Today is the second anniversary of the Brand Champions Blog. As I did last year at the end of the first year of the blog, I am recognizing the Brand Champion of the Year. The Brand Champion of the Year automatically goes into the Brand Champion Hall of Fame. Last year's recipient was Red Bull. Like last year I am using the same criteria to recognize this year's awardee. The Brand Champion of the Year is a person or company that understands what it means to be a brand champion, someone or some company that delivers on its brand promise, and realizes that a sustainable brand is based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement. The Brand Champion of the Year is given to one of the people or companies that is featured as a Brand Champion of the Day, and the one who receives the most blog hits that day. In other words, the reader's choice too.
This year the competition was as stiff as it was last year. The very moving comments by Brian Dolan this past Friday about his friend Dave Sinclair, several great posts by our friends at La Salle University, the very on-brand post by Kristen Fusco from H&R Block, the amazing story and insights from The Daily Blonde, and many more made for a number of deserving candidates. But, without question the person who deserves the honor of 2009 Brand Champion of the Year, and the second inductee into the Brand Champion Hall of Fame is Paula Berg, Manager of Emerging Media, Southwest Airlines. Many of you read Paula's post when she was featured here on July 20, 2009 as Brand Champion of the Day. Her description of what it means to be a SWA brand champion and her savvy use of social media on the post demonstated what her brand and the one she represents stands for. For any of you who would like to read that post again, or for the first time, click on the Brand Champion of the Day link to the right and scroll down to July 20.
I am not alone in my recognition of Paula. Earlier in the year she was given the coveted Southwest Airlines President's Award. Paula informed me that the award reads: "for intuitively knowing that social media would help enrich the cultural fabric of Southwest Airlines; for keeping Southwest Airlines on the cutting-edge of communication; for your 24/7 passion and energy for our beloved airline; and for always being “wired” into what is best for Southwest.” That says it all. For those of you who I have worked with or have seen me present at conferences like I did just yesterday at the University & College Designers (another worthy candidate of Brand Champion of the Year) conference in Seattle, know I talk about Southwest Airlines as the best example of a brand that "gets it." One of the reasons they get it is because they know their mission and value their employees, who in turn deliver on-brand experiences to customers like me. In fact, I will be flying home on Southwest Airlines tomorrow, and then flying to a client meeting on Thursday on Southwest Airlines.
For all she does, Paula Berg is the Brand Champion of the Year and the second inductee into the Brand Champion Hall of Fame!
Rex Whisman
Brand Champions Blog
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