“Be excellent to each other” – yes, that is a line from the movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” but it does ring true in many ways. Life is too short to be mean to others, treat people poorly, or not be generous. There is a great article that just appeared in Ad Age that discusses corporations that have “generous brands” and how this is the key to their overall success in their relative industries. John King defines generosity as “providing value in the life of the consumer: entertainment value, social value and belief value.”
This can come in various forms – from having a chic product to customer relations – it all depends on the customer and what they value the most. I know that there are some corporations that have strong customer relations, and I will continue to buy products from them. For example, I recently had to take in my MacBook Pro computer to the Apple store after it crashed an hour after I finished my presentations for the semester (yes, that was excellent timing!) Anyway, I went to the Apple Store at the West Town Mall and spoke to a Genius Bar representative, and it was very helpful and excellent! So, I know that I will be a Apple customer for a long time because what I value is good customer relations, and excellent services and products.
Corporations not only have to have a strong product, but they have to be approachable, likable, and have an overall positive outlook with their stakeholders. I do believe that this also applies to individuals as well. If people take the time to provide for others and establish a positive personal brand and reputation, it will definitely help them. Plus, it feels good to help others! I have had many conversations with my fellow colleagues and former teammates on how it is not only important to do well in your field and sport – but our role is also to be a mentor. I have had several mentors that have really taken the time to help me both in athletics, academics, and in life.
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