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Newsletter #715: The “Put the ‘Recess’ in ‘Recession'” Issue

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Talking about what a bummer the recession is these days is like honking your horn in a traffic jam. Stand out by giving people some positive news.

   1> Throw a party
   2> Bail out your customers
   3> Take off the stress
   4> Check it out: 50 websites to check out

1. Throw a party

There's enough bad news circulating as it is, don't add to it. Instead, create something fun where people can get together. Morgans Hotel Group is taking the Debbie-downer recession head-on with anti-recession themed parties at their hotels across the country. The parties are part of their larger campaign, "RecessIsOn," which includes a micro site devoted to how people are not letting the recession talk keep them down. You can stand out from all the other brands complaining about how tough things are going by throwing a party where your fans and customers can come together.

Learn More: RecessIsOn.com

The Lesson: Lift the spirits of your fans by finding a reason to celebrate.

2. Bail out your customers

What if you could offer your customers a little taste of a bailout? Laguna Grille in New York selects a random table at every lunch and dinner to be "bailed out." The bailout covers the winning party's tab (except alcoholic drinks) and comes with a "Laguna Grille Bailout" certificate. You can bail out your customers by forgiving interest they owe, extending their payment plans, or giving them a freebie.

The Lesson: Your customers will appreciate a bailout, even if it's not in the billions.

3. Take off the stress

Buying a car is stressful enough, so how do you sell one to someone who is also concerned about losing their job? If you're Hyundai, you offer a year-long return policy where customers can return their vehicles should they lose their job or suffer some other "life-altering circumstance" such as a transfer. Take a look at your return policies, payment plans and guarantees. Do they relieve the stress of spending money on your stuff?

Learn More: Hyundai Assurance

The Lesson: Use your return policies and payment plans to reduce the stress of your customers.

4. Check it out: 50 websites to check out

TechRadar.com compiled a list entitled "50 websites you'll wonder how you lived without." The list covers sites ranging from Pando.com, a free tool for sending large files via email (up to 1 GB) — to dafont.com, a site housing over 7,000 fonts free for download.

Learn More: TechRadar.com

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