In marketing, the science of branding and the complexity of managing multiple communications channels can sometimes obscure the power of a simple story and a personal touch.

I was reminded of this at a recent client event: Alpine Capital Bank’s 10th Anniversary, featuring Arianna Huffington as the featured guest speaker.

Alpine Capital Bank, with David Aboodi at the helm as President, believes that their biggest asset is their customers and, this corporate value comes through in their personal touch and genuine connection with people. On a Thursday night at the Oak Bar at the Plaza Hotel, hundreds of Alpine customers gathered to celebrate the bank’s 10 year milestone, the mood was festive and convivial.

We don’t think of personal touch and festive gatherings when we think about a private bank. Alpine’s leadership has set a tone that encourages everyone in the bank to reach out to customers, stay relevant and connected, and show appreciation. I saw in person on Thursday night just how well that approach works. It doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact, the beauty of it was its simplicity and how understated it was. Like any business, it all comes down to relationships.

BEING PERSONAL TURNS CHANCE ENCOUNTERS INTO LASTING IMPRESSIONS.

I had an opportunity to witness how being gracious and personable can elevate a brand…and I got to experience a real personal highlight…when I met Arianna Huffington and Vera Wang at the Alpine event.

Vera Wang was of course, thin and elegant, exactly as I expected. Her style and elegance are built on the foundation of a warm personality and easy sense of humor. She had a great voice too. Don’t ask why I was struck by that, but she’s so petite, I think I expected her to squeak.

I like a woman who is smart, successful, and looks good, but if she can laugh and be present in the room then, to me, she is remarkable. That was my impression of Vera Wang: remarkable, and it was a fun encounter. Thank goodness Vera Wang is an accomplished woman who sparkles inside out. What a treat!

Meeting Arianna Huffington could have been an intimidating and disorienting experience.

First, I’m an avid fan of The Huffington Post. (The Internet Newspaper. Pure Genius.) And her charming Greek accent makes everything sound better when you hear her speak. (Unlike the Baltimore accent of my youth that still creeps up on me!)

And her list of accomplishments is positively super-human. Here are some highlights:

In addition to serving as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, Arianna is a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of twelve books. She is also co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” public radio’s popular political roundtable program. In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, she was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people. And a personal stat: she is a mom, too.

As I waited for her arrival to help make her entrance into the packed Oak Room, I kept focusing on practicalities to quiet my nerves: “OK, Tami,  not too far to the Left, Right or Center. Just be yourself.”

Then I spotted her, walking solo, down the long hallway, toward me.

She was friendly and accessible, and within moments, there I was standing in the hallway of the Plaza, with my role model holding her hair up over her ears, asking if I would be so kind as to put her delicate necklace back in place. Like Vera Wang, Arianna was personable, fun, down to earth, smart and genuine.

We traded stories and circulated the room together on the way to the podium. She wowed the crowd, posed for pictures, told jokes and answered any question that anyone wanted to ask her. In a word, she was, and is, simply…..fabulous. But I was most struck by how generous she was and completely unaffected by being “Arianna Huffington.” So comfortable in her skin, and relaxed. Refreshing!

Meeting these two accomplished women, who operate very different businesses provided me with not just a marketing lesson, but a lesson in how to approach life.  Arianna talked about the importance of sleep and balance in our lives, for example, and Vera, while perfectly put together, had a cocktail and chatted with guests comfortably and invitingly. Personal touches. Lasting impressions.

The other big thrill of the night for me — as if this wasn’t enough — was the convergence of high tech and high touch. By that I mean, the room was full of grown-ups, talking, celebrating and being social. But the moment our influential online media maven started her speech, reporters and techies in the room started tweeting and people were posting pics to their Facebook profiles, including yours truly.

In the digital age, experiences are shared instantly, and no one is offended. It’s the new normal.

Key take-away: Relationships are defined and maintained in new ways today, but nothing beats a warm handshake and a shared laugh, eye-to-eye, face-to-face. So, consider this a gentle reminder that face time in business is important, and it goes a long way to building sustainable relationships.  Don’t shy away from the personal touch. It’s my goal to do more of that in 2010!

Who wants to do lunch?