Even after nearly 30 years in the PR and newspaper business, you occasionally see something that makes you stop, shake your head and say, “Pure genius.”

That happened this morning when I was scanning various accounts of Amazon’s acquisition of Woot! and came across this video press release from Woot.com announcing the sale.

So what’s this have to do with reputation? Nearly everything, IMHO. Woot! built a massive following of consumers who are loyal to the brand. They love its simplicity and its attitude. They identify with that reputation. Imagine the erosion of brand loyalty had Woot chosen to make the announcement in mainstream corporate fashion.

Instead, the video, combined with the “internal memo” from CEO Matt Rutledge, signals it will be reputational business-as-usual at Woot, regardless of who’s signing the paychecks.

bsilver General Corporate Amazon, Woot