Out of the Box

One Person Can Representing an Entire Company

By Menachem Lubinsky on August 31 2007

There are companies and institutions that revolve around a single personality. That person is so closely associated with the business or organization that they dominate the public profile of the company. Lee Iacocca was one such figure when Chrysler was on the verge of the bankruptcy back in the ‘70’s. Donald Trump is a more contemporary name that is associated with huge housing complexes and hotels. It is quite amazing that companies that have thousands of employees rely on that one branded name to carry an entire company.

What if a company lacks that one person with the charisma and public persona to represent the company? Some marketers have suggested that it is prudent on management to go ahead and hire a personality, as risky as that seems. One never knows if that personality will work out and how it will be received. Understandably, a business would want to proceed cautiously before aligning the image of the company with a person who will represent that company.

An East Side high rise apartment building was known for a management team that tenants considered arrogant and simply “not nice.” Yet, the building was well known in the neighborhood and people would love to visit. The reason was Wilbur, a doorman that was full of life and made each person entering the building feel special. His “top of the morning” greeting put smiles on people of every age. He knew every tenant’s family and on the days that he was off, people would ask his replacement, “When is Wilbur coming back?” The new doorman that replaced Wilbur after his retirement is a “nice guy,” tenants told a newspaper interviewer, “but there will never be another Wilbur.”

In recent days, the press has profiled Denny Flanagan, a veteran United Airlines pilot, who goes out of his way to take care of his passengers. Imagine a pilot who calls the parents of children traveling alone to tell them that their children are fine. Or think of a pilot who goes out to buy food for his passengers when there are lengthy delays. It is true that when United hired Mr. Flanagan, they hired him for his flying skills, not for being the nicest pilot in the sky. But United saw a PR bonanza and bought into the Flanagan program, even reimbursing him for the food and gifts he hands out to the children.

The Flanagan story is a particular coup for United in an era when airlines are getting a black eye for service. The flying public faced unprecedented delays this summer and the press has vilified the airlines for showing such gross neglect and disregard for their passengers. When Jet Blue was in its infancy, David Neeleman, its founding CEO, was almost a household name. Neeleman would turn up aboard Jet Blue flights and hand out the snacks while seeking feedback from his passengers. Today, with a vastly expanded airline, the airline has experienced some of the problems that came along with that growth. Mr. Neeleman is no longer in the pilot’s seat. It is now more about Jet Blue than about David Neeleman.

Some businesses go out of their way to hire “friendly” people who are the first points of contact with the company. The mannerism of the receptionist in a busy doctor’s office, for example, could make all the difference in how patients perceive of the office, irrespective of the reputation of the practicing physician.

Management consultants point out that an important first step in making sure that a business or organization is “well represented” is to inculcate employees with the idea that they indeed represent the company. It takes some skill to make employees feel that they are not merely “hired guns” but in fact an important part of the company’s image to the outside world.

Large companies routinely conduct in-staff training to drive that point home. One of the most effective marketing messages is to convey to the customer how good people who work for the company feel about the company. You’ve probably seen the ads with a photo of a happy of group of employees, who might be working for a hospital or for an automobile manufacturer. Studies show that customers like to know that employees think positively of the companies they work for.

A frequent flyer, I often observe the behavior of crew during boarding and disembarking. In most cases, there is the routine “goodbye” as you are about to leave the aircraft. But occasionally, a pilot will say, “thank you so much for flying with us.” He makes you feel as if he owns the airline although he may be one of 20,000 people that the airline employs. I was shocked to see that a check-out clerk at a local supermarket handed a customer the change with a “thank you so much for shopping at our store.” Again, the clerk used the term “our store,” which marketers say makes all the difference in how a business is perceived.

Businesses should routinely evaluate their relationship with their customers, members, or clients. They should include in their review how their phone is answered and how salespeople address their customers. It would be nice if every business could have a Denny Flanagan on their payroll, but it would be even nicer if every employee could be trained to think like Denny Flanagan.

Out of the Box is a collection of strategic marketing articles that Lubicom has published on various topics, trends and ideas in the marketing world. The articles have been published in the Hamodia weekly newspaper circulated on three continents to a readership of well over 100,000.

The name, "Out of the Box" is a term used frequently in business nowadays to describe creative thinking that is not the norm. It is meant to help a business pull away from the pack or separate oneself from the competition. It is to some extent fraught with risk, simply because it is not the run of the mill thinking, but it is at the same time the key to reaching the next opportunity.