In return, their employees get to spend their summer in Alaska (and have lots of fun), plus get a nice bonus at the end of the season.

For years, Holland America has visited college jobs fairs, as many summer jobs lead to more permanent jobs with the company. In recent seasons, the company has begun to recruit active seniors.

So this was the dilemma presented to me: come up with a series of brochures that appeal to both to responsible college students and active seniors.

Working alongside a Holland America manager and her hand-picked graphic designer, here are two items we created.

Your competitors don’t buy your products.

Your consumers buy your products.

It is smart to know what your competitors are up to. You should keep track of their products and prices, what they do well, and the state of your industry.

But when it comes time to develop a strategy to speak to your own community of consumers, don’t let it become a piecemeal sum of your competitors’ own messaging. Base it on the gestalt of your own company, the sensibilities of your audience, and why what you have to offer is worthwhile and beneficial to their needs.

There’s a reason certain businesses linger forever in Seattle. I think the following story suggests that great service helps.

Above, this is what Old Seattle is all about.

I needed to replace a snapped belt on my 20 year old Ryoba surface planer. I’d looked online, but had a hard time finding the correct part. I was tipped to Tool Pros by a reliable source.

I took the owner’s manual with me to Tool Pros, and slid it across the counter. The fellow behind the counter had on a mechanics jumpsuit. He stood a couple feet back, but didn’t move when I showed him the manual.

“I’m, uh, looking for this.” I pointed at a diagram. “It’s, uh, right here, the …”

I looked up and realized that the mechanic wasn’t looking at the diagram. He just stared at me.

“Which part did you need?”

“A belt.”

“What is that? A surface planer?”

“Yes.”

“Poly-belt or chain?”

I squinted to read the small print on the diagram. “Poly-belt,” I said.

The mechanic turned around and walked to the back wall. There was a long board with small hooks holding various belts. I bet there were at least 75 belts to choose from. He grabbed one, almost randomly, and brought it back to the counter.

“This is it. That’s $25. Anything else?”

I looked at the parts diagram, then the belt. Both said 1350 EJ. I was sort of shocked.

“Umm, how about a screw-on handle for a 2001 Milwaukee Magnum Hole Shooter?”

I honestly though that I’d stumped the man. But he turned around, walked back again to the rear of the store, reached into a box and a black plastic handle.

“I bet this is it,” he said. “It’s $4.50.”

I paid him and drove straight home, where I fetched my Milwaukee drill and tried to screw in the handle. Of course, it was a perfect fit.

“Umm, let’s see … I’ll have the phad thai,” I said.

The waiter had begun to write on his notepad, but stopped and shook his head at me. “Don’t get the phad thai. It’s not very good. Try that phayathai.”

He put his finger on my menu, stopping at Phayathai with vermicelli. “Right there, that one. It’s very good.”

“What do you have against phad thai?” I asked.

The waiter shrugged. “Everybody who comes here gets that. Phad thai is boring.”

“But I have had phad thai in ten years,” I said.

“You can have phad thai, but it’ll take a long time, because we’ll just have to order from some other place. Ours is really bad.”

I went ahead and got Phayathai. It was really oily.