The Holidays are the time for acts of gratitude and family gatherings. It’s that one time of the year that people stop to think about all of the wonderful things in their lives and express thanks.
The power of “thanks” is tremendous. Not only does it inspire happiness, but when used in a customer appreciation campaign, it can be powerful for business. One example of the power of “thanks” is TD Bank’s recent campaign, “TD Bank Thanks You.”
In July 2014, over 20,000 TD employees across Canada distributed green envelopes with a $20 bill to every customer in more than 1,100 TD branches. In addition, thousands of others using TD phone and online banking service received a direct deposit into their accounts. A total of 30,000 customers were surprised with this act of kindness.
It doesn’t stop there. TD Bank also placed a special ATM (Automated Thanking Machine) in each of their branches, which gifted a unique experience to customers who received a special surprise when they used the machine. As a TD spokesperson relayed to Forbes, these experiences were captured in a heartwarming YouTube video, ‘Sometimes you just want to say thank you. #TDThanksYou.”
In just a few days, the video received over 2 million views and went viral on Facebook. This was the statement from TD Bank:
“A thank you can change someone’s day, so that’s why we have been surprising our customers across Canada, to say ‘TD Thanks You,” said Tim Hockey, President and CEO, TD Canada Trust. “We know Canadians have a lot of choice when it comes to where they bank, and we wanted to say that we appreciate that they continue to choose TD.”
As you can imagine, the campaign was a major success for TD Bank, and likely had far reaching effects in boosting customer retention. A study published in the International Journal of Marketing Studies revealed that greeting and gifting before purchase could increase consumer spending by 46%. This proves the power of “thanks” is one worth exploring for companies not just in the holiday season, but all year round.
Whether it’s a single customer appreciation event, or an extensive campaign like TD Bank’s, a “thank you” strategy can be important to your company and its customers. Enlisting a PR firm with experience in campaign development, management, and execution is your best bet in developing the successful customer appreciation campaign that will meet your goals.
If you would like to discuss what customer appreciation campaign could work in your business, please call us. Our PR experts are always available to answer questions and advise. (866) 252-1750.