Everyday PR

In the “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” category, Southwest Airlines took a rare brand beating last week for kicking off an overweight passenger who happened to have 1.6 million followers on Twitter.  Film director and best-selling author Kevin Smith initially purchased two seats for himself, changed flights that only had one seat, but said he still managed to fit into the seat with belt buckled and armrests down – the key criteria to determine a person’s likelihood for ejection. Even so, the airline said he had to leave.  And that’s when the fat hit the fan. 

Southwest ejects big guy; big guy fights back

Smith started telling his followers on Twitter about his experience vowing to never fly on Southwest again, the airline began backpedaling also on Twitter, and the short-lived, but intense war of 140 characters ended with apologies and vouchers (which Smith declined) from the airline.

This is an excellent case of the importance of having a good reputation and an ample supply of goodwill BEFORE a crisis happens.  This is also another example of the power of a social media tool like Twitter, but that’s for another post.  While Southwest suffered a slight bruising over the incident, its ability to recover quickly is commendable, as in they were few legs to this story.  Southwest has the fewest customer complaints of any airline; its airfares are affordable; it doesn’t charge you for wanting to take your own clothes with you to your destination; and it’s still profitable.  Yes, last week’s incident with a man of many followers was wrong.  But in its totality, Southwest does a lot of things right.

Three lessons for Southwest: keep doing the right things, apply policies consistently, and be careful who you reject, especially if they have more Twitter followers than you do, and a new movie about to debut.  Are there other lessons that need to be added?

We live in a world where consumers trust each other more than they trust brands. The power of conversation via the Internet has become the great equalizer between brands and consumers, and between dominant brands and their challengers.  Now seems like an opportune time for brands to build on consumers’ experiences  Read more.

Think social media is a fad, trend or in the “this too shall pass” category?  See how social media regarding every day decisions have boosted branding and sales for businesses, restaurants and other organizations.  Read more.

Welcome to guest blogger Buddy Vick, a longtime colleague, architect/designer, world traveler, wine connoisseur and occassional performer.

During a recent wine excursion, my eye caught a relatively austere label with a pink coat hanger, a pair of pink stiletto sling back shoes, and the simple words “Little Black Dress.”  Pink wording stated “Notes of strawberry, raspberry and lavender”.  Lavender?  With that kind of name and description, this was definitely a wine for girlie girls. 

Little Black Dress Wine - Branding of a Classic

Fast forward to me taking the last sip of the Syrah Rose (which was quite enjoyable), when I noticed Little Black Dress had a web site on the bottle.  With no pressing plans for the evening, I went straight to the computer.  The site lists a few perfunctory things about the wine, but the focus really is dedicated to the real-life little black dress also known as the LBD.  You can take a quiz to see what style of LBD is right for you and then send in your picture.  For an inexpensive wine, some of these girls were wearing awfully expensive couture, including a vintage Balenciaga. The site references the event that really put the LBD on the map: Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

While I’m no marketing expert, Little Black Dress Wines clearly illustrates clever branding.  The product is the classic example of selling the sizzle, not the steak. The company well knows its female target audience who can find something about a wine that appeals to them based on something they can relate to: an approach that reveres the versatility of the LBD and its timeless sense of style.  What a fun and creative concept for a wine company – I just wish I had thought of it.

In the 1983 movie “Mr. Mom”, an ad exec suggests the agency’s biggest client, Schooner Tuna, drop its prices by 50 cents a can during the current economic recession.  The idea was surprisingly embraced by the client, who developed an image of “like all Americans, we’re affected by these trying times, and we’re doing our part to help you get through it.”  The campaign worked.  Sales volume increased, inventory moved, and most importantly, Schooner’s branding was positively reinforced as was customer loyalty.

In 2009, Americans are experiencing a very real economic downturn.  What can companies, especially small businesses, do to reinforce their brand during bad times so customers will positively reward them during the recovery? Ideas include 2-for-1 dinner entrees, temporary commission reductions, waivers of first-time consulting fees, upfront product cost with minimal cost for re-purchases, baker’s dozen products for a dozen orders, rebates, and one of the most enticing:  Hyundai’s one-year return policy on all new car purchases.

Debbie Fox of Fox Fine Jewelry recently gave free sterling necklaces (up to a $99 value) for Valentine’s Day to gift givers as long as they had proof of job termination or home foreclosure.  She partnered with other jewelers, and the end result was nearly 5,000 donated necklaces.  “This was all about touching people in a way that inspired them to consider how they might give in their own way,” says Fox.  “The result was very rewarding with heartfelt thanks, great press and fierce customer loyalty.”  I bet that every day the gift givers see that necklace, they think of Fox Fine Jewelry.  Now that’s branding done well.

UPDATE – May 5, 2009:  Suspension over – Phelps competitively races again.  Good luck with the competition and all other future decisions.

Feb. 15, 2009 – Michael Phelps’s split second decision cost him a lot. That decision forced executives of a century-old company to evaluate their relationship that began only months ago. Some critics point to other sports figures, even presidents, in an effort for people to lighten up on the Olympic champion. But there’s a big difference when gobs of money and branding are involved.

The cost of partying to Michael Phelps was millions.

The 42nd president acknowledged his past experience with alcohol, the 43rd with marijuana, and the 44th with cocaine. The biggest difference is that when these men made the decision to partake, they weren’t under contracts that involved money, branding and sales. They didn’t sign something that likely had a morality clause in it to protect said money, branding and sales.

According to Mark Conrad, law professor at New York’s Fordam University, a moral clause is “an essential component of endorsement contracts in professional sports because the athlete is under constant scrutiny from the public and the media. Transgressions that may occur could cause embarrassment for the firm employing the services of the athlete.”

Phelps embarrassed Kellogg, so the food giant took the timely opportunity not to renew its sponsorship with the swimmer. The company didn’t say much except that Phelps’s “most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg.” Of course it’s not. Using drugs doesn’t make branding sense at all for that sponsor.

As long as you’re in the public eye, you can’t be too careful. Every day is a new opportunity to positively or negatively contribute to your reputation.