GoDocs Family Healthcare Center in South Boston, VA conducts a promotion every month in which it gives a prize of nominal value—a $50 gift card to a local restaurant, for example—to area residents who “like” their Facebook page, and share the post promoting the giveaway on their own Facebook page. When it became clear their area would be in the path of Hurricane Florence, however, the proprietors decided to step up and offer something of real value that could help those affected by the storm: a brand-new generator. They asked that anyone who already owned a generator or who could afford to buy one exclude themselves from the giveaway, and instead of just “liking” the page contestants were asked to explain “whoever you’d be helping with the generator” in the event of power loss. After receiving hundreds of responses—not just on Facebook, but via phone calls, voicemail messages, and anonymous letters delivered to the clinic on behalf of others in need—they chose the family of a girl who had serious medical concerns to receive the generator.
The inspired idea to use a marketing program to help the community will surely bring in new patients, but the overall impact will be to cement GoDocs’ identity as a staple in the community and as a business that helped bring people together at a time of crisis. In revealing the winning family, GoDoc also noted on its Facebook page, “The outpouring of support and selflessness on this post has been overwhelmingly inspiring; we are so fortunate to have such compassionate people in our community.” Since that community also includes the staff who work at GoDocs, it’s seems likely that employees also have a new reason to feel good about coming to work every day, and may even have a greater sense of commitment and loyalty to their employer. In short, the company’s act of generosity will likely reap rewards for all concerned for some time to come.