COVID-19 Good Samaritans: How A Brand Specialist 'Sells' Time To Raise Funds For Corona Treatment

Himanshu Khanna raised Rs 1.7 lakh in just two days and he has no free slots left. More importantly, he has inspired other brand managers. (This story was first published on April 25, 2020.)

Jyotika Sood

Updated on: 25 April 2020 1:54 pm

Time, even more than a donation of money, is the greatest gift a top professional can make. On March 31, Himanshu Khanna left a simple message on his social media accounts: “I’m open to consultation indefinitely. I’ll charge 5k/30 mins or 8k/hr for #UX/#brand/#design/#strategy consultation. 100% money to be donated to #Coronaindia funds. Please show donation receipts and I will make sure you have a slot.” It was an innovative, and indirect, approach to help the victims of the pandemic and the brand designer himself had his fingers crossed.

What happened next was unbelievable. Khanna raised Rs 1.7 lakh in just two days for corona India funds. Moreover, his small step inspired millions who started similar campaigns--raising funds by offering free consultancies. “The response has been fantastic,” says Khanna, progenitor of a new model of altruism. What’s more, he’s fully booked for the next two weeks now, and is keeping to his commitment. People inspired by Khanna include Jasjit Singh, head of product--Global at OLX Group, who acknowledges that the brilliant idea is a brainchild of Himanshu and thanks him for the initiative.

Khanna, who runs brand and communication designing agency Sparklin in Delhi’s Khirki Extension and has clients like ICICI bank and Hindustan Times, feels innovations result from limited resources. He describes himself as a person who breathes design and takes pride in brainstorming on transformative and exceptional ideas. His colleagues describe him as a CEO who is also a coach and mentor, while clients describe how his mantra “simple is good” underlie all communication strategies devised by him.

Khanna, who had run a similar campaign during the Kerala floods, attributes it to his social and moral responsibility. “As a designer, it’s a natural instinct to empathise and help. The thought was to figure out a way to help beyond my personal financial contributions. That’s when I thought crowd funding could be extremely beneficial. Everyone wants to contribute. Perhaps an added benefit of consultation could accelerate contributions.”