When doing good and publicity connect

Let's be real. "Gratitude" isn't a Hallmark moment. It's a genuine feeling you want to shout out to people who make things work, especially when life goes sideways.

Gratitude — thanks — is a feeling you get when someone shows up when others don’t. It’s how you feel when you unexpectedly get a text from someone you’ve been thinking about. It’s for people who pop into your inbox or on a Zoom call and you leave with a jolt of motivation you didn’t realize you needed — or had.

Things like that can’t be measured. It feels all marketey to do the cliché, “I’m thankful for …” thing on Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great for the kids but as a compassionate adult, sometimes it feels performative.

That’s why I’m sharing two quick stories that ooze gratitude — in good ways. In the spirit of publicity, they make their businesses look great while they make people feel. They’re things we wish more businesses would do instead of commanding managers to read from a script or send out mass-produced messages.

Airline employee makes passengers part of something special

On a recent crazy day at a big-market airport, Ms. Velma went above and beyond to make waiting Southwest Airlines passengers smile. Instead of taking a deserved chill minute between flights, the gate agent dashed around a busy waiting area with pens and slips of paper, inviting travelers to share what they were thankful for. She then collected and posted those slips on a wall display near her area. Kids were excited to see their “I’m thankful” slips become part of the art, which looked like something that might hang in their classrooms. Ms. Velma made Southwest ✈️look great and put smiles on the faces of weary travelers. It was experiential marketing, even if she didn’t plan it that way.

Customers danced for their coffee en — in Mass.

If you thought coffee was a great pick-me-up, how about dancing into your day for it? A Middleborough, Mass., coffee shop made headlines when it offered free java to customers who danced through the door.

Coffee Milano Cafe’s TikTok of people dancing to earn their coffee has been viewed more than 5 million times. Owner Josh Rashid got the idea from another business but admitted that you have to be different to attract attention in a noisy media world. Mission accomplished. Smiles are on the house, too.

As we hit the homestretch of a batty year and this being Thanksgiving weekend in the United States, thanks to all who read this newsletter. Thanks for your notes, topic ideas and business referrals. However you observe the day (please pass the Tex-Mex), enjoy it in ways that fill you with gratitude. Yes, football’s a legit way to spend the day.

Easy peasy holiday 🎁gift ideas

In addition to the very popular MVP — Most Valuable Publicist — merch, a couple of fun new tees. https://auntiegailgreetingspr.printify.me/products

And for athletes who need a little guidance to get themselves known in the NIL world …https://www.etsy.com/listing/1813084852/beginners-guide-to-nil-publicity **Show me your receipt and I’ll throw in a 15-minute booster chat.

© 2024 Gail Sideman, gpublicity.com

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