First impressions

I was taught early on that first impressions are important. Be polite. Have a firm handshake. Look people in the eye. As I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, I have started to think about how important the element of first impressions are to the core reputation management and brand promotion public relations professionals are charged to execute for a client's brand.

Sure, we pay great attention to first impressions during a product launch or news release distribution, but each day, each minute, someone is discovering or being introduced to a brand. According to Gladwell, in a matter of seconds, a consumer has made up his or her mind on how he or she relates to that brand.

Scary? Sure is.

Being that marketers have yet to figure out how to control the world, the next best option is to control the small things. Each brand touch point - from miniscule to the magnificent - is an opportunity to make a positive and lasting first impression.