Airbnb is taking a page straight out of PR 101, using a straightforward, unconditional apology as the best antidote to bad press.

In a lengthy blog post Monday responding to customers' concerns about ransacked homeowners who trusted the home rentals site, CEO Brian Chesky admitted that the company mishandled the robbery/ransacking issue — and paid the price.Continue reading...

Who says sex sells? The Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas has filed for bankruptcy.

The former Howard Johnson Hotel site, which rebranded as Hooters and opened during Super Bowl weekend in 2006, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.Continue reading...

Apple stores have been getting a lot of buzz lately, so it comes as no surprise that the video above is taking off on YouTube. From the fake apple stores in China to today's green light for a splashy new location in New York's Grand Central Station, Apple fans and observers have the brand's retail experience top of mind.

Cue the "Apple Store Challenge" video, which now boasts more than 100,000 views on YouTube. But instead of an Apple store fake-out or take-out, it's actually an ode to Cupertino's computing giant, underscoring the high consumer perception for Apple's customer service.Continue reading...

Eva Dowd was not happy with Alamo Rent A Car back in March when she got a call from a collection agency saying that she owed more than $1,800 for damage to a car she had rented in November in Hawaii, where she’d been visiting for her granddaughter’s baptism, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Dowd hadn’t received any calls from Alamo on the issue; the rep claimed that correspondence on the damage had gone to Dowd’s previous address in Georgia, though she hadn’t been in residence there since 2007. 

She didn’t want her credit to be ruined on a bogus claim. The Tribune reports that Dowd called American Express, where she had purchased extra car insurance, and the rep there told her that Amex would deal with Alamo. Except that Alamo wouldn’t deal with Amex.Continue reading...

IBM marks 100 years in business on June 16, a rare achievement by any standard — and considering that its business is technology, make that an astounding achievement.

To mark its centenary, the brand is launching global initiatives that will incorporate all 170 countries of operation, including hundreds of local grants to support employees' volunteer activities in support of "smarter planet initiatives" as a global "Celebration of Service" in which tens of thousands of IBMers, retirees and partners will participate.Continue reading...

Beatlemania is back — without the hordes of screaming teenagers.

The midwest US retailer specializing in appliance and electronics sales called hhgregg (pronounced "h-h-gregg," the brand uses all lowercase letters to distinguish itself) has licensed the Beatles' song, "Help!" as the cornerstone of its new branding campaign.

With the tagline of "We Help," the campaign's goal is to highlight the chain's sales staff and emphasis on customer service. The move comes as its competition is tougher than ever.Continue reading...

Military financial services company USAA (short for United Services Automobile Association) is the #1 brand for customer experience in America, according to the just-released 2011 survey ranking the top 100 brands, as selected by US consumers polled by Nunwood.

Based in San Antonio, Texas, USAA ranked first with a 8.34 CEM rating for consistently delivering on its brand promise: “For those who stood tall for this country and for their families, we stand ready to return the favor.”Continue reading...

Turning to other "airline brands under fire", Southwest is losing its mojo and needs to work on restoring its reputation.

As Kenlie Tiggeman told NBC News, the airline, once revered as a trendy alternative brand in a highly competitive industry, needs sensitivity training. Tiggeman and her mother, Joan Charpentier, were on a layover in Dallas on Easter Sunday, when a Southwest employee singled them out (along with another passenger) for their weight. 

After a very public 45 minute conversation about their weight and clothing size, they were told by an agent they were — in words Southwest is still living down — “Too fat to fly,” said Tiggeman. "I asked him what the weight restrictions were and he said that he didn't know, just that we were too heavy to fly.” 

Did Southwest learn anything from last year's Kevin Smith debacle?Continue reading...