Attention Deficit Disorder

There has never been so many companies vying for our attention or so much readily available information waiting to be consumed.  All this competition for our attention creates an attention deficit for many companies.

This attention deficit leaves most companies trying to come up with inventive ways to capture our attention.  All the emails with unnecessary icons (☮☯✈☠♥☣☤♫✍♛✰☺☼☂☚✔), banner ads, "viral" videos, and star bursts telling us we only have 6 hours to redeem this coupon! remind me of a child trying desperately to get his parent's attention.  (http://www.hulu.com/watch/25105)

But, what happens when one child throws a temper tantrum and another calmly draws a picture?  The child who threw the tantrum probably got the most attention, although it may have been in the form of a swift hand.  The reaction of giving attention to the loudest child only encourages both children to try harder for more attention.  

In business, you don't always get the most attention for doing the right thing, but your customers will appreciate you for it.