In late 2011, customer experience solutions provider Interactive Intelligence launched a very interesting campaign to get executives to speak with their sales people. In conjunction with international charity Oxfam, if you met with Interactive Intelligence, Oxfam would donate a goat to a needy family in an impoverished community in one of the many developing world countries where it operates.
In a piece I wrote as a follow-up on the campaign introduction, former Interactive Intelligence CMO Joe Staples, remarked upon how the approach helped change the nature and context of sales interactions and how the Oxfam connection, “not only creates the environment but resonates because it is consistent about our commitment to making a difference.” While still early in the campaign, he also noted that the reaction to it at that time had exceeded expectations.
So how effective has the campaign been?
Interactive Intelligence has just come up with the results for its the Interactive Intelligence Goat Giveaway. They are impressive. To date 524 goats have been donated. As Amy DiPaola, director of marketing operations and events for Interactive Intelligence explained, "Goats are very hardy, providing fertilizer and food for a family for years. As a result, these gifts play an invaluable part in helping rural communities throughout Africa, Asia, India, and other impoverished areas create sustainable, self-sufficient futures. I want to thank everyone who has agreed to meet with us as part of this campaign, and in so doing has made the world a better place."
Donations are used to support Oxfam America's efforts around the world. Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, it works with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions to poverty.
It should also be noted that the program continues. In fact, to participate in the Interactive Intelligence Goat Giveaway campaign, visit http://www.inin.com/Pages/Goat.aspx. In short, the next time somebody asks if somebody has got you goat, the answer can be an emphatic yes.
A fundamental part of the Interactive Intelligence corporate culture since its beginnings has been to give back to the community. This is represented by the Interactive Intelligence Foundation, which donates resources to foster life improvements for at-risk youth. In a world where the headlines are filled with bad news of all sorts, the Interactive Intelligence Goat Program really stands out. It is proof that companies can actually do well by doing good.