Branding Good Will

Now that I've got your attention by using a headline that inspired you to read further.....

That's right..we consulted with our Matador of Marketing Messages and he assured us that those simple three key words would prove the perfect attention grabber.

Contrary to the Web2.o rules, which dictate that for a blog to generate a following and be "truly successful", the blogger needs to blabber every day. How does that dic-tate?

Not tasty for us. We'll blog when we want to, when we have the time to, and only when we're truly inspired by an idea or a story.

After reading a NY Times profile about Goodwill Industries' expanding strategy to 'brand itself' and to position itself as a provider of "antique luxury items"--and otherwise embrace a traditional retailer strategy---all I can ask is "Why is it taking you so long to carpe diem???"

What Goodwill is doing: recasting itself (via albeit low-cost branding campaign means) and working to exploit an economic environment that's prompting consumers of all types to downsize their expenditures.


When Park Avenue princesses, Hollywood Celebs, Darien debutantes, and corporate exec wives are all contributing to trend setting shopping habits that celebrate second hand shops and the value of buying 'pre-owned goods' (including 'antique clothing'), any half-wit that's owned the "thrift category" for three generations should know that this economic period presents a business opportunity that happens once in a life-time.

Bottom line? Goodwill has apparently been 'ramping' their 'new branding' approach since before the current 'recession' technically started (sometime in 2007)--and the cylinders are starting to turn more quickly.

And what better name than "Goodwill" to use in the course of a branding strategy? If there's anything that consumers want right now, it's having a feeling of good will! After having Keogh's and savings mini-ed budgets being micro-ed, and after being Madoff-ed by either Bernie himself or Ben Bernake, we could all "get it" when it comes to the appreciation for spending less on luxury.

We typically say "Do it right, not right away." But to the senior exec team at Goodwill we say "People!. Lets move that bus!! Before you know it, the window of opportunity will come sliding down on to your fingers!"

By the way--thanks to Hiroko Masuike's images courtesy of the NY Times.