My wife and I were first-time homeowners in 2010, a house built in 1881 that we will be renovating for years to come. Having to deal with life without a landlord to call on for the first time, we quickly adopted my uncle Eric as our unofficial handyman, handling everything from mowing the lawn to fixing the sinks and showers. Along the way, I inquired about redoing a floor and specifically tiling the floor.

"I'll help you with the floor," Eric said, "but I don't ever want to learn tiling because, once I do, I'll be doing it for the rest of my life."

As my little girl grows up and gets interested in television and "brands" that appeal to her, I can't help but think of those of my own early childhood. The brand she is exposed to the most is Sesame Street: It started with her diapers, moved into plush animals, and has manifested into a full-blown television love, fueled by the show's release of a "Best of..." of its first 40 years on the air.

Like circus impresarios or wrestling promoters of yesteryear, some marketers talk about their audience as if they are dupes or "marks." If marketers were to consider how they feel as the "marketed to," some of the most disrespectful marketing practices wouldn't make it past the brainstorming chart.