Honeybees are an important part of both the Slovenian culture and the environment we live in. These wonderful little creatures remind us of the importance of working together as a community, and so we selected them to be our Moya brand ambassadors and to tell their story to engage our members, young and mature, and reaching out beyond our membership to create a buzz about credit unions and their cooperative principles.
One of Moya Financial’s main principles is “live and work as a community.” Beekeeping is one of the oldest human activities and is a prime part of the Slovenian identity. Bees symbolize community, hard work, trust, family, and care for others – all Moya Financial values. Like bees, which devote their lives to providing for their hive, Moya Financial makes an effort to contribute to our community and support our members. Bees are productive, focus on the task in front of them, and do not get sidetracked from their goal.
We wanted to create a compelling campaign that would engage our existing core members and communities where we work and live. With the initiative, we wanted to be culturally relevant and on-brand, and at the same time, be of interest to, and create consideration for Moya Financial among younger generations from the Slovenian community and beyond.
Raising honeybees at the branch and harvesting the honey for our members allowed us to take the initiative to live, well beyond individual physical workshops and hive visits. Through related images, narratives, and broader stories, we told members and others of the deep connection of honeybees to the Slovenian culture. We described how changes to the climate and other current concerns are endangering these vital, interesting creatures and their connection to the broader ecosystem.
In Toronto, beehives can be found even in the middle of a city: on school terraces or on the roof tops of companies and hotels. Urban beekeeping is a part of sustainable development, which encourages the preservation and planting of trees and other plants. It promotes self-supply and enhances the quality of city life.
We collaborate with Montreal-based Alvéole, a social beekeeping company. Since 2013, Alvéole has partnered with hundreds of companies and schools to start beekeeping projects, each hive creating more ecological awareness, allowing city dwellers to reconnect with nature and change their sense of responsibility toward the environment. Alvéole is regularly managing our hives and harvest the honey for us.
Discover the Moya Hive today!