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!

The Harry Rosen brand is sixty years old now. Because it served my father’s generation so well it now serves three generation of customers. Harry Rosen has rightfully earned gobs of valuable brand equity in the Toronto area with their reputation for superior apparel and service. This is a smart little brand that’s got its shit together.

Now this.

A really dumb banner above their entrance that really says "under new, stupid and inexperienced (brand and ad agency) management".

While the message is wrong I bet the price was right.

HINT: when you’re working with intergenerational brands, you need to vet design and copy across all generations – as though they were different languages. In this case what may be considered profound by one generation is bullshit to another.

From a branding POV Mr. Ford (45) fascinates me. He was first elected to Toronto City Council in 2000 (age 31) and reelected twice. He was elected mayor in 2010 on a platform of reducing the "gravy train" of government expenses and taxes.

Then something happened. Lord only knows what. In 2013 we saw a man being accused of doing drugs denying most allegations and refusing to step down. While web and papers are full of stories about him - he couldn’t buy the global media coverage he’s received, he’s determined to stand for re-election, supported my many who believe he’s (still) doing a great job.

I’m not here to judge. I’m just an Ad Man.

As I'm watching Rob Ford spiral downward from where he appeared to be in his 30’s to who he appears to be in his mid 40’s, I’m also watching American Idol because I love to witness brand transformations. On American Idol I see a team of judges and coaches turn raw talent into market-ready, tried + tested “entertainment brands”. Those who get it and follow the ephemeral “rules” defined by the current audience win based on the popular vote.

It’s fluid, it’s relative, and it’s fascinating.

And it affirms my marketing mantra:

All you say and all you do helps you customers believe that they’re come to the right place. Or the wrong place.

Here's an excerpt from an article in today's Toronto Globe + Mail.

"If your business doesn't have a social presence, then you're already behind. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other platforms give you a way to connect with existing and potential customers in new and meaningful ways, both for free and through paid support. A February, 2014, study from LinkedIn found that eight in 10 SMBs already use social media. Nearly two-thirds of them find it useful for gaining new customers, and, unsurprisingly, the more they spend on social media the greater their rate of "hypergrowth. The social landscape, however, is crowded, and producing content for content's sake is a sure way to get lost in the shuffle. Make sure you have something useful to say, add value and aim for conversations rather than talking at your audience."

Jeff Cates is the president and CEO of Intuit Canada (@QuickBooksCA),

Every few months I get into a stupid debate about products and brands.

In my corner are those who believe that only some products and services are brands. That most interactions with products or services are just that.

In the far corner are those who (falsely) believe that every product or service has a little speck of brand DNA waiting for a smart agency guy to find, promote and cash in on.

I really don't think so. I believe Bayer is a brand. It has served my family with ethical medicinal products my entire life.

Coke, Tide, Ford, Coke, IBM and Panasonic are other brands I grew up with, continue to believe in and prefer.

When I drive by Dollerama or Giant Tiger I see two new discount retail brands.

But when I go inside, all I see is cheap stuff. One product running after the other on a race to the "bottom" where quality and value are ignored in an effort to further reduce the price of every item.

It makes me wonder what all those people in China and India think of us and our bizarre consumption habits.

Value Village sells used products to people who understand and appreciate the fact that quality brand name products can last longer than their 1st owner's interest.

My reliable + still very drivable 16 year old Volvo wagon is another example of a quality product moving on from one satisfied owner to the next.

I'm concerned that international trade has led to a global product and service discounting mentality.

The reduction in (fair) profits have had powerful ripple effects including the loss of local primary and secondary industries and jobs that support local economies and the R+D required to build and sustain our local, regional and national economies. 

We all need to think and do something about this some more.