Recently put on a workshop for the marketing team at Panera Bread in St. Louis. Although I've stopped in Panera stores many times in my travels, I had no idea how involved they are with their communities. They do a terrific job and are very sincere in their desire to build relationships with worthwhile local charities.
Here's a brief summary of their activities from their website:
Operation Dough-Nation Programs
Since our founding, Panera Bread and its franchisees have been active in our communities. Operation Dough-Nation was founded in 1992 to formalize our commitment to community involvement. Since then, it has grown to include four major activities: Community Breadbox™ cash collection boxes, the Day-End Dough-Nation™ program, Panera/SCRIP Card fundraising and participation in community events.
Besides the obvious benefits to the community and the organizations, these programs help Panera by building their brand awareness, generating trial, and creating an emotional bond with their customers.
Beyond that, these are great programs for attracting, motivating, and retaining employees who exude the kind of spirit that Panera is trying to foster. Some franchisees involve their employees in the charitable events. One museum gave free passes to the employees and their families for a special day at the museum.
Maybe it's me, but I wish these kinds of events received more publicity. And I wish their were really good metrics for identifying good programs and their results. Maybe there are, but I didn't get that feeling in St. Louis.
Here's a brief summary of their activities from their website:
Operation Dough-Nation Programs
Since our founding, Panera Bread and its franchisees have been active in our communities. Operation Dough-Nation was founded in 1992 to formalize our commitment to community involvement. Since then, it has grown to include four major activities: Community Breadbox™ cash collection boxes, the Day-End Dough-Nation™ program, Panera/SCRIP Card fundraising and participation in community events.
Besides the obvious benefits to the community and the organizations, these programs help Panera by building their brand awareness, generating trial, and creating an emotional bond with their customers.
Beyond that, these are great programs for attracting, motivating, and retaining employees who exude the kind of spirit that Panera is trying to foster. Some franchisees involve their employees in the charitable events. One museum gave free passes to the employees and their families for a special day at the museum.
Maybe it's me, but I wish these kinds of events received more publicity. And I wish their were really good metrics for identifying good programs and their results. Maybe there are, but I didn't get that feeling in St. Louis.
