When I took a week’s vacation this summer, I turned this space over to smart people whom I respect. I let them do the work for me. I’m on vacation again this week. And, in that spirit, I’m going back to the well. Another six-pack of quotes I really like.

This time, they all come from Steve Jobs (if you like these, check out a bigger Steve Jobs quotes list). Consider this the intersection of the spirit of Thanksgiving and the world of branding. I am genuinely thankful for Apple. In the words of @edwardboches: Remaking any one industry is career-defining. Steve Jobs has remade four: computers, music, mobile, movies. On to the quotes…

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”

“We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.”

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life.”

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how Twitter was more than “pointless babble.” A study released by Penn State this month adds weight to that argument.

It examined nearly 150,000 tweets that referred to a product or brand. Based on how I read the findings, this accounts for between 20%-30% of all their total “tweet pool.” Which would mean one in five tweets is brand- or product-specific. Not so “pointless,” if you ask me. Of these, the researchers found that about 29% were either seeking or providing information. Another 22% expressed a sentiment / judgment. And, not to be undervalued, 49% simply referred to a brand.

Interestingly, the comments that “expressed a sentiment” leaned positive – 52% were categorized as positive (“Great” or “Swell”), 34% as negative (“Bad” or “Wretched”) and 14% as neutral (“So-so”).

A PR pro who I respect very much once told me that the secret to Public Relations was the Relations. And that can never (ever) be undervalued. But, more and more, the Public is earning its “first in line” status.

TV vs. Web. More screens = More opportunity.

First, a quick reality check. TV isn’t dead. In fact, it’s far from it. Earlier this year, Ball State University’s Center for Media Design reported that the average American is exposed to a “screen” for about 8.5 hours on any given day. Contrary to what headlines may lead you to believe, television (and, “live TV,” at that) still commands the greatest share of eyeballs, even among “the kids these days,” 18-24 year olds. This 800 lb. gorilla status is confirmed by a Neilsen Company report this week (hat tip: eMarketer).

But the way consumers are consuming media is changing. The Nielsen report emphasized that consumers are “adding screen time, rather than simply replacing one screen with another.” In fact, 57% of Americans with Internet access at home multi-tasked at least monthly by using the Web and TV at the same time. This suggests that 28% of at-home Internet usage for these multi-taskers also involving the TV being on. That’s music to any innovative marketer’s ears.

For years, the Internet has been hailed as TV-killer. Depending on your definition and your timeframe, that may end up being true. But our challenge is not deciding between the seemingly competitive media. Our opportunity is, when appropriate, to make sure we’re maximizing each – with the help of the other.

I uncovered the creative brief to one of my favorite campaigns of the past five years the other night. It was in our bathroom. It involved a two-year-old and a bottle of shampoo.

Me: Okay, it’s time to wash your hair.
Two-year-old: Why?
Me: Because that’s what we do at night.
Two-year-old: Why?
Me: Because your hair gets dirty.
Two-year-old: Why?
Me: Because you played in the sand today.
Two-year-old: Why?
Me: Because we went to the beach.
Two-year-old: Why?
Me: Because the beach is fun.

We were washing her hair because she had fun that day. My fifth answer seemed to satisfy her need to know. I bring this up for two reasons:

First, I’m not-so-secretly hoping my daughter is the next Sakichi Toyoda. She has already mastered “root cause” – one of the key principles of Kaizen, lean manufacturing and Six Sigma. She turns three in November.

Second, asking why is really important. We need to ask why more. To follow the thread to the end. And to not be afraid of that being a long journey. The longer the thread, the more interesting sometimes.

No other laundry detergent had ever said “dirt is good.” But the message clearly resonated. While the idea lived across multiple campaigns, sales increased significantly. Awareness and market share rose. Customer trust strengthened. Why? Because they asked “why?”