In the spirit of repaying back the favor of whoever gave me that early advice, I’d like to be bold enough to pass on a litmus test for today…

Would they want to be your friend?

That same person you might read your copy to, when they encounter your brand in any manner, do they connect with it? Do they find it interesting? Does it come across as genuine?

Just as we quickly decide whether or not we like a person in the first moments we meet, consumers make the same snap decisions about brands. And just as we choose to hang out with people we like and who are like us, we choose to develop closer associations with brands we like and who share the same values we do.

So, is your brand friend material?

This is not just a good question for predicting first impressions, but also for maintaining a vibrant brand relationship. Are you behaving like a friend someone would want to keep? Do you stay helpful? Do you act consistently? Do you make an effort to keep your relationship interesting?

The goal of all this isn’t simply to feel good about your efforts. It is to develop trust.

According to a Nielson survey, the most trusted resource for advertising is word-of-mouth. 90% of surveyed respondents trusted “completely” or “somewhat” recommendations from people they know.* Obviously it’s difficult for a brand to match that level of faith; or a friend or family member gains nothing by suggesting one product over another. Still, the more a brand can personify the values of a good friend, the more it stands to benefit from a similar kind of relationship.

*Source: The Nielsen Company, July 2009.

In light of the upcoming Super Bowl, the annual stage for what is typically considered the very best work the advertising world can muster, I once again can’t help but wonder why this is the only time everyone expects advertising to be great?

At a time when fewer and fewer people are watching TV, why aren’t commercials getting markedly better? You would think that advertisers would demand ever-greater levels of creativity or even audacity from their agencies to make sure that the people who are still watching TV would remember what they had to say.

On more than one occasion I’ve been in meetings to kickoff creative assignments where someone has actually said, “OK, this has to be a great commercial. It’s going to air during the Super Bowl.” Really? How about…”This has to be a great commercial, because that’s our job.”

At least the Super Bowl reminds us that people do appreciate advertising that’s original, entertaining and insightful. And they appreciate the advertisers who understand this.

Actually, the best campaigns today - traditional or new media - typically start with an inherent respect for the audience’s time and intelligence, plus an acute awareness that mere presence does not equate to engagement.

The good news for challenger brands without huge sums of money to spend, is that it’s still relatively easy to stand out from the crowd. All it takes is a little courage…and raised expectations.

From now on, maybe we should kickoff every assignment as if the work were going to run during the Super Bowl with the assumption that everybody is watching, wanting to be impressed and remembering those marketers who do it best.

Because Super Bowl venue or not, that’s what people do.