The young, trendy staff at Asos.com didn’t have much time for giving until a cheeky campaign playing on the ‘fanciability’ of philanthropy changed things. Peter O’Hara recounts the campaign and explains how charities can communicate with younger corporate audiences.

Asos.com may only be ten years old, but it has fast become an online fashion megalith. And while the company liked to think it had ethical credentials, this young workplace just didn’t get payroll giving.

Asos.com introduced a payroll giving scheme in 2009 but it didn’t take off because of lack of awareness and promotion; only 4 per cent of the company signed up for it. After a further 100 colleagues were recruited to the business, that percentage became even tinier.