Most of America’s infrastructure was built between the Great Depression and the years immediately following WWII. That means that many of our roads, dams, bridges, public buildings and underground systems are 60-80 years old. Most of that will need replacing in the next 20 years.

Bruce Watson of DailyFinance.com writes more about Mike’s mission, his website and foundation MikeRoweWorks.com which is aimed at advocating and supporting blue-collar labor.

It’s going to be the hard-working American worker who’s going to do most of that work. I just hope it comes in time to save them from financial ruin.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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Paul Worthington of Wolff Olins, a brand-consulting firm, said it best in the article when he pointed out that consumers “will call you whatever they want to call you“. That’s their prerogative and as a brand, you should want that. You should want consumers to engage with you on their terms. That’s what makes powerful brands.

Some of the world’s best brands are referred to as nicknames of their more formal monikers: FedEx, Coke, Mac. What better way to make a connection with consumers?

Sometimes marketing directors just need to get out of the way.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

The Steelers have spent decades cultivating an image of hard-working, honest, loyal players, owners and coaches. Their fans have followed suit. They relate to their brand beautifully in this industrial, family-oriented city.

So what happens now that Big Ben has acted like a spoiled frat boy in his recent visits to bars and restaurants across the country? How will he, the face of the franchise, affect how fans view their beloved brand?

It’s a good lesson. As carefully and successfully as we build brands, their reputation can be tarnished by the stupidity of a few.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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Take a look at this simple video Locomotors Brian, Lee and Tom put together.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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I look for changes in blue collar so that means it will change in how we market to industry too. While we will still market heavy industrial products, the tone with which we speak to our audiences will shift.

Along with that shift will come the transformation of skilled workers learning how to fit in this bold new world. Finding jobs in those industries for skilled blue collar workers is of interest to all of us.

The Go Frugal Blog from FreeShipping.com has compiled a nice list of resources you might find helpful.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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And as Joe says in the video piece, blue collar jobs are plentiful and can’t be outsourced overseas. There’s billions in stimulus money going towards the industries that provide jobs for hard working people.

Blue collar workers make good money, buy products and keep the money in America. Marketers, wake up and reconnect with this priceless audience.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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By all those definitions, I’m not blue collar at all. Yet, I consider myself blue collar to the core.

Steve Knox takes a stab at this concept and I agree.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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Bob Weinstein, Monster contributing writer, has some great ideas in helping build a powerful resume tool.

If there’s one thing we’ve all learned in the past couple of years, it’s that what we knew as our jobs are now different. With layoffs, downsizing and shifting responsibilities, every worker has taken on duties that we never through we’d have to do. But with fewer people to do the same work, we’ve had to take on new skills.

A friend of mine who is a master electrician working for a contractor is also doing carpentry, stucco work and interior finishing to fill in for workers that were let go. Resume writing is just another skill that will help him later.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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Many of the skill sets are the same and there’s plenty that needs to be done to make America more self-sustainable and energy efficient. It’s better for the economy and job creation and it makes for a better place to live.

Marketing to green industries may just be another spin on blue collar.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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I’ve seen Bruce Springsteen in four different decades and most recently in Nashville during is 2009 tour. It was the usual part concert, part revival, part awakening his fans have come to know. Early in the show, the Boss referred to his concerts as “part of the conversation I’ve been having with many of you for years”.

He’s been writing and singing to us and we’ve been responding and talking back to him. It’s been a two-way conversation and, through it, Springsteen has built his blue collar brand with working people. There are always plenty of people who don’t fit the blue collar label but for one night we are all drinking the same Kool-Aid. We relate to his come-from-behind story.

Bruce has been conducting the conversation in a very social way for decades. His own Social Media, if you will. He’s built a following because he has stayed consistent with his message and true to his audience. Today, we have the media tools to enable us to do much the same in building our own brands, be they products, services or music. Through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other SM channels we can reach out to customers and allow them to reach out to us.

Through Social Media, we can generate conversations with our customers, hear what they have to say, respond to them quickly and ultimately enlist evangelists. The tools are inexpensive. They simply require a little time to start the dialogue.

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S. A. Habib is the founder of Locomotion Creative, a brand marketing and design company in Nashville, TN.

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