Wisdom - General Marketing & Advertising 10

I learned to expect the unexpected. Preparation and adaptability were key for 2005. I never would have imagined that only three months after opening a new store in New Orleans, our resale clothing chain would have to deal with the effects of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina. I’m happy to report that all our New Orleans employees were safely evacuated and offered relocation packages to Buffalo Exchange stores in other cities. The New Orleans store was spared flood damage and sustained only minor ceiling and roof leaks. Buffalo Exchange didn’t know the status of the store until management was finally able to visit New Orleans on October 6. Even though our hands were full with the chaos of the situation I was able to keep our customers informed online, as our Web site is designed for easy and immediate news updates. We were concerned about our advertising representatives at Gambit Weekly, Tulane’s Hullabaloo, and Where Y’At, but we eventually reconnected with everyone. I had to re-evaluate our advertising budget and options (Where Y’At is not currently publishing). I soon realized the need for coaching my department on details such as holding advertising payments until we could confirm where to send them, and how to appropriately convey understanding for our New Orleans contacts via email. In a press release announcing the reopening of our store in October, I noted that Buffalo Exchange had been voted a ‘Best of’ in the Best of New Orleans readers’ poll that Gambit Weekly was to publish on August 30. Sending the release to New Orleans media was a challenge because many of the pre-Katrina email addresses and fax numbers were no longer in service. But our media research was worth the trouble: State of Louisiana Representative Emile ‘Peppi’ Bruneau included us in a ‘Hurricane Katrina/Rita Recovery Update,’ Signs of Recovery section, on October 18. New Orleans City Business and Biz New Orleans Magazine profiled us. And we received a lot of media coverage in Tucson, Arizona, where the company headquarters are located. I was glad that our PR system was well in place when Katrina hit. We keep track of the latest company facts and vigilantly update our media list, so that we’re always ready to tell our story to the press. The New Orleans store is doing well and Buffalo Exchange is proud to be a part of the city’s rebuilding. Gambit Weekly published an abbreviated Best of New Orleans issue on November 15, awarding Buffalo Exchange Best Place to Buy Vintage Clothing Runner-Up. Our department designed a company holiday card commemorating New Orleans, showing a vignette of our storefront before the Hurricane. Michelle Livingston, Marketing Director, Buffalo Exchange, http://www.buffaloexchange.com