Indeed, it’s an appropriate time to give thanks and at Sears, its ninth annual Heroes at Home spring campaign with Rebuilding Together raised more than $750,000 and assisted military families facing hardship by making necessary repairs, improvements, or modifications to their homes.
The program, which has now raised more than $40 million over the past nine years thanks to generous donations from Shop Your Way loyalty program members, customers, and associates, has funded more than 1,600 home rebuilds.
The program is part of Sears’ longstanding commitment to supporting veterans and military families. The campaign, which began Oct. 30 and ended Nov. 19, allowed Sears loyalty program members to donate to Rebuilding Together, a leading national nonprofit in safe and healthy housing, when they check out at any Sears store or via a link at sears.com/heroesathome.
Brian Hanover, senior director public relations, Sears Holdings Corporation, talked to Loyalty360 about this special campaign.
Can you tell me how the program has gone and what Sears’ goals are from a customer engagement perspective?
Hanover: We’re thankful for the incredible generosity of our members and associates who have developed a deep affinity with our Heroes at Home cause program. Knowing this, we wanted to give members multiple ways to engage and support the program – whether through a donation on the pin pad when they checkout at the register, through the purchase of limited-edition products for the holiday season that give back to the Heroes at Home program, or online via content, donations, and affiliated purchases at sears.com/heroesathome.
It’s great that our powerful brands – Kenmore and Craftsman – additionally supported the program, deepening the engagement. Products that support the cause include:
- Kenmore Patriotic Pair – A Kenmore 4.3 cu. ft. top load washer and Kenmore 7.0 cu. ft. white dryer w/ Smart Dry Plus are designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S.A. Both feature a unique American flag design embedded in the console.
- Craftsman Hat – Show love for the Craftsman brand and support veterans with this limited-edition Craftsman Heroes at Home beanie.
- Heroes at Home Ornament – These collectible moose and bear Christmas ornaments are the perfect addition to any holiday décor.
Charitable causes have been very impactful for brands. Has this been the case for Sears and what has been the feedback from customers?
Hanover: Sears' support of military veterans has been part of the fabric of the company dating back to General Robert Wood, Sears Chairman after WWI. That commitment continues today with more than 25,000 veterans and more than 1,500 active members of the Reserve and National Guard. Additionally, thousands of veteran spouses work for Sears Holdings. For Sears members and customers, we regularly survey them and find that supporting military-affiliated organizations regularly indexes highest – we owe that to our legacy of supporting military causes. It’s a cause that truly resonates with – and unites – our members and associates alike, providing an opportunity to give back in a meaningful way this holiday to those who served.
How long has Sears held this campaign and what have the results been like?
Hanover: Over the past nine years, in partnership with Rebuilding Together, Sears’ Heroes at Home program has helped to raise more than $20 million to assist military veterans and their families. We’ve completed more than 1,600 rebuilds, logged more than 100,000 volunteer hours by associates and assisted more than 19,000 military families. This holiday iteration of the program focusing on disabled veterans in critical need of accessibility ramps is new. The generosity we’ve seen from our members has been tremendous and truly humbling. They know that so many small gestures easily add up to a program that invests in long-term impact that ensures these veterans will get the accessibility upgrades they need this holiday season.