Winner:  Bank of America

Loser:  Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg

Winner: 

The banks having been getting a lot of abuse –and for the most part they deserve it.  The foreclosure mess is only the latest in a long line of outrages and awful marketing mis-steps.

But one major bank, at least, seems to be getting its brand back on track.

I’m talking about Bank of America’s announcement that it will be hiring 1,000 new staff to focus entirely on small business.

That’s more like it.

Over two years ago, I argued that the big banks had lost their way and that it was critical for them to return their brands to banking fundamentals. 

Bottom line, banks must be seen to care about Main Street not just Wall Street.  They have to show that they understand that they serve an important role in building our economy and making life better for all of us. 

Given that the backbone of the American economy is small business, Bank of America’s decision shows that they are starting to get it.  This is part two of Bank of America’s recent moves to help small business.  A few weeks ago they announced that they would fund grants of 3 plus million dollars from a community development institution. 

My advice to them: do even more things like this.  It will do wonders for your brand.

Loser:

In the ancient world it was considered a grave crime to mistreat your guests if you were the host.

But this is exactly what Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg did when Bill O’Reilly came to their proverbial house and stormed out on him.

Let’s face it, O’Reilly is a fighter and fighter’s say things that get people riled up.  That’s his brand!  But Behar and Goldberg are professionals and they should have acted that way.

Sure, from a Target Market perspective the two women probably endeared themselves to their diehard fans who think the same way that they do, but The View has a much broader audience –that’s why there are multiple hosts not just those two— and my guess is that they have done real damage to The View brand and even to themselves by alienating those audience members who were on the borderline.

This was an opportunity for both Goldberg and Behar to establish their brands as professionals who can respectfully disagree with what they believe are obnoxious opinions. 

This is what hosts must do when one’s guests say things that you and your other guests may not agree with.  For me it comes down to something that my late Aunt Anna taught me: always show class and aplomb even when you are boiling inside. 

Where has all the civility gone?   Let’s hope this isn’t the new America where confrontation is the norm and etiquette a part of a bygone era!

Fact is, in the end they proved O’Reilly’s general point by showing that they couldn’t really engage in a debate.  Hats off, by the way, to Barbara Walters who earned more points for her brand by taking the high road and immediately condemning the walk off.

And, remember, things are always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.