Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. No pressure to buy the right gifts. No post-holiday credit card debt. Just lots of good food, and perhaps some wine or Champagne, with family.

With Thanksgiving only a week away, I thought I’d share a few things for which I am thankful:

1. My son, Evan. Healthy, happy, and challenging me every day to be a better person.
2. My wife, Julia, who seems to have found a new start, and is happier for it.
3. The rest of my family. Parents, a brother, grandma, a few scattered cousins, aunts and uncles, and countless in-laws.
4. For almost three years of professional independence. I’ve never enjoyed work so much.
5. For all the people I have met and been inspired by. Met at trade shows, through Twitter, or LinkedIn, or whatever.
6. To live in a country where I am free.
7. For all of the smart, creative people who give me constant inspiration. Chris, Seth, and many more.
8. For my clients and colleagues, who have put their trust in me.
9. That despite the economic downturn, my wife and I have been able to weather it pretty well, with a roof over our heads and food on the table.
10. That I have the ability and opportunity to share my ideas with you, my reader(s).

It’s an expected question, this time of year, but an important one, I think, as it’s important to acknowledge how fortunate you are. What are you thankful for?

Not long ago, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, a master of self-promotion, unveiled his own iPhone app. The app allows fans to track his stats, see photos, and do a few other things.

Is this just the action of a self-centered sports star? Or is it a sign of things to come? As apps become cheaper and easier to develop, how soon will setting one up be as simple as setting up a WordPress blog? How long before we all have our own apps?

Of course, countless companies have created their own apps. Some are simple ways to interact with the brand. Some present the brand through a game, like Real Racing, which markets the VW GTI in a very cool way (I have it, and it’s spectacular).

Closer to home(s), Shea Homes has announced an app to help people shop for their homes. How successful will it be? That remains to be seen. But it’s clear that the app offers endless possibilities for reaching individuals with your brand message.

You just have to figure out how to do it right.

h/t: BUILDERnews

Among online retailers, Zappos is surely royalty. The company simply understand how to position its brand online. But they also know how to generate awareness and excitement about their brand through traditional means, as shown by their relationship with TLC’s What Not To Wear.

But on a recent visit to the Nashville airport, I learned they’re also very clever at what I’ve called Asymmetric Advertising: the practice of advertising in “media” where there is little to no competition for the viewer’s attention.

In this case, they seem to have “sponsored” the bins where you put your shoes, belt, laptop and other junk when you disassemble yourself prior to going through airport security. It’s a win-win all the way around – they get some nice exposure, and the TSA gets some money to offset the cost of those infernal bins.

They get bonus points, of course, for having the medium tie in so nicely with their product.

Not long ago, I was talking to a potential client, a company whose business I really wanted. I had, a few days before, sent him a proposal with some ideas for a branding and PR program.

The conversation started out with some small talk about the weather or whatever. He lives in Florida, I in Wisconsin. Then the subject of sailing came up, and I mentioned I had just come back from a race across Lake Michigan. He mentioned he sailed too, and had for much of his life.

But I wanted to get to the subject. I wanted to know what he thought of my ideas. I was anxious to see how it went over and if it might result in a big, fat contract.

So I said, in essence, “Oh, that’s nice. What did you think of the proposal?”

Dang!

I knew right away that I had messed up. If there’s one thing sailors like to do, it’s talk about sailing. And here was one who was a potential client who wanted to share a few stories. It was a prime opportunity to build the relationship, and I missed it.

Of course, he didn’t buy my proposal. It just wasn’t in the cards at that time, and engaging him in a conversation about boats and regattas wouldn’t have changed that.

But it would have gone further to cement our relationship, and when he is ready to move on a branding plan, I would have a better chance of being the first call.

He remains a potential client (I think), so all is not lost. But I did learn a lesson from this, one that I already knew: When talking to a prospect, friendly small talk is crucial. Talking about your product or service might be the least important subject.

You can bet the next time I talk to him, if he wants to talk boats, we’re talking boats.

When you’re thinking of a name for a new product or a company, what is the process you go through? It can be a tough process, and there are many ways to go.

• There’s the combo-word approach, where you take two descriptive words and cram them together to make a new one. Examples: Nabsico, Conoco, Carfax.
• There’s the regular-word-word-that-sounds-cool approach, in which you use an otherwise mundane word, preferably with one or two syllables. Examples: Ford Focus, Apple, Intel.
• There’s the historical/literal allusion approach, in which you name your product after a Greek, Latin or Biblical reference. Examples: Nike, Raytheon, Samsonite.
• Of course, you can always name your company after the founder.
• Or, you can take the simple, straightforward approach, like these guys.