We live in the 'I want it now' culture: Microwaves, drive-thrus, online purchasing. Granted, I love those things. I'll take Amazon.com over Guttenberg's press any day. So this isn't a 'rag on tech' entry. But I am raising a question: does the advent of technological advancement mean the demise of artisan worth?

Take a look at architecture, if it's modern, it's streamlined... easier to build, efficiently and profitably. Compare that to the older buildings in our country or overseas. What a difference! We no longer can afford to have an artist carve out intricate designs with minute detail over our doors and on ledges 300 feet up. It would take too long and cost too much. Not to mention even if we had the time and money, we don't see an immediate return or maybe a return at all on that investment.

Make no mistake about it, quality does yield a return on the investment, it just may or may not be tomorrow... most likely not. What kind of return on investment do you think Big Ben has yielded in London? Or the afore mentioned Lord of the Rings trilogy? I dare say quite a bit.

Quality pays in tangible dividends and perhaps, more importantly, intangible dividends. The intangibles of adding to culture and the human story, supplying something that people will remember and enjoy not just today but even next year.

Now I know this may sound like the artist in me not the branding and marketing developer. But this is about branding and marketing. If more companies could find a way to slow down, think things through and not be afraid to spend extra on the minutia of quality, the results of their project and the strength of their brand would be more likely to stand the test of our microwave time.