In the summer of 2011, the ECON brand team placed second in the Henkel corporate international competition Lion Awards in the Operational Excellence category, and received a monetary prize to the amount of 10,000 euros. The entire team decided to donate the prize money for charitable purposes in Japan. The donation is designed to enable the purchase of seven Honda vans which will be used in relief work for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Souma City, Fukishima prefecture, Japan.

Souma City, which is just outside the Fukushima nuclear plant exclusion zone, was heavily damaged by the tsunami on March 11, 2011.

Henkel Japan decided to make the direct donation of 7 vehicles, which the local city council says are needed to provide prompt and efficient support to the residents and evacuees. The vans will serve as the basis for the efficient transport of daily household goods to these temporary housing areas, the ability to visit the old and weak living alone in temporary or damaged housing and an effective means of transportation for the city council staff involved in relief work.

The Lion Awards is the most important internal international corporate award of Henkel which is traditionally bestowed for the most efficient team work in the field of brand promotion. The gala award ceremony is held annually at Henkel headquarters in Dusseldorf, Germany. This prestigious award is not only recognition of colleagues all over the world, but the first win in the history of the ECON brand team, which has only existed for three years.