There’s no point blaming the media for all the economic bad news. There’s also no point suggesting such negative press adversely affects productivity or business confidence. It’s now time to deal with it and there are positive options, suggests Margaret E. Ward

The inbox was jammered and it was a hectic day but something immediately caught my eye. “Welcome Home, Edward”.

I’m not Edward – and never have been as far as I know – but curiosity meant I had to open the email. I was greeted by a cheerful postcard-style illustration with a white cartoon plane cruising through a blue sky dotted with puffy clouds. A big “Thank you for flying Southwest Airlines” was written underneath. I was not Edward but I felt good.

This was positive consumer marketing at its best – a simple, feel good message delivered in a personal and interesting way. Even though I’ve never flown with them, or even seen one of their planes, my association is now a positive one. Before this, I’d only thought of them in relation to Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary. Apparently, he modelled the early Ryanair on Southwest and his cowboy fashion sense is based on their big boss’ southern style.

Southwest is suffering as much as any other airline. The carrier’s share price fell off a cliff from $16.77 in September 2008 to $4.95 in May but they’ve recovered a bit to $6.25. The company continues to invest in service and innovation. BusinessWeek ranked them 17 in its Customer Service Champs rankings and 49 in the World’s Most Innovative Companies last year.

Throughout the ups and downs they’ve kept their marketing message upbeat and focused on potential customers, not losses. Their ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange, LUV, speaks volumes about their branding strategy.

Wear a red raincoat

Positive marketing has massive impact when things are gloomy. Think of a bright red raincoat on a grey, rainy day. It just cheers you up, doesn’t it?

The National Lottery was June’s red raincoat story. Their feel good tale involves an honest shop owner who not only kept a lottery ticket safe for its owner but tracked him down to tell him he’d won.

A 35-year-old unemployed DJ from Drogheda, Dermot Finglas, learned he had scooped a €350,000 Lotto prize after Centra shop worker Tom Heavey identified the man as the winner on the CCTV footage.

The media couldn’t get enough of the good news. Who could ask for better publicity than national newspaper headlines like “Local shopkeeper’s honesty was just the ticket, says lucky €350,000 Lotto winner”? The saga generated reams of copy inches in newspapers, airtime on radio and TV – and lots of goodwill for the National Lottery.

Pull out the finger

When things are tough, it’s easy for marketers and business owner to become negative. Some even blame their sombre mood on the media.

Bad news is bad for you. That’s the premise of the “No News is Good News” campaign highlighted on the Rebuilding Ireland Inc. LinkedIn Group recently.

The writer suggested that Irish businesses boycott the media with a national news free week during which they stop listening to, and reading, all forms of media. “Bad news has the potential to effect your mood. If it effects your mood, it has the potential to effect your productivity.”

Boycotting the media is the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears, humming and saying “I can’t hear you!”

Back to America

Negative debates and naysayers simply sideline us from doing real business. The Yanks have a great expression – when you get lemons make lemonade.

The recession is an opportunity. Many successful businesses have gotten big breaks during a downturn. The players refused to listen to those who told them it was a foolish dream and ignored bankers who slammed doors in their faces.

Marketers should look at the economic situation as chance to do something positive and different. No money in the budget? Think about how your customers view your brand. Then try a new angle, call a few friends to spread the message or learn about social networking.

A study on changing children’s behaviour by Princeton University and the Brookings Institution, the Power of Positive Marketing, found that social marketing campaigns that promote positive behaviour could be a powerful agent for changes in lifestyle. “In general, these studies show that social marketing has successfully changed health behaviour such as smoking, physical activity, and condom use, as well as behavioural mediators such as knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to these behaviours.”

If positive marketing messages can change a grumpy teenager’s mind then you can certainly influence buying behaviours using the same concept.  So, stay positive even if you have to wear a red raincoat while making lemonade.

Margaret E. Ward is a journalist and managing director of Clear Ink.

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