Car rental companies are always trying to differentiate themselves. Avis says that “We try harder.” Hertz emphasizes that its locations are at both airports and in our neighborhoods. And Enterprise proclaims that it “keeps things simple.”

Passover, the most widely observed Jewish holiday, started last week. The eight-day festival commemorates the exodus of the ancient Hebrews from Egypt during the time of the pharaohs. Jews around the world celebrate by gathering for a Seder, reliving the story of the ten plagues and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. For an overly dramatized version of how Moses led the Israelites out of slavery, watch The Ten Commandments, Cecil B.DeMille’s epic 220-minute film.

Planning for Valentine’s Day isn’t really that difficult—call 1.800.FLOWERS, buy some luscious Godiva chocolates and find a Hallmark card that perfectly expresses your enduring love. In my humble opinion, Valentine’s Day is a breeze compared to the hard work of keeping romance alive. I’ve been married for 25 years, and I still need a refresher course every now and then—why else would my wife email me a link to a Cosmopolitan magazine article that offers 23 ways to “jump-start” her heart? Suffice to say that I figured it out on my own.

My son Max is spending the spring semester of his junior year in Barcelona. He’ll be there for the next four months, taking in the sights of Spain and traveling across Europe. It’s a tough life…and I wish I had it. Packing for Max was a breeze compared to the arduous task of determining what kind of phone he should use while overseas. It became a family project. Everyone chimed in on the pros and cons of iPhones, Androids and other smartphones, as well as the merits of “pay as you go” mobile phones that are available in Europe. The only easy decision was replacing Max’s Sprint Blackberry, which does not have an international plan.

When it comes to complicating consumers’ lives with complex and convoluted communications, no industry does it better than health insurance. Look no further for confirmation than in Siegel+Gale’s 2011 Global Brand Simplicity Index™ , where health insurance landed 24th in a field of 25 industries. The diagnosis was even worse in the United States, where it finished dead last.

It’s one thing to win customers; it’s quite another to keep them. This is the challenge that all companies face, especially in today’s competitive, price-conscious environment. Last month I attended a conference on customer loyalty, which featured presentations from companies that recognize the importance of staying connected with their customers. One of the speakers was Adam Goldstein, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. This brand plumbs the depths of the oceans to find out what is working on their cruise ships, and what isn’t.

I’ve always loved Fairway. The narrow aisles, the cantankerous crowds, the huge assortment of produce spilling out to the sidewalk on Broadway and 74th Street… it may not be for everyone, but for a quintessentially New York experience—and the most reasonable prices in Manhattan—it can’t be beat.