As the odometer rolls 29 years in the agency business, I still believe the customer is king and take no greater satisfaction than delivering solid, creative solutions to a client’s marketing or communications problem. The get-rich-quick-schemes are best left to others. I’m in the office earlier than ever and work through more lunch hours hoping to build on the momentum fueled by the hard work and dedication of Nancy, Eddie, Stephanie and many others.

Success? A job well done is the reward itself. Viktor Frankl in his book Man’s Search For Meaning, continues to inspire: “Don’t aim at success – the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue… as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”

Oh, and if you’re client: thank you.

Said another way: he sold me. His product was his life story. I bought it, and I am happy I with the purchase. My take? The telling of the story elevates the quality of the product. Yes, keep a watchful eye on competition, new channels and customer service, but don’t overlook the need to finesse your story. Make the message unique and memorable, and it will resonate with your customers. Get down to the ‘real’ because in the end, the truth is your brand  Told well, your story will likely achieve and sustain a remarkable success.

Last Monday I began my week at 6 am preparing to video our client performing his first bilateral anterior approach hip replacement. At 10 am a sweat soaked but happy surgeon emerged from surgical suite 5 having just given a 52-year-old man with debilitating hip pain a new set of hips and a new lease on life. A little research revealed that this ‘transaction’ with the patient was born in a short TV interview on the local station, followed by a caring wife’s late night visit to our client’s website, the doctor appointment, the patient’s decision to buy, and then the success surgery.

Marketing is not the end all nor is it a perfect science. But it’s nice to know that on some small level, the text I wrote, the design Eddie created, and Stephanie’s programming (read: marketing communications) contributed to this transaction. At the risk of being selfish, I must admit that’s a pretty rewarding marketing outcome.

I watched Coppola direct a Saigon street scene from Apocalypse Now against the backdrop of Rizal Ave, Olongapo City, PI; not knowing that I was watching genius at work. His take on success?

“What I like to tell people is that the things that you get fired for when you’re young—the things that run against the grain, that are not common or logical, that don’t fit into the standard approach—are the exact same things that you win lifetime achievement awards for when you’re old.”

The ball in question is the Titleist ProV, arguable the best ball in golf. This four piece ball is played by more tour pros than any other ball, typically carries the highest retail price and is sold mostly through better stores. If you want to present a golfer with a token of appreciation, you can’t go wrong with a dozen Titleist ProV’s. If you really want to make a statement, you’ll insist on playing only the high numbers, which puts you in even a more distinctive class.

The truth is (and I know it), I don’t have the swing speed to take advantage of the ball’s construction, nor do I need the high spin to stop the ball, as I am typically short of the flag on my approaches. I’d even venture a guess that my scores would be lower if I switched to the NXT ($15.00 less per dozen) or any number of competitive balls ($20.00 less per dozen). Why don’t I?  Because when I tee up a different ball or take it out of the cup, I am reminded by the logo that I have made a decision to play a cheaper ball. That I am somehow falling short of my full potential.

That’s the power of pricing. Remember: sellers determine price, buyers determine value.

Thank you, PMH. I could be wrong, but my take on the current JCP Screaming Commercials is that they are a giant step backwards for a retailer whose back is already against the discount wall. I’m all for breakthrough creative, but I think the biggest winner in this whole debacle is the manufacturer of the remote control mute buttons; certainly their orders are up. Plus, I don’t really mind coupons.

And as for the 2,416,966 Likes on the JCP Facebook page, to borrow the line, “It Ain’t Me, Babe.”

“We have 1.4 trillion barrels of oil, enough to last at least 200 years. We have 2.7 quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas, enough to last 120 years. We have 486 billion tons of coal, enough to last more than 450 years—and we need to use more of this strategic resource cleanly and wisely here at home while selling it around the world.”

I realize that commerce, including our marketing agency, is heavily dependent on energy to employ, produce and grow, and I could do more to further the cause of sustainable technologies. But you and I know there’s no such thing as ‘clean coal’. It does not exist, never has, never will except in the marketing campaign of deep pockets. This is the double-edged sword of  mass media, made even more pliable by corporate social marketing. Free speech allows you to speak your mind, manipulative as it may be.

I don’t know what’s more disturbing, that Donohue doesn’t that know that 450 more years of burning ‘clean coal’ will result in a catastrophic failure of our ecosystem, or that he does know but promotes it anyway.

For a large, well-known company seeking to a fresh look revise their logo based on a new marketing, a graphic logo may be the best choice. As long as you incorporate a bit of the old logo (think Apple, or Starbucks), there’s little worry about brand recognition. Ideally, the mark or icon is strong enough to stand on its own, allowing a cleaner presentation on identity materials, packaging, signage and even products.

On the flipside, a combination logo is an excellent choice for a small- or medium-sized company or start up. These companies don’t yet have the benefit of recognition, so incorporating the name into the logo starts that process. The graphic might illustrate the services that the company offers, while the company name enhances the brand clarity, and communicates ‘what you do.’

Regardless of which option you choose, make your mark eye appealing, unique, timeless and easily reproduced (no small order).  Don’t change for the sake of change; you probably have more equity in the logo than you realize. On the other hand, there will never be a more cost effective time to make the change than right now. And don’t confuse logo’s with branding; you can’t change your brand by changing your logo. You wish.