastic Oceans makes perfect sense …
After all, the statistics are absolutely staggering. More than 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and almost 90% of it isn’t recycled. Plastic lasts forever in a landfill, likewise in the Ocean, where at least 8 million tons of it end up each year. That’s a garbage truck FULL of plastic bottles and packages every single minute. All year long.
Founded in 2016, Plastic Oceans was started by some of the same team that created the award-winning documentary A Plastic Ocean. Using the format of film, they’ve done more to spread awareness on this issue than practically anyone else. So they’re a must-have partnership for us.
1% For the Planet is actually an ingenious network of nonprofit organizations and companies like Caseco.
Their whole premise is that it does not take much, just giving back 1% for the environment, to make a serious difference. We’re proud to join the likes of companies like Patagonia and Honest Tea in joining this network and making an ongoing pledge to help the environment. I’ll go even further to say you should try to do business with 1% companies whenever you can, it’s just better for the environment (there’s a 1% logo you can look for on the package to make it easy).
Finally, and perhaps most important to me personally, is our commitment to Save the Children. This is one of the biggest global charities, with a hundred-year track record and a pass-through of 87% (ensuring almost all of our donation makes it to children in need). Food, education, medical supplies. You name it, Save the Children is working on providing it to communities and children that need it the most.
Currently, their priority (like our own) is rapid response to Covid-19. They’re distributing masks and medical supplies into the underprivileged communities of poor countries, where the virus is taking a massive and deadly toll. In previous years, they’ve focused on everything from education to food relief, even helping to implement policy changes in various countries.
Our children are more than just the future. They’re all we really have. And a child’s welfare shouldn’t have to be decided by where in the world they’re born. Every child should have access to clean water, food, education and basic protections under the law. That’s a fact beyond argument or question.
The only question, in my eyes, is why other companies don’t do more to make that a reality.
Caseco’s Values Guide our Way
2020 faces us with so many challenges. But in each one, there’s an opportunity to follow through on the values and the morals we uphold as people — and as a company.
Here at Caseco, our Mission Statement is more than just a page on a website. It’s a roadmap to guide us through tough times like these. And it’s a way to ensure that we stay close to our core values:
· Quality — Our products are all packaged in North America, rigorously quality-tested, and UL-approved / Apple-approved to ensure a level of quality that exceeds competitor standards and ensures your satisfaction (which we also guarantee).
· Value — Relying on our strategic advantage, we’re able to provide some of the best eco-friendly products on the market at a price competitors struggle to keep up with. We also offer cutting-edge new products; like our UV sanitizing box or antimicrobial smartphone cases, all at a price everyone can afford.
· Community — Beyond just providing jobs here in Toronto, you’ve seen how our commitment to community can reach all across the continent and beyond. Especially now, especially with the struggle faced by so many, it’s crucial to keep community in mind.
· Environment — Caseco’s ongoing commitment to the environment simply cannot be overstated. We’ve eliminated single-use plastics. 99% of our plastic phone cases are recyclable, we use only vegan leather, and even the packaging has been shrunk & optimized to reduce its carbon footprint in transit. If we haven’t thought of everything, please let me know personally (call our Customer Service line).
These four things are the only things that matter to us here at Caseco.
So, for example, when our community complained to us about cats eating through their charging cables? We worked to develop a pet-proof cable. When states started to implement new laws for “hands-free” cell phone use while driving, we developed a whole new family of ultra-easy-to-use Mighty Mount smartphone mounts.
We’re not innovating in a bubble. We’re working with our community to develop high-quality, environmentally-friendly smartphone accessories and upgrades that won’t break the bank.
And like I said; if you think we’re leaving anything out … if you think there’s anything we’ve missed or some new product to innovate — just give me a call! I make a point to answer our Customer Service care line, so just reach out via phone, message or e-mail and I assure you — Caseco is listening to your feedback.
“If we could change ourselves,
the tendencies in the world would also change”
That’s something Mahatma Gandhi said. It’s often misquoted as him saying you should “be the change you want to see in the world.”
I think that in each new endeavor, we seek to build something the world was missing. A musician dreams up a new song because it’s the song he wanted to hear. A director makes the kind of film she’s always wanted to see. And with Caseco, I’ve sought to build the kind of company I’ve always wanted to do business with.
A company that holds itself accountable for its place in the world and in its industry.
Not just by eradicating plastic from our own packaging, or using eco-friendly materials every step of the way, but also by making a pledge to reduce plastic waste that’s already out there. To chip in 1% towards a better environment. And to always be mindful of the children and the communities who haven’t been so lucky in life as we have.
In continuing to uphold the values that got us where we are, Caseco is living proof that you can create a thriving business that uplifts the community and the environment with it.
And in distributing masks to schools and communities, we’re taking advantage of our competitive strengths as a company to offer potentially life-saving support to families that might not otherwise have it.
We realize that 2020 isn’t the beginning or the end. There will always be new challenges and new excuses, but there will also always be new opportunities to implement our values and to reach for something more.
If there’s anything I’d like to impart in closing, it would be this: it is so easy for us to make a difference in someone’s life. Just a 1% donation for the planet, or a mask for a kid who’s headed back to school. We’re just happy to be in this position, to be able to make a difference, and that’s entirely because of you.
Thank you very much,
Jay Rahman
