A few weeks ago I was proudly standing next to Mayfield Collision Centers’ owner and founder Tom Griffin while he was receiving an award from the city of Bedford Heights for MCC’s contribution to the K-9 program. As the mayor was gushing about our business, and members of the community were offering him hugs - I began to realize that you couldn’t buy this kind of publicity if you tried.

The funny thing about this story is that when Tom hired me a few weeks earlier - he made it clear that historically, he hasn’t seen much value in traditional marketing. He did little or no paid advertising over his 23 years in business - preferring to focus on delighting his customers and creating an exceptional work environment. And who could argue with him? Mayfield Collision Centers is a market leader with a long track record of success. Creating my marketing role was his first venture into establishing a “traditional” marketing presence for our shops.

Although Tom may not have realized it, he had been carrying out a social marketing program for as long as he had been in business – he just never promoted his efforts. In the six short weeks since I’ve joined MCC, the shop has been involved in some very cool community projects; clear coating art-work for GuitarMania® - a Greater Cleveland Community public art project that benefits United Way, helping to raise money for the Chardon Memorial Benefit Fund, preparing a local police vehicle for the city’s new K-9 member, and contributing to the cost of the K-9. All of these projects were done in partnerships with other members of the community, and were able to get MCC some great press and exposure - but only because we took advantage of promoting them.  Tom may not have believed in the value of traditional marketing, but he sure believed in being a responsible corporate citizen.

The National Social Marketing Center defines Social Marketing as “the systematic application of marketing, along with other concepts and techniques, to achieve behavioral goals for the social good.” Think of it as having two parents – a social parent and a marketing parent – who work together to take your shop’s public relations efforts to a new level. I’m not suggesting that you abandon traditional marketing efforts and donate to every cause that crosses your path, but creating a community involvement component to your overall marketing strategy can generate some clear benefits:

1. Allows you to align missions and share resources with other organizations. For example because of our connection with the local police department, MCC was able to participate in a “Stay Alive Think & Drive” campaign that helped us meet current customers and attract a new audience to our collision center – highlighting our automotive expertise.
2. Takes Word of Mouth to a whole new level.  Traditionally, body shops have hoped for referrals from current customers – but involvement in the community can get people talking about your shop for new memorable reasons that will likely drive referrals through your door.
3. Generates knowledge and interest in your business.  Community involvement gives you new opportunities to write press releases, create content for social media, and participate in events that never would have crossed your path before.
4. Attracts employees to your business. Having a problem finding qualified tech’s and staff? Reading about how your collision center is socially conscious naturally creates a connection that your collision center is a desirable place to work.
5. Allows you to form new partnerships and take better advantage of current partnerships. MCC didn’t do it all alone. Sherwin-Williams donated the clear coat for the GuitarMania® project and helped us generate press around the event. Another area business shared the cost of the Bedford Heights K-9, and our own technicians and staff donated their time to support our Stay Alive Think & Drive Campaign as well as to work on the Chardon Memorial Benefit Fund.
6. It just feels good. A few years ago, a friend of mine who is an Ethics Professor at a local University told me that the challenges our world faces will not be solved by the government, they will be solved by businesses because they have the resources and means to overcome adversity. It feels great to go home at night knowing that your shop not only made a difference to your customers and employees, but also made your community a better place to live in.