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Bank aims for hipper
gimmick than giving
away toasters

IT is definitely not your father's bank promotion, like the traditional gift of a toaster or a bag of rice for a qualifying deposit.

Central Pacific Bank is promoting its Exceptional Account, which allows new customers with a $10,000 balance to get a free Apple iPod Shuffle music player, which normally costs about $99.

It is way hip and seems aimed at more youthful depositors, from trust fund babies to "Brady Boomers" -- but appearances can be deceiving. "We feel the iPod has broad appeal across all demographics. It's a hot item," spokeswoman Ann Takiguchi said.

"The iPod is really an incentive to introduce customers to our flagship account," said Wayne Kirihara, marketing director.

The account offers several other perks that customers won't necessarily wear around their necks, or plugged into their ears. "The most popular benefit is that you can also use anyone's ATM in the world with no surcharge, which we reimburse," Kirihara said.

Takiguchi chimed in, "Stodgy bankers are definitely a thing of the past."

Still, it's hard to imagine any of them popping, locking or otherwise hip-hop dancing with an iPod, even in silhouette.

Shot in the soft shoulder

Maui's Fairmont Kea Lani Resort will get a small shoulder-season shot in the arm thanks to software giant Microsoft Corp.

Shoulder season generally refers to a time of weaker-than-normal visitor traffic, such as in mid-September. The company that Bill built plans to send five employees of Baton Rouge, La.-based General Informatics to the resort for a $40,000 stay in September. The small technology company won Microsoft's "Partner in Paradise" competition for its work for a Baton Rouge-based medical center.

It is who you know

Honolulu law firm Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing has joined the Law Firm Alliance, a five-year-old network of dozens of mid-sized law firms in the United States, Japan and Italy.

"It means we're in a position to collaborate with firms ... for somebody in Hawaii who needs help in (other) places or vice versa," said partner Paul Alston.

You cannot apply to join the alliance.

"All the firms are selected by a peer review process," and there is only one Law Firm Alliance firm allowed per major metropolitan area, Alston said.