Cause marketing. Corporate social responsibility. Good corporate citizenship. In today’s business world, we have all heard these must-have buzz phrases. Definitions are blurry, the terminology is used interchangeably. Many MBA programs offer specific courses on these topics and marketing experts dissect the differences as they offer specific strategies for each.
Whichever terminology you choose, at the core is one simple, basic principle: giving back makes good business sense.
This is backed by compelling research statistics. A recent Nielsen study showed that:
- 81 percent of consumers are likely to switch brands to one with a good cause, given comparable price and quality
- 55 percent are willing to pay more for products and services from companies that are committed to positive social impacts
- 62 percent prefer to work for companies that give back to the community.
Most businesses today already know they need to give back. But what does that really mean? Many will want to measure the benefits in terms of return on investment. Did my business grow? Did I get more leads?
Giving back is not always about making money. Nor is it about how much money your company is able to give. Small independent collision repair businesses do not have thousands of dollars in their budgets to donate and larger MSO’s cannot support all the charities that are constantly knocking at their doors.
The most important outcome from giving back – whether it is time, talent or financial - is the goodwill that comes when you connect with your employees, your community, and with your peers in the industry. And it is this goodwill that organically builds your brand, enhances customer loyalty, and differentiates you from your competitors.
Connect with your employees"
“The act of giving back evokes emotion and fosters an authentic connection,” wrote a blogger for Entrepreneur magazine.
Anyone who has participated in any of the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled RidesTM giftings immediately understands this. You can see it on the misty-eyed faces of normally stoic technicians as they watch an overjoyed, grateful single mother in the driver’s seat of the car they restored on their own time. It’s in the pride as employees watch the local evening news with their family and see their company highlighted on television or read about it in their hometown newspaper.
“It’s a special opportunity for us to give back in our community. It reiterates what kind of company we work for, what they are really about, and what we stand for,” said Ryan Elliott, a technician at Faulkner BMW in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after a recent Recycled Rides presentation.
Strengthening teamwork through community service helps instill company loyalty and respect for owners and the leadership team. There are limitless opportunities to choose from locally, nationally or even globally.
The leadership at ACD, a technology and claims services company, fosters a culture of service by encouraging and supporting individual employee causes as often and generously as possible. An internal communication platform allows employees to share and participate in each other’s causes, which enhances camaraderie and shared successes. These causes include going into Mexico, Honduras, Uganda and China to help build orphanages, medical centers and affordable housing, as well as local organizations such as Ronald McDonald House Charities, Big Brothers and Sisters, Meals on Wheels, World Vision and Boy Scouts of America.
The result, according to Barry Barbee, ACD Director of Client Relations, “our employees are highly energetic and very proud to be involved in all our corporate charitable endeavors.”
Similarly, at Caliber Collision, employees at each of the company’s283 locations challenge each other to a friendly competition to see which center can bring in the most donations for their annual nationwide food drive. Caliber then matches their efforts with a corporate donation to each local food bank based on the team’s results in that region. Pride and enthusiasm from last year’s food drive, which collected over 1 million meals, has resulted in Caliber employees shooting to double their contributions in 2015.
“Servant leadership is a Caliber core value and our annual food drive is just one example of how we address the needs of communities we live and work in,” said Greg Clark, Caliber’s Senior Vice President – Marketing.
Volunteering also provides leadership opportunities for employees, which leads to increased staff performance and fulfillment and, ultimately, increased productivity. Whether it is collecting canned goods or donations for a charity, or walking together as a team to raise funds for a cause, the effort and rewards behind organizing and executing a successful event builds synergy that translates into higher work ethic and pride.
Connecting with your community
Existing and potential customers appreciate companies that are involved and care about their local communities. No matter how great or small the contribution, a consistent program to give back goes a long way. The key is establishing a connection and a strong reputation and image as a good corporate citizen.
This is especially important in this industry where consumers don’t always have names of auto body repairers top of mind – until they unexpectedly need one. And at that point, when presented with several choices, the consumer will most likely gravitate towards a repairer they associate with a trustworthy, positive local community presence.
This could be as simple as, for example, supporting local high school sport booster clubs, sponsoring the snack bar, ads in the yearbook, or sponsoring jerseys for youth sports teams. Volunteering and being visible at community events – i.e., serving food at Salvation Army holiday dinners, or staffing fundraising walks, auctions, etc., also fosters networking opportunities. These activities create strong team-building experiences for all involved. An added benefit of a strong community reputation is the ability to recruit the best local talent as your business grows.
There are so many opportunities to give in local communities that the downside is having to sort through, evaluate and turn down many requests. The key is to find ways to maintain a consistent presence and identify causes that match your company culture, values and available resources.
For example, team members at GEICO’s western regional headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, match their skill sets to provide valuable community service. With their training and experience speaking with customers over the phone, GEICO team members volunteer their time to make calls on behalf of the local Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual fundraising drive.
Keenan Auto Body, though recently acquired by ABRA, has 12 locations throughout the Delaware and Philadelphia areas and has hosted an annual golf tournament for the past 17 years. The tournament enables the Keenan team to strengthen relationships with its business and community partners while raising to date over $500,000 for a myriad of children’s causes such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Camp Make A Dream Foundation, Delaware County Children and Youth Services, the Make A Wish Foundation, Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House and Philadelphia Little Smiles.
CARSTAR locations in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska maintains its community ties by partnering with several local organizations. For the sixth year, these shops are working with the Omaha Women’s Fund to launch a community-wide search for a deserving woman who would benefit from a vehicle through the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program. Another program encourages auto body careers through a Career Exploration day, partnering with Avenue Scholars Foundation which works with teens who are at risk of not graduating high school.
The Nebraska CARSTAR locations also enhance community resources by providing local first responders with opportunities to practice life-saving extrication skills through another National Auto Body Council program –First Responder Emergency Extrication (FREETM). Since 2010, they have hosted over 20 FREE events with over 800 participating firefighters.
Connecting with your industry and peers
This is one of the most rewarding ways to give back. Serving on committees, councils and boards can be a great way to help promote the collision industry and elevate the professionalism within.
Petra Schroeder of Axalta Coasting Systems, is actively involved in many of the industry associations. Currently she serves on the boards of the National Auto Body Council, the Collision Industry Foundation, and Women’s Industry Network.
“What I continue to learn is how much talent there is in this industry,” said Schroeder, explaining why she is grateful that Axalta supports volunteering her time. “The general public underestimates the collision industry and doesn’t have full understanding of the technician’s skills sets. I would love for people to understand the artistry of these professionals.”
Schroeder says her volunteer efforts of course provide valuable business opportunities, but she also feels rewarded through the many lifetime relationships with friends and colleagues that are a result of working together for the good of the industry.
She strongly encourages others to volunteer and contribute in whatever ways they can.
“We all have an obligation to talk more about our involvement in the industry. It’s up to all of us to share our positive experiences and encourage people to serve. Join committees, visit open board meetings, get a feel for what these industry associations do. You don’t have to commit to being a board member- just volunteer where you feel you can contribute and enjoy.”
The National Auto Body Council is one industry organization that specifically exists to encourage giving back through its community initiatives such as Recycled RidesTM, First Responder Emergency Training (FREE) and the Distracted Driving program.
“Regardless of whether it’s through NABC programs or any other service project, our members represent a community of collision industry professionals who through actions and practices, pledge a commitment to promote the professionalism and integrity of our industry,” said Nick Notte of International Paintless Dent Repair and Chair of the NABC.
Some of the industry associations where you might want to volunteer your time, talent and resources include:
- Collision Industry Foundation http://www.collisionindustryfoundation.org/
- Collision Industry Conference http://www.ciclink.com/
- Collision Repair Education Foundation http://collisioneducationfoundation.org/
- National Auto Body Council www.NationalAutoBodyCouncil.org
- Society for Collision Repair Specialists http://scrs.com/
- Women’s Industry Network http://thewomensindustrynetwork.ning.com/
Winning hearts and minds
While giving back through community service is not about driving a company’s bottom line profits, it provides numerous opportunities to build brand name. No matter what size donation or level of resource commitment, any effort to touch the hearts and minds of all stakeholders – your staff, customers, local community and colleagues – will undoubtedly pay dividends.
