Image Credit: Verne Ho

Many people ask, how can you monetize social media? Where is the ROI? These are questions with long answers and sometimes with no answers at all. But they don’t have to be, as some companies simply get it and don’t stress over the minor details, always ready to take on a challenge.

One of the best recent social collaborations that I’ve seen is the Pay It Backward event organized by the DailyChallenge with a major sponsor being Second Cup and Silk. It was a special event because I believe everyone turned out a winner at the end of the day – Second Cup probably had the best return on their investment that was probably a fraction of a 30-sec TV Spot, Sick Kids Hospital receiving up to $15,000 in donations, DailyChallenge receiving great coverage on traditional and digital media, and most importantly people who get felt great about their small effort to make a difference and realizing that being a Do Gooder can be contagious.

I wanted to share with you Mimi’s story on that day and how it connected her with not only the Second Cup brand but also with other do gooders in our community. Here is the guest post by Mimi of La Mimi:

Last Wednesday, I was really excited about the Pay It Backward event at Second Cup. If you don’t know what it is then watch the video below to find out.

I told all my family and friends about the event as I truly believe that “ONE” simple act of kindness can create a whole movement of greatness.

On the day of Pay it Backward at Second Cup, I was meeting a friend for a coffee (herbal tea in my case, because I don’t drink coffee). Unfortunately, when I arrived there she had already bought herself a drink and there was nobody behind me, so I couldn’t really pay it backward * SIGH*. In addition, there weren’t any signs about the Pay It Backward event and the staff wasn’t really telling people about it either which is pretty sad.

Later that day, after volunteering at Dress for Success on Bloor and Spadina with another friend of mine, we decided to grab a few drinks at Second Cup there in the hopes of Paying It Backward.  At first there was nobody behind me, and then I noticed a girl about my age with a bright red lipstick who was studying the menu. I asked the Barista who worked there if they participated in Sick Kids Pay It Backward Event and he assured me that they did. So, I turned around and told the girl behind me that I’m getting her a drink. You should have seen the expression on her face. She was like “Whaaat? How come you are buying me a drink?”  So I went on to explain to her that for every pay it backward purchase Second Cup would donate $5 to SickKids Hospital.  Her eyes instantly lit up and she was smiling.  “How about me? “she said. “ There is no one behind me. How can I pay it backward? Perhaps, I can buy you a cookie?”   I refused, because I wanted her to pass on this act of kindness to someone else.

I sat down and started chatting with my friend. Two minutes later, somebody walked into the Second Cup. It was heartwarming to see the delight on the girl’s face when she told some older guy that she was buying him a drink.  My friend and I started observing what seemed like a chain reaction of goodness. It was really touching and actually brought tears to our eyes. As people started buying drinks for each other– an instant connection was established- two strangers exchanged smiles and warm feelings. Perhaps it was the nicest thing that happened to some of them that day. I was just lucky to witness that moment and grateful that I was able to ignite it.

Later that day I got to thinking, do we really need a special occasion to Pay it Backward? Why don’t we make that part of our daily routine? Simple, selfless and maybe random acts of kindness like smiling at strangers, buying someone you don’t know a drink or helping and older person or female with their grocery bags can actually change someone’s outlook on life. Doing GOOD can be contagious? What choice will YOU make today?

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Thanks for visiting and keep in touch ~ Alex.