BCBusiness

14 BCBusiness JANUARY 2015 Brand Stand With all due respect to Frances Bula ("Politics for Sale," November '14), branding isn't changing the way we choose our leaders—branding is the way we choose our leaders. Love it or hate it, branding and politics have been bedfellows since the beginning of time. All those highly idealized Roman statues of emperor so-and-so spread across the vast empire and the identi- cal likenesses struck onto the coins of the realm? What were those if not logos for the leader? New guy takes over, what's the first thing he does? Destroys the statues and mints new coins. Zip forward a few centuries and look at the Reagan vs. Mondale election in the U.S.A. of 1984. Reagan's team led the media by the nose, spoon-feeding them daily talking points (brand messages) and handy backup materials and refer- ences. Mondale, on the other hand, was scattered and talked about different stuff all day long. Who had better brand consistency? Who got better headlines? The Hollywood actor did, and because of his brand-savvy handlers he won the race. Our own mayoral battle here in Vancouver is no different. It would be negligent for any political candidate to ignore the power of a good solid brand and the efficiency of strong branding tools. It's the best way to let voters who don't do their pre-polling-day research know what the candidate stands for. David Allison Founder, B/A The Art & Science of Marketing Buildings Vancouver Crisis Point Further to your recent article empha- sizing the importance of preparing for crises in your organization ("When Disaster Strikes," November '14), it is also critical to engage a communication specialist with social media savvy. The media and public online communities are now the fastest responders to any news story—Jian Ghomeshi as a prime example. It's key that your organiza- tion be prepared to manage any crisis via social media channels. The social media space is heavily involved in the initial reaction to a cri- sis and how it unfolds in the hours and days after a story breaks, so knowing when to release an online statement is of primary importance. It is also impor- tant to keep up-to-date on the online responses without participating in an online banter that will result in argu- ments that can't be won or statements that can't be recalled. Negative com- ments surge during a crisis, but having a social media strategy to manage and contain this negativity will help pre- serve your reputation (and your sleep). Rachel Thexton Co-Principal, Dunn Public Relations Vancouver Not Amused As a professional woman who success- fully owns and operates a business in B.C. (and has done so through two, albeit brief, maternity leaves), I was extremely disappointed by the unprofessional and sexist piece "Working Through Your Pregnancy" (November '14). This content (in particular for this magazine) was cringeworthy, madden- ing and did B.C. businesswomen no favours. What type of piece like this would ever be published about men? Carol Robinson Principal, Harbour West Consulting Vancouver In a mommy blog or parenting maga- zine, you might have been able to argue that this is humorous. In a seri- ous business magazine, however, you have deeply wounded many pro- ductive, professional working moth- ers. You have signalled to your readers that pregnant working women are fair game for ridicule, are unproductive and are hag-like in demeanour and appearance. The time I spent working during my two pregnancies was some of the most productive of my career. I ran the finan- cial year end for a major organization in Vancouver while eight months preg- nant and managed the transition of a major B.C. corporation to international financial reporting standards while nine months pregnant. This article is based on insulting stereotypes. Marta Brisco Chartered Accountant North Vancouver Discrimination against women who choose to have children in the work- place is unfortunately not really some- thing we get to joke about yet because it still happens in B.C. all the time. In B.C., women of child-bearing age are still less likely to be hired—even if they are as, or more, qualified than a male applicant. Women with the same qualifications and experience also make less than male employees for doing the same job. When men choose to have children, they do not lose the opportunity to gain promotions, fur- ther their careers, have to answer to employers, co-workers, etc., asking if they plan to give up their careers to stay home, or have their role or posi- tion changed. I'm sure the cartoon was intended to be light, funny and not meant to offend anyone. However, when pub- lished in 2014 in a business magazine in a province where many employ- ers continue to discriminate against women who choose to have children, it is inappropriate. Donna Fullerton North Vancouver @mtnbvan (November 12) Is @MayorGregor more high-end Tesla than Car2go? Yes. ("Politics for Sale," November '14) feedback y Talk to Us Now E M A I L bcb@canada wide.com W E B S I T E BCBusiness.ca T W I T T E R @BCBusiness WHAT YOU SAID @BCBusiness

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Editor's Desk
• Feedback