He is a State Farm agent and I have had one or more cars insured with him steadily since 1985 (26 years).   When I called them, I found that State Farm had canceled my auto insurance on August 10, 2010, over nine months ago.   That would explain no bills.  I do not recall ever having received a notice or anything.  I have registered my car since then and lack of insurance didn’t come up on the computer.

IMPORTANTLY, my agent of 26 years did not call me.    WORSE, the person at this office that I did talk to informed me that State Farm could not begin the coverage again because they did not take new customers who had been uninsured for over three months, that I could apply with Progressive for six months, then come back to State Farm if I wanted.  This is despite the fact that I had spent over $70,000 in car insurance with State Farm over the 26 years just through this agent.   FAT CHANCE.

I went on line with GEICO.  Not only did they know what my existing car was automatically, they even had a car listed with me that was acquired by my ex-wife since our divorce.   I applied for insurance with GEICO, paid on line, got a certificate of insurance on line, and did it all in about 10 minutes.   I did have to wait until midnight of the day I applied (yesterday) to have the insurance in effect, but what a different experience.

Today I experienced something even more special.  I am in NYC working in my hotel room, and scheduled to checkout at noon.  Then I find that my flight is delayed until 4pm because of weather.  The desk person extended my checkout until 2pm.  Her words to me, “I am doing this because . . . because . . . well, because you are Mr. Lane.”  Is that a cool way to break a rule by exception or what?

If it is possible to overdo branding for a city, Columbus may have done it.  The reason for the differentiation is real.  The logo is just downright cool.  The slogan, “Unexpected, Unforgettable” is really good, (except that I forgot it and had to look it up while I was writing this blog.)

The idea exceeds the reality in my estimation.  At least a dozen of the world’s most famous architects are represented, Meier, Saarinen, I.M. Pei, Kevin Roche, etc.  There are some neat buildings and the parks and landscaping is exceptional for a town of 40,000 people, but a vast majority of those people have houses and yards and businesses that detract from the town’s brand image.  And  of course, many of the town’s modern buildings did not age well.  They look out of date now.

I found myself deeply enjoying the town’s reputation for the first hour, being ho hum for the next hour, and finally deciding, “what’s the big deal?” in the third hour.

Margot first made waves back in the late 60′s inventing Warm Fuzzies, the very first sheepskin bedroom slipper with the wool inside.  Yes, all the fuzzy  footwear since then, including fuzzy versions of Crocs, owe their heritage to Margot’s original idea.

She and her sister Leslie then opened the Chapman Sisters Calorie Counter on Michigan avenue in the Wrigley building, the first restaurant to ever price their food by calorie and let you know what you were really eating.  It was 1977.  It was a Monday-Friday lunch-only concept that did over $1 million a year in revenue.  Today, restaurants like Seasons owe their heritage to Margot.

In between Margot helped hundreds of CPG companies come up with innovative new products.

Most recently, Margot and her partner Pam Rose created Swirls near the zoo in Chicago, and literally started the trend toward cup-cake bakeries.

Goodbye Margot.  No matter how desperate things must have seemed to you, the business will remember you through your many innovations.

I personally think that Waffle House is best on service.  I can never remember a bad Waffle House waitress although I once had a bad waiter at a Waffle House in Springfield, Missouri.  But never a bad Waffle House waitress.

I have had good Huddle House waitresses, but the staff is not predictably good. And some locations can be woeful.

As for food, Huddle House is much better in my opinion with the exception of the cheese scrambled eggs at Waffle House which as as good as scrambled eggs can get.

Waffle House has many more and better locations.  Which is your favorite?   What is most important to you?  Food, service or location?

For me, it’s Waffle House for breakfast and Huddle House for any other meal.  But that’s just me.

First of all, this is the most functional dust pan I have ever used, and nothing else is close.  You set it on the floor and sweep into it.  You do not have to bend over.  It grips the floor.

Secondly, the industrial design is so differentiating and sleek that it could be award winning architecture were it a monument.  It stands up for storage and to make it easy to use as a waste pan.  It definitely should make the MOMA.   Today after the photos, I am just leaving it out because I enjoy looking at it.  Similar to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, it is pleasing from every angle and perspective.

Where did they miss out?  Well, if it has a name, I cannot find it.  I think it may have been part of the Oxo line which has many great industrial designs, but nothing is stamped into the plastic so I cannot tell you.  No name, no patent filing number.  Easy enough to have molded in, but nothing.  What a wasted opportunity.

And wow, would this respond to advertising.  I think that every home in America should have this dust pan.  It is awesome in every way.  I may try using it as a piece of functional sculpture.

I understand that when it came time to send out resumes, he got the highest return of his class.  But vs. the previous blog on The Chief Story Teller, I am going to give this young man’s effort a “Near Miss” because when I went to Google to find him, I was not able to.  I could track him down thru the school and would do so if I wanted to discuss a job with him, but all the pieces were not put together quite well enough for him to benefit completely from his differentiation.  He has some more work to do.

You don’t become a KILLER BRAND just by following the principles, you have to finish the drill.   The principles put you in position to become a KILLER BRAND.  They don’t get you there.   My new book, in development now, KILLER BRAND™ Marketing, is about converting strategy to marketing plans and finishing the drill.

In fact, if  you go to the website of The Chief Story Teller, you will note that he does not use his name one time.  He might be a one man shop.  He might have a staff of hundreds.  I am very impressed with his use of branding principles to create his own story.  Focus is clear.  Alignment is solid.  And Linkage is right there in his name.

I am not endorsing his work.  I know nothing of whether he is good or not, but he has done an admirable job for himself and I find him compelling.  And thus suspect that he has something to offer.  I am going to find out.   Watts Wacker the futurist once told me that he consulted by “dominant anecdote.”    I have always remembered that phrase.  I read once about a one person company where the founder made herself the Executive VP, automatically suggesting that she was part of something larger.

Point is that branding, and the principles that are involved are not just for big companies.

That brings me to the Edge™ brownie pan, where an entrepreneur figured out how to make a pan that would bake brownies all of which had at least two edges, some three.  Google this one.  It is a perfect example of creating your own brand.  Find a need, solve it, invent it, protect it, align it, name it and introduce it.

May or may not be a big idea, but the first step is a brilliant one.

Stinky Kids always make the right choice.  Stinky Kids do the good thing.

Britt was wearing a Stinky Kids t-shirt while shopping at Nordstrom’s.  A sales person saw it, fell it love with it and the Stinky Kids story, took Britt to her manager, and now Nordstrom is Britt’s main account.  Yes they tested awhile in a few stores, but things went well.  Britt is expanding the line to books, etc.  And has very big plans.  She will do well.

It’s not just Stinky Kids.  Britt herself is making the right choices.  She is staying tight on strategy.  As is Nordstom’s.  Kudos to them both.

Lesson:  Be an evangelist for your own brand.  If you have something you can wear, wear it everywhere.  If you have something to say, say it everywhere.

A friend of mine once asked Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s at a Christmas cocktail party if all he ever thought about was hamburgers.  His answer, “Yes Ma’am.  Hamburgers are my life.”