Online coupon company LivingSocial hit the proverbial home run but coming to the rescue of the Washington DC Metro system just before the Washington Nationals appear in the National League playoffs.
LivingSocial agreed to pick up the tab to keep the DC Metro open after midnight in the event that the playoff games go late. Within a day the PR impact of this decision far exceeds the $29,500 deposit the company put down to help out the cash strapped metro.
Politicians such as Sen. John Warner (D-VA) were heaping praise on LivingSocial on Friday. The relief pitch from LivingSocial responds to the problem that arose from a recent extra inning game at Nationals Park which ended after midnight and hundreds of fans were stranded since the Metro was closed. The city and Metro said they wanted to fix the problem before the playoffs and LivingSocial jumped at the chance.
The cost could be a lot cheaper than the $29K deposit since it will be offset by the number of people who ride the subway after closing hours. Truth be told, this was also a good move for LivingSocial since the company just received an $32 million tax break to build headquarters in DC.
With such good PR, we’ll see how the company adds to its good will during the playoffs.