Man, oh man. There is a huge chasm between the lip service so many companies spout about taking care of their fans and actually DOING it.
Joe Dannelly, here at Brains on Fire, sent me this story that is a shining example of the latter.
The New Jersey Nets are finding jobs for their unemployed fans. No kidding.
The Nets announced Wednesday they are providing 1,500 free tickets over the next two months to unemployed fans who submit resumes to the team.
The NBA team plans to send the resumes to its 120 corporate sponsors and a couple hundred firms that own season tickets.
"Our belief right now is let's invest in people who might invest in us later," Nets chief executive Brett Yormark said in a telephone interview. "In doing so, we can help people who need it most."
Nets spokesman Barry Baum said Wednesday night that the team had received about 1,000 resumes.
Can they guarantee that everyone will get a job? Of course not. But it's a start. It's a morale booster. And it's the right thing to do. What is this costing the Nets? Not much. But what is the value of what they're providing? A lot. In turn, it gives these people a story. It allows them to believe in something bigger than themselves. And it creates a strong bond that goes beyond loyalty.
Kudos to the New Jersey Nets for showing the other professional teams out there what it really means to look out for those who look out for you.
<--www.brainsonfire.com/blog-->Brains on Fire is the Identity Company dedicated to helping organizations discover and sustain excitement about who they are and why they exist. We believe that great brand identities are rooted in purpose, not just profit. That they focus on relationships, not transactions. And they live through movements, not campaigns.