I LUV SWA
July 4, 2011 by Peter van Aartrijk · Leave a Comment
What is the core strength of the Southwest Airlines brand? People. They’re in a fun-loving, people business that also happens to fly planes.
“Love” is what Southwest aims to shower on you with every brand touch point. The ad copy poking fun at competitors’ nickel-and-diming you on fees. The tone of the website copy. The cute birthday cards. The peanuts. The LUV stock symbol. The little heart-shaped coffee stirrers on the planes.
And the flight attendants—where DO they find these people?
I’ll bet 95% of the flight attendants I’ve seen in 15 years of flying SWA truly are way more fun, caring, interesting, and talented (many sing PA announcements to passengers with impressive voices) than the flight attendants on competing airlines. They also are folks you’d probably have as friends.
Unfortunately, the flight attendants on United, US Airways, etc. seem to have gone in the wrong direction. And I’ve been flying those airlines for even longer—30 years. Blame what you like—job stress, cranky passengers, demanding bosses—but many of those flight attendants aren’t fun. In fact, they can be downright surly. They’re partly the reason why people say flying isn’t fun anymore. Read more
This Old House, Branded
September 2, 2010 by Peter van Aartrijk · 1 Comment
203 North Moetz, Milltown N.J.
Here’s a picture of my house where I grew up in small-town America: Milltown, N.J., near New Brunswick and my alma mater, Rutgers University (photo credit to my home boy Charles Wasilewski).
I remember as a kid helping my dad build the garage addition to the house—off to the right there. The old garage became his office. I remember building snow forts in the front yard to ward off the neighborhood bully. We’d wait for the ice cream truck. We played hide-and-seek and army with stick guns in the yard.
This was the 1960s, man—no Internet, cell phones, computers. Although we did have The Munsters and The Addams Family on beautiful black-and-white TV. Milltown is where I got my start in reporting, working for The Sentinel, a weekly newspaper. That was cool—although the long hours (on, ahem, a typewriter) are what drove me to a somewhat-more-sane business called public relations.
On Point with Peter van Aartrijk and Rick Morgan, Episode 26: ‘Uncomfortable Change’ Paves Road to Perpetuation
August 23, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Too often agency principals find themselves facing a forced sale as a result of not having a proper perpetuation plan. In this podcast, MarshBerry president John Wepler discusses the many difficult and “uncomfortable” decisions required of an owner seeking to properly–and profitably–perpetuate the firm. Listen to this frank conversation as John offers some good news: It is never too late to start to implement a perpetuation strategy but it takes a “burn the ships” commitment. That is, once you start down the path there is no turning back. Get some good ideas for your firm from one of the industry’s best-known management consultant.
The podcast was published Monday, August 23, 2010. Run time is 25 minutes 43 seconds.
On Point with Peter van Aartrijk and Rick Morgan, Episode 19: Having Fun Growing Business
May 11, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
“On Point, with Peter van Aartrijk and Rick Morgan” is an audio conversation with insurance industry leaders who champion change and challenge all of us to think.
Linda Rey is a second-generation agent and owner of Rey Insurance in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Frank Rey founded the agency in 1978 to serve bilingual clients in the local community.
Linda discusses how she has incorporated the use of social media into the agency’s marketing strategy. For Linda, it was an “effective way to be present, visible, and increase awareness and exposure.”
Big Field Man on Campus
April 29, 2010 by Peter van Aartrijk · Leave a Comment
At a time when people are skittish on the economy, it’s great to hang out with folks who are bullish.
One of my favorites is Charlie McShane, and his company is State Auto, based out of Columbus, Ohio.
Recently Maureen Wall Bentley, our executive vice president of brand strategy, and I attended Charlie’s grand opening of State Auto’s new Hunt Valley, Maryland offices, just north of Baltimore. Charlie is the company’s eastern regional president—he actually founded the region for State Auto and was the only employee there a few years ago. (In case you don’t recognize Charlie, he’s the big man on campus in the center of the photo.) Read more
Brand Camp Won’t Be Yet Another Meeting
June 22, 2009 by Peter van Aartrijk · 1 Comment
Regarding Aartrijk Brand Camp (in Chicago, Sept. 28-30), some of you have asked, “Why is Aartrijk putting on such an event? What do you hope to accomplish?”
Excellent questions. I attend many industry conferences so I’m sensitive about offering another one.
I can assure you that Brand Camp won’t be yet another meeting.
This event is the only one designed to put in context the impact of social media/social networking on marketing and branding in insurance and financial services. So if you are responsible for formulating and articulating your brand in our industry—agency, broker, carrier, trade association, services provider—then you should come to Brand Camp.
At most conferences, speakers present in a one-way format. Like social networking itself, Brand Camp will be much more engaging, where attendees truly will get involved. We hope to imagine—even create—some new ways our industry can communicate with customers and prospects. This engagement is a more fun way to learn anyway.
You will return home with a solid plan to introduce or enhance your brand in this new social networking world. Brand Camp will be educational, engaging, entertaining and rewarding for the group as well as for individual participants.
Go on, jump into the fray! Check out the Brand Camp Web page.
– Peter van Aartrijk