WV Executive

“At Harrah’s Entertainment, our first priority is the safety and well-being of our employees and their families.” This quote is from the Harrah’s website. One of the largest casino companies in the world, Harrah’s lost big to Hurricane Katrina. The company’s facilities in New Orleans, Biloxi and Gulfport are “closed indefinitely”.

While Harrah’s core business and purpose, gambling or gaming, is often considered controversial, it’s difficult to find fault in its reaction to the country’s latest natural disaster.

Harrah Entertainment’s management of this crisis is an excellent case study on how doing the right thing strengthens a company’s brand and makes a lasting difference for people in need. It reacted quickly, with compassion and consistency.

The statements on the website are reflective of those made by a company spokesperson to the broadcast media in the days immediately following the storm. Further, the company backed these statements with timely action, providing its employees with food and shelter, paychecks, ongoing healthcare coverage, a toll-free hotline and the opportunity to relocate.

Most admirably, the company was honest, revealing that it does carry property and payroll insurance. The insurance and monies from its foundation will lessen the direct impact on the company’s pocketbook now and its foresight demonstrates that its employees are a priority. Imagine the loyalty these employees, in fact, all Harrah employees now have toward their employer?

Harrah’s has made a commitment to “be a vital part of the long-term recovery in the region.” Its website offers information to employees and customers and provides a venue for donations.

Personal Brands Matter

While the winds and waters have subsided, another storm is brewing in the wake of Katrina. Committees are forming and accusations are flying as government leadership and federal agencies evaluate the response and reaction to the disaster. FEMA is becoming a four-letter word across the country and the credibility of many individuals is at stake. The outcome of the post-catastrophe analysis will impact the image of agencies and individuals alike.

A commonly held belief in America is that a person’s true character is revealed in the face of adversity. Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York is current history’s most shining example of the strength of personal brands.

Prior to the September 11 tragedy, Giuliani, like most public leaders, had his share of critics. But like Harrah’s, Giuliani’s response to the terrorist tragedy left little room for criticism.

He went to the World Trade Center immediately, personally assessing the situation. He literally reached out and touched the people of the city, offering comfort and assurances. He communicated the grief, the anger and the hope and pride so well and so often at the street level and in the press. His credible management of the situation hushed critics and made it possible for the city and the country to come together overcoming one of America’s darkest moments.

Stepping Up is an Obligation and an Opportunity

Companies across the country have the opportunity to do the right thing now and in future disaster situations. Being involved in the right way will reinforce company core brand values and build employee and customer loyalty.

Here are some of the ways businesses can help now and in the future:

A. Take care of employees. Find out if any of employees or customers have family or friends who were directly affected. Take care of them first. Sometimes all a small business can offer are words of concern and time off to cope, but that can mean a lot to those affected.

B. Involve employees. Have a meeting to share ideas, communicate and gain consensus. Take a vote on where cash donations are to be sent and where employees can volunteer. Offer to cover the cost of shipping or delivering material donations to the appropriate agencies or to family members.

C. Involve customers. Give them a way to give by donating a portion of what they buy to the cause. DeVinci’s Restaurant in Williamstown, West Virginia, donated 100% of the proceeds from soda drink sales to relief organizations reacting to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Every effort is meaningful and helpful and allows the business to acknowledge the tragedy in a public way.

D. Integrate links on your website. If your business is Internet driven, include links to the state’s Attorney General’s office or other credible sources to allow visitors to donate money or find more information about other ways to help.

E. Contribute Space. Churches and organizations actively gathering donations of materials and cash often need space. Parking lots, storefronts or even warehouses could be useful and practical donations. Customers and employees won’t mind the temporary inconvenience.

F. Contribute time. Roll up the sleeves on company logo shirts and help answer phones, pack trailers or even give blood as a company team.

G. Communicate. Let employees, local press, business partners, customers, vendors and others know what you have or are doing to make a difference for the victims and their community. Shine by example and inspire others to action.