I spent the last two days at a business performance improvement seminar designed for realtors by Buffini and Co. out of Carlsbad CA. staring Brian Buffini, the top trainer in N.A., and his best friend Joe Niego, the top listing agent.

Both built their empires one customer at a time.

And by providing superior insights to the transaction, developing superior handholding skills and developing a business model that holds them accountable to themselves, their team and their clients, these gentlemen have turned the real-estate skill-sets into an art form. And into amazing businesses that grow by referral.

What these guys bring to the table – and the caliber in which it’s delivered is simply stunning.

Don’t be fooled by their less than stellar website. This is the top shop for realtors – and any small business that wants to live the good life and build their business by referral. http://www.buffiniandcompany.com/

I was listening to the CBC recently and listened to a fellow talk about how what he does needs to be scrutinized by the lens of reason and the filter of faith.

I loved it!

Years ago the President of MacLaren Advertising, Canada - Tony Millar – taught me that great ad will compel the heart and give the mind permission to believe.

It’s taken me decades to learn how to create ads like that myself: to tell stories that are accepted and embraced by the heart and the mind.

Needless to say I don't do many retail ads.

I’m good with that.

My mother’s been very ill for the last month. At 93 that’s not good. So I’ve been spending most of my “spare” time with her or working with my sisters to arrange long term care for her.

It has affected my professional focus and put a big dent into some of my elective social media “work”.

• The two books I’m working on have ground to a standstill.
• My Blog isn’t being refreshed (as regularly).
• And my Google+ account is all but abandoned.
• Facebook remains the most active because, like Twitter, it takes very little time to pop a post.
  • Twitter will thrive until something faster comes along. Just as newspapers once did.
  • For many of us, the long copy or duration media are NOT gone. They’re just on hold to be savored when we have “time spare time”: holidays or retirement.

The shortage of time, is at the heart of all long copy or long duration media changes around us today.

My situation also reminds me of a great little story David Ogilvy used to tell about one of his creative team members.

“He arrived on time, took off his hat and coat and leaned into his tasks. Every day at 5 O’clock sharp he rose, put on his hat and coat and left. Have you any idea what amount of discipline that requires?”

Price point advertising dilutes the brand's potential.

All too often the day-to-day challenge of retail advertising is to increase sales immediately, if not sooner. The brands are usually managed by “brand managers” with a 20-30 day vision, a mid-term bonus achievement goal, and a long term job promotion goal.

So to make their short term sales numbers (and improve their resume) all they do is talk price and feature their perfectly good products and services at steep discounts - up to 70% off the list price. What madness!

Sales events convince me that the regular price is bullshit, and encourage me to believe that “price” is the Golden Calf that I should worship.

Case in point. A friend of mine runs a beautiful car dealership featuring high quality, reliable products. In the last 3 years his vehicles have ALWAYS been on sales. One sales event ends and the next sales event begins.

• So why buy now? He’s taught me that next month the cars and trucks will still be on sale at the same “low price”.
• Only the sales event name will have changed.

A better, more proactive approach to brand building begins early on and continues at a sustainable level with emotionally and intellectually engaging advertising that leaves something to the imagination.

Like this German stocking ad does. While the original ad revealed a lot more, I’ve cropped it because bare bums leave less to the imagination. This version leaves you guessing.

Again . . . proactive brand building begins early on and continues at a sustainable level with emotionally + intellectually engaging advertising that leaves something to the imagination.

Price is what you talk about when you have nothing else to say.

P.S.: If you really want to see the original version, send me an e-mail.

Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr.

I’ve spent a lot of time working with marketing and advertising directors who were shrewd, self-serving pieces of work that saw themselves as an indispensible part of the brand’s future; until sales, awareness or attitude metrics tanked.

My bad experiences with dumb directors contributes to why I fell in love with American Idol XIII this year. In addition to  great contestants, this season’s judges are the best combination so far. Collectively these musical directors can teach any creative director a lot. Here are some of the attributes that make them a great team of creative directors.

They park their careers and their egos when they sit in judgment.

Are reasonable, examining each presentation in a relative, flexible context.

They are musical authorities in their own right and committed to their craft.

Nice people with a genuine sense of fair play.

Approachable to the host, back-stage support crew, contestants + the audience.

Focused on the contestants development, not on their self promotion or aggrandizement.

Very professional: they walk their talk.

Smart, articulate and constructive.

Compassionate.

Each has a distinct point of view – and they respect the views of others.

Funny.  

Insightful.

Engaging.

TIP OF THE DAY: share this post with your own dysfunctional creative directors, or ask me to send it to them on your behalf. Anonymously of course!