Sully the Hero

There are hundreds of people who are still alive thanks to the skills of Captain Sullenberger. The news has been inundated with photos of the airplane, the response teams, and reaction from survivors. It seems everyone has an opinion and wants to say something about the heroism displayed by the captain and crew.

Someone is missing in the chorus. Someone important. No, not the captain and crew. They, understandably, cannot talk to the media until after the NTSB investigation is over.

It’s US AIR! I watched about 8 hours (total) of network and local news on January 15 and 16 and saw Mayor Bloomberg and even the White House spokesperson. But I have not heard nor seen any statement from US Air.

US Air has a very tenuous position here.

On one hand they have to work with the legal team to ensure that whatever they say won’t expose them to litigation or go astray of NTSB rules.

On the other they need to get out there to assure the public that they are taking care of things, that they are thankful for no fatalities, and that their aircraft are otherwise safe.

The media has not made it easy on US Air, choosing their own experts and survivor accounts over a statement by CEO Doug Parker. The statement is sound, albeit a little boring (which is why the media is choosing not to run with it). It essentially says:

• They’re happy no one was seriously hurt.
• They’re grateful and proud of everyone pulled together to aid in rescue
• It’s going to take a while to determine what happened but they’re going to work with NTSB on the investigation.

Employees

Right now, employee relations is vitally important. Employees need to know what they can and can’t say, and that any media inquiries need to be referred to the communications department.

In absence of information, employees will make stuff up and the rumor mill will run rampant. Stay in front of the information curve by issuing written briefs, holding meetings with all staff (baggage, tickets, janitorial, executive, etc.), providing employee hotlines, emails, etc. This will go a long way in ensuring that US Air sends one unified message to the public.

Customers

US Air also needs to reach out to its loyal customers to assure them that they continue to fly...and, more importantly, that it is safe to fly.

US Air certainly has its hands full right now.

School Starts

I teach two classes at Chaminade University and yesterday was the first day of class for the Spring 2009 session. My students may or may not venture onto this blog, so I’m going to take this opportunity to juice them up and say that they are the best, most intelligent group of kids that I have taught so far.

Okay enough of that.

When I was in college, we learned a statistic that the average person sees 3,000 messages per day. That was a huge number.

It was also before the Internet and the cable TV explosion and the invasion of megaplex theaters.

I estimate that now the average person sees upwards of 10,000 messages per day. This includes logo on clothing (remember when the alligator was the big only clothing logo?), TV commercials, the Internet, shop logos, radio advertising, etc.

That’s a lot.

Last night I reflected on the messages I saw and retained throughout the day. Of the thousands of logos, commercials, etc. that I saw yesterday, only a few stood out:

• A Star of David necklace one of my students wore
• A commercial for a product that will enhance the size of a man’s penis
• Followed quickly by an ad for Viagra (you can’t make this stuff up!)
• An ad for Mr. Slim air conditioning

Um. That’s it. I know there was more. I’m positive there was more. But nothing is coming to me. A full 10,000 images and messages and I can remember just four things.

Either my memory is bad, or advertisers just aren’t breaking through the clutter to make a lasting impression on me.

And this is the lesson I teach my clients.

Our actions need to be memorable. We need to break through the clutter. It’s the only way we can hope that our product or service will be bought.

So what can you do to be memorable?

Let’s cover that in tomorrow’s blog.

Low Cost Promotion Ideas

I enjoy teaching. In fact, the new semester is coming up (tomorrow! egads!) and I’m right now putting the finishing touches on my syllabi. I think the kids are going to enjoy this semester. Lots of work in store for them but they will learn a lot of good information that they can use in their professional lives.

I’ve taught a couple classes: Introduction to Mass Communication; Public Relations; Writing for Mass Media and Professional Presentations. This semester I am teaching Intro to Mass Communication and Professional Presentations. I’m looking forward to both.

I’m having so much fun teaching young adults that I’m trying my hand at teaching adult adults. I’ve linked forces with the Hawaii Womens’ Business Center (HWBC) to present a workshop titled:

Promote Your Business and Increase Your Bottom Line by Putting Your Best Foot Forward with Low and No Cost Tactics

Interested? It’s on Tuesday, February 17 from 6-8. Cost is $30 ($27 if you’re a member of HWBC).

Contact Alcian Clegg at 526-1001 to reserve your space.

We will cover ten things you can do that will cost very little money but can yield big results.

After all, we all need to do promotion, but not everyone has the big budget like Apple and Microsoft. Most people think they need to pay for TV and radio ads to get noticed. Not so. There are very good strategies you can use that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. And sometimes, heck a lot of times, these low cost activities can get you more notice than a big budget activity.

Join us. You will be glad you did!












Links:

http://hwbc.org/
http://www.chaminade.edu

Image is not everything

I deal with many clients, all who are working on their public image. Some want to be known as “the best” or “the biggest”, while others want to be known as “the most intimate” or “mom and pop”. Each one is correct because image setting is completely up to the owner of the company.

I can make the smallest company look big, and the biggest company look small. All it takes are the right words hooked together and placed strategically.

But it’s what happens after the words are crafted that really makes the difference. Let’s take a real life example.

I was in Waikiki over the new year. The hotel I stayed in was right on the beach and you could see the tourists just bustling and bursting. After all, this was their Hawaii vacation. It was going to be romantic. The natives were going to dance the hula whenever and wherever possible. The sun would brighten their day and the moonlight would guide their feet along sandy beaches.

After all, that’s what the Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau advertises. Hawaii is a lover’s paradise. A family adventure. A relaxed island setting. Something for everyone.

I’m not knocking it. The image that the HVB paints is fantastic and, for the most part, true. Hawaii is a paradise. And I would not live anywhere else. I love it here.

So the image is good. It’s truth.

But here is what I saw as I looked at it like a tourist:

The first morning, I passed the activities desk and saw an employee who clearly wasn’t happy to be working on New Year’s Day. She didn’t smile. Didn’t greet anyone. Stopped short of throwing things around her desk, but it was very clear she didn’t want to be there. Someone asked her directions and her reply was short and clipped.

I continued to the sundries shop where a German couple was having difficulty explaining what they wanted to a clerk who didn’t speak the language. Instead of using nonverbal cues and pantomime to figure out what they wanted, the clerk got frustrated and louder and louder. Her tone of voice is one used when someone is clearly an idiot. Certainly this couple was not the only non-English-speaking people this clerk would encounter that day.

There were more scenes I witnessed during my two-day hotel stay. But I think I made my point.

Image is image. Once it is set, you need to back it up. Or there will be a lot of buyer’s remorse. You may get the first sale, but you will not get any repeat business.

The German couple came to Hawaii thinking about flowers, beaches, mountains, and hula dancing. They experienced a surly, unfriendly, local female clerk.

Mismatch.

Did the German couple have other experiences that will outweigh this one bad one? We can only hope. We shouldn’t take the chance, though.

So here is today’s lesson:

Image is nothing if you can’t back it up. If you want your image to be friendly and welcoming, then your employees must be friendly and welcoming. One sour employee can create a lasting impression. A poorly-written newsletter can ruin a carefully crafted image, too.

They say the devil is in the details. My grandma always said that if you mind the details, the big picture will take care of itself.