I feel bad about Nora.

          A gifted writer I admire has passed away. Surely you've heard of Nora Ephron.

          She is the author of bestsellers "Heartburn" and "Crazy Salad", and "I Feel Bad About My Neck". Nora received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally", "Silkwood", and "Sleepless in Seattle", which she directed as well. She wrote "You've Got Mail" and the play, "Imaginary Friends".

          Few people have brought so much joy to so many. Here's a bit of what she wrote about handbags: "I hate my purse. I absolutely hate it. This is for women who hate their purses, are bad at purses, who understand that their purses are reflections of negative housekeeping, hopeless disorganization, a chronic inability to throw anything away, and an on-going failure to handle the obligations of a demanding and difficult accessory. The obligation, for example, that it should, in some way, match what you're wearing."

           I loved the way Nora Ephron wrote,the way she thought. She was sharpened to a precise instrument. If she was famous for anything, it was her vulnerabilities.We have that in common. Not being famous, being vulnerable. She said that when she was young, she wanted to write like Dorothy Parker.

           I hope you don't think it's inappropriate, but I'd like to end with this Nora Ephron comment, which I've laughed out loud about for years: "Sometimes I think that not having to worry about your hair anymore is the upside of death."

           Goodbye, Nora. We should've told you long ago that we loved you just as you were.

Sure, but will they believe you?

         According to Pete Blackshaw, credibility in today's marketing environment is the product of six core drivers:

                                     1. Trust
                                     2. Authenticity
                                     3. Transparency
                                     4. Listening
                                     5. Responsiveness
                                     6. Affirmation

         They're discussed in his book, "Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000."

         Blackshaw quotes Forrester Research, which found that customers trust other customers far more than they trust companies or brands. That's why it's great when Land's End and L.L.Bean guarantee every product, and why social media are so useful.

         Authenticity is when a company is "perceived to be real and sincere, consistent and genuine". Peet's Coffee has grown because it's perceived as less corporate than Starbuck's. Peet's tests the beans itself, and makes its roasters make a 10-year employment commitment.

         Transparency means people can easily get the facts about the company. Nike, McDonald's, and  Coca-Cola make it easy to get data. They're open about their businesses.

         Listening to customers has always been a big part of sales, and the social media make it easy for a company to learn how customers feel. Home Depot learned some lessons when it got too "corporate". The best information is when the company isn't in control --- on Facebook pages, independent blogs and sites.

         Once you hear your customers, you have to respond. You have to demonstrate you'll go the distance to make things right. A change, a new policy, whatever is required should be made public. That's what Jamba Juice did when accused of using milk in its non-dairy smoothies.

         Affirmation means if a company says or does something, the story is the same wherever the consumer looks. If not, credibility is shot.

         The upshot? After years of telling people what's good about a product, we now have to go further and give a customer a reason to believe us. And actions speak louder than words.

         Of course, that's one of the basic principles of advertising. Maybe we should go back to it before it's too late.