A Give It Back Mentality

Image by Jennifer Boyer

I heard an interesting story on NPR on the way into work yesterday. It seems there is a broadband company in England who has recruited 20 reformed pickpockets to help ‘give back’ money to fellow Britons.

Visitors to London always have to be on the look out for pickpockets, but now there’s another, more positive phenomenon on the loose—putpockets.

Aware that people are suffering in the economic crisis, 20 former pickpockets have turned over a new leaf and are now trawling London’s tourist sites slipping money back into unsuspecting pockets.

Anything from 5 pounds ($8) to 20 pound notes is being surreptitiously deposited in unguarded pockets or open handbags in Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and other busy spots.

The initiative, which runs until the end of August in London before being rolled out countrywide, is being funded by a broadbrand provider, which says it wants to brighten up people’s lives in unusual ways.

“It feels good to give something back for a change—and Britons certainly need it in the current economic climate,” said Chris Fitch, a former pickpocket who now heads TalkTalk’s putpocketing initiative.

“Every time I put money back in someone’s pocket, I feel less guilty about the fact I spent many years taking it out.”

London’s police have been briefed about the plan, which will see at least 100,000 pounds given away.

From “‘Putpockets’ give a little extra cash,” Reuters

Several things that strike me…

• Here is a company who is in tune with what people are experiencing on a daily basis. They’ve chosen to dig into their own pockets and give back. Sure, they’ll wind up spending around $20,000 in what is essentially marketing money, but instead of investing in a magazine, newspaper, or television ad, they’re investing in their customers.
• I love that they are using reformed pickpockets to give back. That’s a lot like Extreme Home Makeover installing solar panels to power a new home of a family with a girl who has a disease where she can’t be exposed to direct sunlight. Beautiful irony.
• What in the world are the people witnessing this thinking? Check out the YouTube video below showing the campaign in action. I wonder what the reaction of the passerby is when they see one of these ‘putpockets’ reaching into someone’s purse or wallet.

You can read more about the campaign on TalkTalk’s blog: “Put-Pocketing hits the UK!”

Posted 08.21.2009

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