Me and Lou Albano and a Bottle of Whiskey

I have some sad news to report: Lou Albano is dead. You might ask, who is he? Lou was a professional wrestler and managed other wrestlers. He even played Cindi Lauper's father in her music videos.

As a child, my father took me to the professional wrestling matches in Philadelphia (go Phillies, you can catch up in the World series!) and I hated Lou. He was one of the dark characters played out in the ring. However, while we bought tickets to the cheap seats ($5) we often exchanged them for close views of the wrestlers. That's because my dad knew an usher and he moved us from the cheap seats to the primo locations that had not sold out.

To show his gratitude to this usher, my father would give him a pint of whiskey (I don't advocate drinking liquor anymore) to show our appreciation.

The PR laugh for me is that marketers and public relations professionals are so keen on social media and new ways to spread our clients' messages. And while that is very important, there's nothing like remembering the positive impressions that come from showing appreciation.

That's why whether it's a writer at the New York Times or a blogger in Chicago, I insist that our staff show appreciation, with at least a sincere note (handwritten is preferred). That's the ultimate way to spread your message virally.