The Commit for Life Program at Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
Today’s blog entry comes from our friends at Incept, who took the time to interview The Blood Center’s own Annetta Morris, Director of the Commit for Life Program.
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center has a great program for recruiting new blood donors and rewarding their current ones. It’s called Commit for Life, and it encourages blood donors to do just that: commit their time, energy and, of course, blood. How do they do it? The following is an interview that was completed with Annetta Morris, Director of the Commit for Life Program, at Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center:
1.) Why was the Commit for Life program created?
Annetta: In 2002, we were unable to meet the needs of local hospitals and had to drive home the importance of donating blood consistently. We were making pleas across many media channels. However, since we were doing so many, the message was not having an impact, so we met with a strategic marketing group and developed Commit for Life.
2.) Who designed the triangular CFL logo?
Annetta: NextLevel, a strategic marketing group.
3.) Who was involved in setting up the program?
Annetta: NextLevel and a focus group that included one person from each department in The Blood Center.
4.) What were the first rewards offered?
Annetta: We started with a point system where donors could earn different levels: bronze, silver and gold, and a free health check for gold members.
5.) In what year did the program start?
Annetta: It was developed in 2003 and started November of that year.
6.) Who came up with Holiday Hugs, and what hospitals are involved?
Annetta: All of the hospitals we serve participate in Holiday Hugs. It was developed by The Blood Center’s retention team to make sure that the blood donors could connect personally with each patient at the other end of the blood transfusion process.
7.) Who performs the Advanced Wellness Checks?
Annetta: Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center performs them. We ask you to schedule the Advanced Wellness Check in advance at a donor center because it requires fasting.
8.) What is your favorite part about the program?
Annetta: It’s my baby. The donor retention strategy is like a car engine – you don’t truly appreciate it until it’s broken! Holiday Hugs is a favorite because it gets everyone in the mood for the holidays.
9.) Where do you see the program going in the next few months, years?
Annetta: Developing the program depends on the need for blood. Right now Commit for Life is targeted at members who provide certain types of donations, like A-positive donors giving platelets.
10.) Do you see your donors getting excited about earning points?
Annetta: We do have some donors that are really driven by that. Others are driven by past experiences.
11.) How many people who donate blood with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center are also involved with the Commit for Life program?
Annetta: About 51,000 donors per year are at least bronze-level CFL members.
12.) Did you consult with any other blood banks about their reward systems?
Annetta: At the time we didn’t. However, most of the other blood centers weren’t doing it anyway. We were seemingly the first blood center to start this type of program.
13.) How did you decide on the point system?
Annetta: We tried to make it as simple as possible. We looked at what would be reasonable and compared the cost of reward items to the number of donations. At first, we had different levels for different types of donations, but that got too complicated.
14.) How many volunteers do you have?
Annetta: We have 300 active volunteers.
15.) Do you think you would have fewer donors without the Commit for Life benefits?
Annetta: Definitely. For several years, we weren’t making our goals but now we are. However, Commit for Life is more than awards, it’s also about consistent communication with the donors.
16.) What new merchandise are you adding to the online store?
Annetta: The items in the store are rotated and depend on the season, as well. We just added a new women’s T-shirt, with a new color, about two weeks ago.
17.) Of the CFL points donated back, what percentage is donated to high school scholarships, donor coaches and other initiatives?
Annetta: So far in 2010, CFL points have been donated back toward…
High school scholarships (12.5 percent)
Blood/donor coaches (23.5 percent)
Holiday Hugs bears (43 percent – this option just became available in October)
Operating costs (21 percent)
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center not only helps save lives, but also rewards the blood donors who make saving lives possible. When friends or family ask members of the Commit for Life program what their T-shirt or coffee mug represents, they can proudly say that they earned them by giving up their time, energy and blood to help someone else.
So, CFL Blog readers, can you think of any other ways to recruit donors and encourage them to donate?
Tags: Commit for Life, give blood