On brand communication isn’t just important for developing communication strategies and marketing campaigns, your brand needs to be integrated within and through out everything you do, including “crunch time” moments—which, in reality, may be more important reflections of your brand. 

 In 2007, JetBlue was chastised for their failure to respond to a crisis situation created by winter storms.  Their original “plan” or should I say, lack-there-of, was poor at best, leaving thousands of customers out of both communication and flight loops.  Passengers were held captive in their planes, some for 11 hours—not exactly “happy jetting.”  In the ensuing turmoil, JetBlue raced to reaffirm their commitment to delivering value to their customers and shelled out a sizable chunk of change to salvage the wreckage, re-affirm their brand promise and reconnect with their customers. An expensive lesson, it’s really too bad more companies haven’t learned from their blight.  

Enter today’s flailing financial institutions to the spotlight.  In this time of woe, the communication factor has soared in value as the markets uncertainty has escalated.  Financial duress, certainly a topic no one takes lightly—who can blame us—has everyone questioning the implications these developments have upon their financial futures.  Here, in this crisis situation, customers are watching and listening to these companies (Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, AIG), waiting to see if and how they will deliver upon their promises and get “real” about the situation. A time to shine or a time to topple—their messages and their actions, are clear indicators of their true colors.  

 ~Rachel Olmsted

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