CHADDS FORD, Pa. – When Blood Collection Tech IV Donna Livesay saw the email that Communications Specialist Tony Prado was going to visit the Concord Donor Center on Wednesday, July 12, she called him to dissuade him from visiting since there just seven donors on the schedule.
However, that was precisely why he scheduled a visit to Concord. The mission was to collect marketing assets to help the Blood Bank of Delmarva Marketing Department revamp its approach to marketing this jewel known as the Concord Donor Center. Simply put, we would like to avoid more days like Wednesday’s light schedule.
We were also able to collect some valuable intelligence on Concord.
Located in picturesque Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Concord offers a convenient place to donate blood for residents of Delaware County and northern New Castle County, Delaware. Our outpost is located on the second floor of the ChristianaCare Concord Health Center.
There are days when Concord is packed, such as when they booked all 18 appointments for the Anchor on the Roof promotion held on July 6. But Donna noticed that Wednesdays were slower more often than not.
One clue came from whole blood donor Dr. Trent Ryan, a local chiropractor. He told Blood Collection Tech Lia Mercer that Google said the Concord Donor Center was closed on Wednesday. Thank goodness he still came in because he knows sometimes there are errors in the algorithm.
Upon hearing the exchange between Lia and Dr. Ryan, whole blood donor Melissa English said Concord was also listed as closed on Wednesday by Apple Maps on her iPhone.
“Maybe that’s why we’ve been slow on Wednesdays,” Donna said. “Tony, you better get on that.”
The first thing he did was put a corporate communications help desk ticket. New York Blood Center Enterprises Vice President- Corporate Communication/Digital Strategy-Enterprise Kate Bird and her talented team had just launched BBD’s new website on Wednesday, and Tony asked that Concord’s hours be listed. Kate added the hours in an effort to correct the algorithm.
Thank you, Kate.
Another important step we took was to film video for Blood Bank of Delmarva Vice President Emily Cunningham’s Summer Social Media Project. In this project, we are doing short videos with our younger staff in an effort to bring in more young and first-time donors. BBD has dabbled in video for social media at times in the past, but this summer is our first coordinated effort in this regard. We have a new Canon camera with a Rode mic and sound equipment and a tripod for the iPhone.
We would be remiss if we also did not mention that Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager- Enterprise Tara Carlson and her social media team of Nida Abbas and Jordan have been very helpful in providing guidance for this project.
Anyway, on Wednesday, we filmed a few segments with Lia as well as Donna and Lia and we thank them for their invaluable help. (You can view their videos to the left on this screen.)
We also thank all the donors who came in, including Bill Devine and Iris Hutt.
Miss Iris, in particular, had not donated for more than twenty years, and Donna and Lia welcomed her back into the fold.
As for Mr. Bill, he has been a therapeutic donor for years, and his O positive blood helps a lot of hospital patients. He retired to the Jersey Shore, but he drives back to donate blood in Concord!
Last but not least, we are sorry we missed BCT Danielle Hilton-Osbourne on Wednesday. But we did get to see her, Donna and Lia at Christiana during the Fourth of July holiday.
Onward and upward.
