Alright. So a couple days ago, I discussed Obama's campaign from a marketing perspective, and said that retail brands — not just politicians — will likely be studying it for a while. Turns out I'm not the only one who thinks so.

On her Retail Industry blog, Barbara Farfan talks about how local retailers — not just retail brands — can learn something from the Obama campaign. Her three main points are:
  1. Employees Want a Mission
  2. Employees Want Clarity
  3. Employees Want to Celebrate
Especially in the current economy, I feel like these are three things in danger of being pushed to the back burner. "How can we celebrate at a time like this?" "Mission?? Our mission is to keep our doors open!"

If there was ever a time for small, measurable goals and celebrating their completion this is it. Even here at Meyer&Wallis, we'made an intentional effort to celebrate small successes and scale back our expectations in this troubled economy. What we've found is, by adjusting our goals and celebrating as a team when we achieve them, we feel more hopeful and motivated.

So whether you manage a large national brand, or a local retail store, give your employees the gift of a clear, attainable mission, and celebrate little successes with them along the way. It'll help get you through this tough economic season, and might even get you elected president some day.