Just as Warren Buffet feels the recession presents a great stock buying opportunity for the long term investor, so too does it offer favorable circumstances for the savvy brand manager.  Yesterday’s Seattle Times reports that Seattle’s still-left-standing travel company Alaska Airlines has taken over sponsorship of this year’s Seafair Torchlight Parade from Southwest Airlines.  Seafair is Seattle’s historic and well-loved summer celebration and sponsoring its premier event packs some emotional branding punch.  Instead of pulling back marketing spend in every area like many other hurting companies are doing, Alaska is investing in endearing its brand more deeply to its hub customers. 

No details were available on the cost of sponsorship, but you can bet your Seafair Pirates’ gold that no one had to wait for hours on Alki Beach for a turn to speak to the sales rep.  So now Alaska has the right of first refusal for the future, and Seattleites, still cringing from the breach of hometown faith by the Sonics, are applauding.  

– Peggy Brown

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Hello Integratedbrand.com members and guests! We are committed to making our blog a place where brand leaders can share and exchange ideas. That is why we’ve added a new section to the site—Recommended Reading. We will begin posting recommendations for some of our favorite books on the topics of brand, marketing and business strategy. We welcome your suggestions as well, so feel free to send us the titles of some of your favorite books along with a one to two sentences about why you liked the book.

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As you may have noticed, there’s a reoccurring theme in this month’s blogs—how to recession-proof your brand. All the blogs, up to now, have been targeted towards an organization. I thought I’d change things up this week and talk about your personal brand.

If you’re like 90% of the American workforce, you’re anxious and uncertain about your employment future. You’ve heard about friends and family members who have lost their jobs and you may even be experiencing lay-offs in your own workplace. You’re thinking, what if I’m next? How can I convince my employer that I’m not expendable in these difficult times?

The answer lies in understanding what unique assets you bring to what you do. Do you know what your value-add is in the workplace and what sets you apart from others? What can people expect from you that is different, that stands out? Now is the time to determine your unique differentiator—your competitive advantage—and take action that helps you to deliver more of that in everything you do. Once you know what it is, use your personal brand as a compass to guide you through work tasks great and small—from writing an email to your boss to delivering a sales presentation to a client.

In uncertain times, there’s nothing more compelling than a consistent experience. Find out what makes you different–and relevant–in your workplace and live it in all of your actions and communications.

-Hiley Spaet

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We at Integratedbrand.com are pleased to announce the release of Lynn Parker’s latest book, The Reluctant Entrepreneur! The book is a compilation of Lynn’s widely read monthly columns from the Puget Sounded Business Journal with additional commentary that will appeal to entrepreneurs, both reluctant and eager!

Look at entrepreneurism from a new perspective and learn from the many lessons that Lynn shares, from hiring the right employees to picking a name from your company.

Order your copy from Amazon today!

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Watch Joe LePla’s presentation at last month’s PSAMA Brand Panel Discussion.

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As we navigate through rough waters in this recession, this may seem like the least of your worries. You’ve got your bottom line to think about and that includes whether or not you can even keep some of your employees.  But, how does weakening confidence and the resulting employee morale ultimately affect your brand?

Many companies are preparing for the worst–cutting jobs, reducing hours, and slashing benefits—all while reserving open communication for the executive teams responsible for these actions.  Employees in this situation are often left to create their own assumptions and rationales for actions taken; sometimes creating a spiraling rumor mill that threatens to destroy morale from the inside out.  They find themselves struggling to keep par with customer needs while feeling like their basic needs aren’t being met.

The truth is, your employees (and their morale) are key in delivering your brand experience to customers.  And, open communication with them about what is going on, how you are making decisions and how they can contribute is a great way to keep their confidence levels up and support their ability to deliver on your brand promise.  So start talking—now—and keep the lines of communication open.  Doing so will help you:

·         Gain an understanding of and combat employees’ fears

·         Present an opportunity to communicate realities and conquer apprehension

·         Create ways to include employees in finding ways to “buckle down”

·         Get buy-in and commitment for the changes that lie ahead

·         Support the changing needs of the business

–Rachel Olmsted

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Check out Joe LePla’s presentation from last month’s PSAMA Brand Panel Discussion on marketing in a downturn.

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Lynn Parker will be speaking at the Advanced Learning Institute’s Internal Branding Conference May 11-14 in Washington DC. For more information, visit the conference website.

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