According to a recent NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, the Democratic Party’s “favorable” rating has fallen to an abysmal 33 percent. But heck, that’s better than the Republican Party’s favorability which has plunged to just 24 percent.

Now here’s the weird part: according to a recent Gallup poll, registered voters say they intend to vote for Republicans–the guys they disapprove of most–over Democrats by a 10-point margin.

Anyone who’s conducted surveys, focus groups or other marketing measurements will tell you that the numbers generated are often self-contradictory. It’s not that people are liars. They’re just really complex creatures.

People can actually express strong preference for one thing, but when a decision finally has to be made, act in a contrary fashion.

Of course, the way a question is framed, the context of a survey and the presence of other participants can skew the results. But this contrarian outcome runs deeper than that.

It is because people react with both mind and heart. There are both cognitive and emotional forces at work when someone makes a moral, political or consumer choice. In the case of the anti-Republican electorate that plans to vote for Republicans, it’s clear that an emotionally charged discontent with the party in power is at work. And it’s not just consumer or voter decisions that operate this way. Multi-million dollar business deals involve as much emotional as rational reflection. (Ask any of our private jet brokerage clients about that one.)

That’s why brands, in order to get traction with prospects and maintain the loyalty of customers, must appeal to both head and heart.

Whenever we engage in major branding or re-branding efforts with our clients, we have a crucial exercise in which we identify all the cognitive and emotional brand attributes that we and the client believe can authentically accrue to the new brand in order to gain market dominance. Then we consciously cultivate those attributes in the advertising, web content, video and any other means of communication we produce.

Another crucial component of this kind of brand building is supplementing the statistical research with in-depth interviews–talking to stakeholders at all levels of an organization. It’s here that you get the stories that enlighten and complement the statistics. Survey numbers tend to point to cognitive brand associations. Personal interviews reveal more of the emotional associations inherent in a brand.

By taking into account both the emotional and cognitive aspects of a brand, you have a better chance of making sense of all the important survey feedback, sorting through the data to differentiate between what people say is important to them, and how they are likely to act when it’s finally time to make a decision.

I thought I learned a long time ago to stay away from words like “always” and “never.”

Bob Byrd, my business partner and friend teases me to this day about telling him in 1995 that I would never use internal email when I could walk across the hall and talk to someone! Here’s another one: “The customer is always right.” I’ve learned first-hand that you don’t have to own a live music venue (like my wife) to know that statement is not true!

But here’s something that’s always true.

In December 2003, Loyalty Rules! author Frederick Reichheld wrote an article in The Harvard Business Review entitled “The One Number You Need to Grow.” I remember how this changed the way I thought about business—and how I changed my business because of it.

As part of Reichheld’s research into customer loyalty and growth, he looked for a correlation between survey responses and actual behavior—repeat purchases, or recommendations to friends and peers—that would ultimately lead to profitable growth. Based on information from 4,000 consumers, he ranked a variety of survey questions according to their ability to predict this desirable behavior.

Interestingly, creating a weighted index—based on the responses to multiple questions and taking into account the relative effectiveness of those questions—provided insignificant predictive advantage.

However, Reichheld’s top-ranking research question was far and away the most effective across industries: How likely is it that you would recommend [company X] to a friend or colleague?

He concluded, “If growth is what you’re after, you won’t learn much from complex measurements of customer satisfaction or retention. You simply need to know what your customers tell their friends about you.”

What? Is it really that simple? My father would say that. “Treat people honestly and go out of your way to help them.” I could just hear him reading this groundbreaking article, and then saying, “Everybody knows that.”

All week I’ve been reminded of this simple principle, and how powerful it really is.

My car mechanics, Conrad and Jerry (Integrated Motors, by the way) are so awesome that I brag about them to all my friends when they have car problems…My bragging example: “Conrad says to my daughter, Gwynedd, ‘That sounds suspicious. Don’t spend $1,400 to have the dealer fix that, bring it in tomorrow morning and we’ll take a look at it.’ The next day, Gwynedd tells me how Conrad found the problem, fixed it in less than a half hour and charged her $75, and $45 was for the part! She loves those guys. Call them right now and take your car in there.”

You get the picture. These guys now serve many of my friends because of stuff like that. I feel proud when they tell me their stories.

Think about this in your life. Who do you brag about and tell others to work with or buy from? It works with small and big business alike.

I have a CEO friend who told me of a huge client calling him and complaining of some problems that arose from his team’s work. The client was very upset. This CEO told me that he quickly apologized and owned up to the problem, then told his client how he would fix it and make it all right.

That may not sound like “great work” but I contend that it is. Even the great companies make mistakes (because people make mistakes). But going above and beyond to make things better goes a long way in getting people to talk about you and your business in glowing terms.

“The path to sustainable, profitable growth begins with creating more promoters and fewer detractors, and making your net-promoter number transparent throughout your organization. This number is the one number you need to grow. It’s that simple and that profound.” The Harvard Business Review says. So does my Dad, so does Conrad and my friend, the CEO.

They all just say and do it differently.

Now I tell my staff and my clients, “Deliver over-the-top service to naturally earn customer/client referrals.” Sure, it’s easier said than done, like anything really important. But it’s one thing that’s always true—and in this case, most important—in growing your business.

“Stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him when he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.” —Abraham Lincoln

So, as the Tour de France winds down, that means that dozens of the world’s finest cyclists will have pedaled 2,300 miles over three weeks on their way to Paris.

Much of it downhill…at 60 mph…racing to the bottom.

Most companies find themselves involuntarily swept up in a similar race to the bottom. Whether combatting overseas competitors, addressing customers’ radically low price expectations or grappling with the next cost-reducing, technological advancement, there is a seemingly inexorable force pushing prices downward.

No matter how unique and proprietary a product or service seems today, it is likely destined (some would say doomed) to becoming tomorrow’s commodity. In his intriguing book Free: The Future of a Radical Price, Chris Anderson, editor of Wired magazine, describes this process by which once-proprietary products or services eventually are made so cost-effective by technology and engineering efficiencies that their price declines almost to the zero point.

Similarly, the massive availability of data has made once proprietary information, held by a small group of insiders, the entitlement of all. This has revolutionized the buying and selling of automobiles, real estate and private jets.

Credit Moore’s Law ( which says that computing power doubles every two years for the same approximate cost) for much of this problem, as so many innovations have their roots in digital technology. But another challenge—imitation by competitors—is a powerful one that is centuries old, but has taken on light-speed velocity in a global economy. Copying a proprietary idea is such a powerful business strategy now, that Harvard Business Review recently ran an article by Oded Shenkar and Scott Berinato entitled “Imitation Is More Valuable Than Innovation.”

In this commoditization of nearly everything, the customer is clearly in the driver’s seat. This customer empowerment is exemplified by RedLaser, the iPhone app that allows the user to scan a product’s UPC barcode at a store and then instantly search hundreds of Internet sources for the same product, only cheaper. The newly-empowered customer can either order it online for less or present the smartphone screen to a clerk and negotiate a better price at the bricks-and-mortar store.

Clearly, it is incumbent on successful companies to find ways to make their products and services as proprietary as possible for as long as possible. Fortunately, there are a handful of strategies that put the brakes on the downhill descent to Zero-Land.

Niche Expertise
Whether you call it blue ocean strategy, creating a category of your own or merely specialization, people tend to accord more credibility and pay more for the products and services of niche players whose specialization functions as an insurance policy for the buyer. Generalists, be forewarned: you have a greater chance of getting commoditized and sucked into the race to the bottom.

Bundling
Creatively bundling multiple services, including those of another company as a form of partnership, can help make it harder for the customer to view the individual components as commodities. If increased value is truly delivered by such bundling, everyone wins. It can be as big as Comcast’s Triple Play or as simple as a spa package that includes dinner for two and a box of Godiva chocolates.

Customer Service
As poorly led companies race each other to the bottom, the first thing to go is customer service. Thankfully, there are businesses that still understand that customer service is an investment with big dividends. From big companies like Apple and Nordstrom to small local shops that really know their customers, the survivors of the recent recession—companies still running a decent profit margin—tend to be the customer service leaders of their respective industries.

Creativity
This is the ultimate non-commodity. Whether it’s originality of product design, innovative service offerings or the creativity found in marketing efforts like the ones we produce for our clients, doing something new and better is always the path to success. Creativity is perhaps the best defense against the race to the bottom. It sets a company apart from competitors. It sets one marketing effort over and above all the others clamoring for the audience’s attention.

It has been interesting to observe how, in our industry, website development, video production, and other artistic disciplines that once commanded high prices as black-box specializations possessed by the few, have now become the provenance of the many. Nearly every art form has been democratized by newer, faster and cheaper technology. This raises the bar on creativity as the key differentiator for our business and everyone else’s.

We’re fortunate to work with a number of visionary companies who understand this. They have creatively differentiated their services and products, and then allowed us to do the same with their marketing. That’s why they tend to lead their industries not only in innovation but in profitability as well.

The lesson? Commit to creativity and you have a good chance of letting someone else win that race to the bottom.

Move over sex and money. Successful relationships are overwhelmingly about respect and trust. Add in some humor and chances are your relationship is in good shape.

In a recent CBS News Poll on Love and Marriage, when asked to pick what is most important in a successful relationship, about half picked “Respect” (49%), followed by “Trust” (37%), and a “Sense of humor” (10%). “Sex” was picked by 2%. “Money” recorded 0%.

Do these qualities in a marriage relate to business relationships? Reading through The Creative Alliance website, I noticed a couple keys in our philosophy:

“Trust is everything…humility and humor are the keys to creativity…” (You can read the full text at http://www.thecreativealliance.com/aboutus/philosophy.html).

Respect, the number one quality in a successful relationship is missing in our philosophy, but I’ve come to realize just how important it is in marriage—and in business.

The Creative Alliance is an agency devoted to the success of visionary companies, so we’ve been studying the qualities of these companies and their leaders. Most of the qualities are what you’d expect: insight, passion, determination, creativity, focus, etc.

But when we looked closer at our own clients, we noticed a more personal side that resonated with the vast majority of the leaders: respect and trust. In fact, we realized that our most successful client leaders had these two qualities. And likewise, the few who had limited strengths in these areas, also struggled with business success. Is there a link?

What does respect and trust mean? Respect means “to feel or show deferential regard for; esteem.” In our business, this plays out in both actions and words. Demonstrating respect is best seen in little things; going out our your way to deliver something…staying later to help…re-working concepts when there is no time or money left… being gracious when people make mistakes…the list goes on.

Action doesn’t always speak louder than words. What we say and how we say it is huge. I was taught that there are two parts to what we say: The content message (the meaning), and the ego message (the feeling). The people who master the ego message tend to rank high in the respect category. You like working with people who make you feel good. And visa versa.

Often, just saying “I value your opinion…” or, “Thank you for going the extra mile…” or, “We appreciate your can-do attitude…” means everything. This brings out the best in us, and it shows up in bottom-line results.

Trust is defined as “firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.” You can see why these words are critical to a successful marriage and business relationship. When we esteem people we naturally rely on them, and on what they do and say. Respect and trust are a powerful combination.

If you get this from your spouse or a friend, reciprocate the high praise with some well-meaning words of your own. And why wait? Take the lead and find opportunities to spread the love. The same goes for your clients, vendors, staff and other stakeholders in your business.

Try a little tenderness in your words and deeds. It will go a long way to having successful personal and business relationships.

“Marriage is not just a spiritual communion; it is also remembering to take out the trash.”
— Dr. Joyce Brothers

So I’m carrying a stack of hard drives into the office one morning, and I stoop down to pick up the brown, plastic door stop just inside the entrance. As I prepare to wedge it under the glass door, I notice that it actually has the two words “DOOR STOP” molded into it. The two words appear in a 36-point sans serif—an Arial or Helvetica sort of typeface.

Was this the ultimate statement of the obvious? I mean there’s probably very little risk of anyone mistaking this small plastic wedge for, say, an electron microscope or a meat thermometer.

What makes this all so intriguing to me is that someone at the ACME Door Stop Factory made the executive decision to label a product that seems to require no labeling. See, these things simply don’t happen by accident. Somebody had to specify the typeface and determine its size and placement (which, by the way is vertically and horizontally centered).

So was there a creative brief written to select the typeface? Did the designer in a product development brainstorming session say something like:

“Today’s door stop user has a post-modern sense of efficiency which is best expressed in a standard weight, sans serif typeface. The product must suggest both a minimalist aesthetic, yet convey substance and confidence in its own un-self-conscious utility.”

Maybe the design group at The ACME Door Stop Factory developed multiple comps that were posted in the boardroom for a discerning group of C-level execs who showed their various approvals or disapprovals with meaning-infused Hmmms, followed by the ever probable question, “Is that all you have? Any other mock-ups to show us?”

However this whole door stop typeface selection thing went down, someone eventually had to make a series of decisions that led to my curious encounter with a little wedge of plastic. And that points to a deep philosophical—some might say theological—thought process.

A great thinker once said “Where there is design, there is a designer.” The original context of this statement is a pretty good argument for the existence of God, as one takes time to comprehend all the intricacies and complexities of nature. Put another way, if our little brown doorstop had a designer, then more than likely, so did the planet Jupiter, tropical orchids, DNA and my dog Mollie.

The point here is that nothing happens by accident. Sure, in most human endeavors, we see evidence of neglect or incompetence, but there is still an underlying first cause to everything, even bad decisions and bad design. In fact, the sign of a dysfunctional organization is its frequent recourse to actions and behaviors that no one understands, but that somebody, way back when thought was a good idea. That’s also the recipe for dysfunctional branding and design. Or dysfunctional PR in the case of British Petroleum.

As professional communicators assisting clients in building their brands, it is our job to probe the depths of why things have been done the way they have been, and whether there are better ways to do things. The creative process is the result of this inquiry into first causes infused with great intentionality and fresh ideas.

And in case you’re wondering, no, we haven’t designed any door stops recently. But if we ever do, it will feature the best darn door stop typography in the English-speaking world.

If there’s one thing that you’ll likely find on most ad agency websites, it is a bold statement that the firm is definitely not an ad agency.

The agency doth protest too much, methinks because that kind of declaration is the surest sign that you’ve landed at an ad agency website.

I’d like to think we were trendsetters here, when ten years ago, we determined to be the un-agency. We wanted to distance ourselves from the controlling, overpriced prima donnas that everyone hated—even if they had to work with them.

We were anti-agency when anti-agency wasn’t cool.

But now I’m re-thinking this one.

I’m not sure if it’s the advent of AMC’s Mad Men or what, but it occurred to me that “agency” may not be a dirty word after all.

Merriam-Webster defines an agency as: a person or thing through which power is exerted or an end is achieved.

Not sure about being called a thing, but that’s pretty much what we and other good shops do. We help organizations reach their business objectives.

“Agency” is used to describe government organizations (Central Intelligence and Environmental Protection being notable examples). Travel agents help people who are not experts in travel. Athletes and artists have agents who protect their interests, keep their personal stock high and create opportunities for them.

Sounds a lot like what we do every day for our clients.

So maybe this is the beginning of the return of the good reputation of the word “agency.” It just can’t be modified by the word “ad” any more due to the exponential complication of the marketing business. But “advertising-public relations-digital media-promotions-social media agency” is a mouthful, so that won’t work.

Maybe “agency” just gets to play with the other words again—sort of like the kid that returns from reform school and tries to get back in with the rest of the neighborhood.

Perhaps “agency” can begin to suggest the high calling of being the trusted steward of clients’ marketing budgets and the value of their brands. If that’s the new definition of “agency,” then we’re all in.

But for now, just don’t add the “ad.”

The phrase “we need a new website” is one we hear a lot—whether it’s a new start-up ready to make a place for itself on the Internet, or an established company needing to revamp its tired old site.

The problem is that having a website—a substantial commitment in itself—is only part of an integrated Web presence. To develop a website, no matter how engaging or beautifully designed, can be like hanging the Mona Lisa on a palm tree on a desert island. Beautiful and intriguing, but nearly invisible.

That’s why it’s important to think in terms of developing a Web presence, not merely a website. A Web presence takes into account the effort to attract new visitors, build a loyal following and create a sense of community with the primary website as the hub of all the activity.

Surrounding the website, and feeding into it, are unique landing pages, multiple microsites, electronic newsletters and news releases. Then there is the bilateral communication between the website and social media outlets like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

A blog is an essential part of the mix too. We’ve found that to be especially true with our clientele. Our clients consist almost entirely of companies lead by visionary business leaders who have something important and interesting to say to their industries. Blogging is usually the best vehicle for them to share this intellectual capital.

A blog can either live within the website, or out side of it or both. Same with Facebook, You Tube and Twitter feeds. Landing pages that focus on a specific product, service, promotion or a division of a company create a valuable supplemental presence on the Web.

And then there is search.

The single most powerful force in marketing today must be taken into account when building a Web presence. An intentional, intelligent, two-pronged approach to search that addresses organic SEO and paid search is the key here. That means that as you write the text for each webpage, not only must you connect with your audience through great copy writing, you must also consider the way Google and other search engines will score the relevancy of your content.

As with all things, a commitment to visibility and relevance on the Web involves more than it would appear at first glance. It’s important to take the larger, more three-dimensional approach to communications and build a robust, integrated Web presence.

The strategic planning and work involved is significantly greater, but so are the rewards.

If ever there were proof of the ability of just two words to frame an event’s impact on a president’s reputation, “Obama’s Katrina” is it. A harsh judgment is evoked with just thirteen letters and an apostrophe.

And the apostrophe is important. In connotes ownership.

“Katrina” has become code for a disaster that, while not one’s fault, comes to define one’s incapacity for decisive, effective action. People seem to naturally embrace this kind of verbal shorthand. And the shorter the shorthand the better. In scenarios as catastrophic as the BP oil platform disaster, something within us demands an answer. Or at least someone to blame.

Fair or unfair, the comparison with the Bush administration’s lethal mishandling of Hurricane Katrina’s impact was inevitable.

Even though Press Secretary Robert Gibbs hasn’t called for our advice, if he’s reading this blog, I’d suggest that he go after this one head on. “This isn’t Obama’s Katrina,” he should say, “and here are three reasons why…”

With words like “Obama’s Katrina” you have to seize them back and use them against your detractors. Sort of like grabbing the ears of an attacking mountain lion. Hold on tight and keep the thing at arm’s length long enough, and you just might survive until help arrives.

For Obama, that help will come in the form of BP getting the thing fixed. Until then, every utterance of “Obama’s Katrina” lays on another layer of blame and responsibility. While it took a couple weeks after the disaster for the term to surface, it’s now become terminology used every day, throughout the day on television, talk radio, print media and the Web.

The only thing worse than two powerful words is two powerful words being repeated over and over.

Public frustration is close to bursting the administration’s PR blowout protector. And if that happens, “Obama’s Katrina” may become a lasting remnant in the American psyche. So much so, that the Bush legacy will actually get a breather. Americans can mentally handle only one Katrina at a time. Everyone except people in Louisiana that is. They don’t have a choice but to suffer both.

Charles Krauthammer astutely pointed out that America’s cult of presidential hyper-culpability for all that is right or wrong in the country is inherently unrealistic, and largely unfair. But he also points out that Mr. Obama himself on June 3, 2008, having gained the delegate count to be nominated for the presidency, declared that:

“This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.”

Nineteen words I’m sure he wishes he could take back. They sounded messianic if not megalomaniacal then. They sound mocking now.

Only time will tell if “Obama’s Katrina” will live on in infamy or not.

For the sake of the planet, the president and the folks in Louisiana, let’s hope it doesn’t.

“I’m sorry, man, but that’s the software developer’s problem.”

“Your IT department doesn’t understand the scope of the project.”

In our age of virtual work groups and collaborative teams, is there still a place for someone—anyone—to take total responsibility for a project?

As new business initiatives require the increasingly granular breakdown of tasks by specialization, the customer is often left wondering: “Who’s in charge here?”

Someone needs to step up and say, “We’ll oversee the whole thing. Start to finish. If there is a failure anywhere along the way, it’s our fault.”

One throat to choke.

Business leaders are continually faced with two choices: “Do I turn this project over to Company A to handle, start to finish, and maybe pay a little more? Or do I want to save a few bucks by playing General Contractor and hiring out subs to do the various tasks.

On paper, the latter looks less expensive, and most business leaders see themselves as more than capable of managing a team of independent specialists.

The problem is that it ends up taking longer, requiring more meetings, causing more interruptions and creating more stress than it appeared it would at the outset.

It also pulls the business leader away from his or her core competency, and that’s the irreplaceable cost to the company.

Paying a full-service provider to do everything usually runs a little more in initial costs, but the opportunity costs are low. So it’s actually less expensive in the long run. And the customer has only one phone number to call to check on the status and effectiveness of the project.

This is true of nearly everything—from construction projects and IT implementations, to corporate jet transactions and marketing services.

At this time in our economic history, where lots of specialists have become available due to high unemployment, the temptation to farm things out to lots of low-cost providers is understandable.

No doubt, virtual teams are accomplishing a lot these days. But my guess is that every industry has a slot for a can-do, hyper-responsible leader to emerge—a company that will say, “You bet, we’ll manage this thing from concept to completion…and long after the sale. The buck stops here, and only here.”

For business owners and leaders, to hear that from a vendor or service provider is a breath of fresh air.

In our business, we see a lot of talented people out there available for design, writing, web development and the like. But the reason people hire us—and other total-accountability service providers—is that we offer one-stop, absolute, no-excuses accountability.

Far beyond delivering on a punch list of services, we act as long-view brand stewards, making sure that every move is a smart one for building brand equity and creating a more valuable company when it comes time to sell the business or pass on to others.

Interestingly, this long view is the nexus where marketing, PR, customer service and sales support all come together. Only with one reliable steward of all these channels, simultaneously looking at how each affects the others, can the company’s long-term business objectives be achieved.

In our digital age where art is created by using other images, it’s rare to spot originality. This is not to be confused with creativity, where ideas happen by using existing sources. Creativity is alive and well, and most often seen in children—before they are told what things are “supposed” to look like.

Back in 1980, the first retrospective of Pablo Picasso’s work opened at the Museum of Modern Art. Fresh out of college, my girlfriend and I bought tickets well in advance and drove from Philly to New York City to see the show. It was a hot, humid day as we stood in a line that wrapped around a city block, inching our way to the entrance for what seemed like forever. To make matters worse, a big, boisterous man (my guess by his accent was on vacation from Texas), and his family were in front of us the entire wait. It was almost unbearable listening to his constant rantings about Picasso being overrated and how abstract art was not really art.

And it did make you wonder. A novice’s eyes on the exhibition pamphlet would say Picasso’s art was “out there.” He was highly controversial. Picasso created visuals and objects that people were simply not used to seeing as art.

When we finally got into the MET, it was a small, air-locked room maybe ten by ten feet. On three walls were beautiful, large paintings obviously done by a famous painter of an earlier time period. Yet these classic, very realistic masterpieces were all but overlooked by the people packed into this room shoulder to shoulder, excited to get into the main area of the museum.

The loud man continued, “Yeah, my little girls here could paint better’n that Picasso!” It was right about then when I noticed a little brass plaque accompanying the painting I was crammed next to. Reading the plaque, I gestured to my girlfriend to look. Both startled, we looked at each other and said, “PICASSO!” The crowd caught on and it was quickly confirmed that all three of the classic masterpieces were painted by Pablo Picasso! On close examination we noticed that the dates on the paintings were from 1897 and 1898—when Picasso was only 16 and 17 years old! The young Pablo was painting realistic masterpieces when he was just a teenager. What an interesting surprise by the museum.

There was a gleeful chatter that energized everyone in the small room; everyone except the loud Texan, that is.

We walked in, felt the cool air conditioning of the famous gallery, and waltzed around the place soaking in all the incredible, original, modern works of art by an artist who proved himself so early in life. He had certainly earned the right to discover new heights of the human experience. I remember feeling delighted knowing that great art could be done by young kids, but challenged knowing that art history could only be created by an original, like Picasso.

“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.” – Picasso.