By Andy Kriege, YSN
The world may feel like it is on pause right now, but it’s the complete opposite for the countless nurses tirelessly working day-in-day-out to keep people alive amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As we observe National Nurses Week on May 6-12, let’s all take time to show some love to all the nurses that are putting it all on the line every day.
BrandSource member Ken’s Appliance & Mattress Gallery is going to do just that by recognizing all of the nurses in its hometown of Grand Island, Neb., and will reward three with $100 gift cards from local merchants as part of its “National Nurses Day Giveaway.” As General Manager Meridith Turner put it, “What better time than now to celebrate these heroes during a global health crisis, as well as during the National Nurse Week celebration, where we salute all of our nurses.”
The company really wanted to accomplish three things, explained Turner. “First and foremost, we wanted to honor the nurses, she said. “Second, we wanted to purchase gift cards from our local business friends in the community to help support them, and lastly, we wanted to help drive traffic to our website to put our name in front of more potential customers and let them know we are open for business.”
Turner was very thoughtful and strategic when putting the promotion together, choosing gift cards from local businesses with large social media followings to help maximize exposure and cross-pollinate each other’s digital platforms.
Turner said her AVB Marketing Account Representative Victoria Ortega was especially helpful in creating a dedicated page on the Ken’s website, where area residents are invited to submit an essay explaining why their nurse nominee is most deserving of a gift card. The nomination form, along with all efforts to promote the event, are designed to drive people to the site, Turner said, and so far the response has been great, with scores of candidates coming in.
“This is also a great way to get people who may not otherwise be familiar with your business to visit your website and get acquainted with your products and services,” she said, and encourages other dealers to hold similar promotions.
Ken’s was also able to procure some assistance with the gift card purchases through its local GE Appliances representative, and Turner suggests dealers check with their vendors as well. “Yes, times are hard at this moment, but you might be surprised how much your vendor partners will help you with promotions, especially when you are giving back to your local communities,” she said.
The three winning nurses will be announced live on Ken’s Appliance’s Facebook page at 11:00 a.m. CST on Tuesday, May 12, when National Nurses Week culminates.
So three cheers to Meredith Turner and the entire team at Ken’s Appliance (and GE Appliances) for putting together an effective and worthwhile promotion that recognizes some very deserving frontline heroes.
BrandSource is a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc.
