Habs fans rejoice. The unthinkable has happened – well at least from a skeptic’s point of view. In case you haven’t heard already, the Montreal Canadiens completed a remarkable comeback, defeating the top seeded Washington Capitals in the seventh and deciding game of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals last night. Down three games to one a week ago, it looked as though the Canadiens would be joining their arch rival Maple Leafs on the golf course sooner rather than later. In dramatic fashion though, goaltender Jaroslav Halak and the Canadiens crawled back, despite the nay-sayer’s predictions, and ended Alexander Ovechkin’s and the Capital’s hopes of winning the Stanley Cup.

As a die-hard Montreal fan, my phone exploded last night with a slew of text messages raving over the win, but to my surprise they weren’t all from my fellow Habitants. Boston fans, Pittsburgh fans, and yes, even Toronto fans, expressed their joy in Montreal’s inspiring come-from-behind, under dog, victory – some even announced they had officially jumped on the Habs band wagon! As much as I would like to believe they developed a passion for the bleu, blanc, rouge over the course of three hours, I think it really comes down to the fact that everybody likes to see an underdog succeed. This isn’t limited to sports either – movies, politics, business, everything! Slum Dog Millionaire, Barrak Obama, and Apple are all examples of prevailing underdogs.

What does this have to do with business, or better yet, advertising? Let me break it down into three parts.

First and foremost, you have to need a good product. If there’s one thing that ad agencies love, it’s a legitimate product to build a campaign around. Successful products do what they say they will, and do it well. This generates positive word of mouth, sales, and ultimately sustainability. Think Porter Airlines. They cater their service to business people, strive for superior customer service, and charge low prices. Four years after launching, they’re now set to offer an IPO. Let’s not forget their excellent advertising either.

Secondly, the company must be relentless. If your product/service is as good as you say it is, you’re either going to have skeptics that will shoot you down, or conglomerates that will try and eat you up. Getting past these obstacles is tough, but persevere and you’ll be that much stronger. Amazon is a great example of this. After eight years without posting a quarterly profit, except for those driven by holiday sales, Amazon broke out of the red and into the black. Being based primarily in an industry that typically has little to no advertising, they have a couple catchy ads, too.

Lastly, momentum. If you succeed at the first two steps, this will either be your biggest opportunity, or your worst nightmare. If your great product catches on, fends off adversity, and then picks up momentum, you need to be able to meet your demands. If an opportunity is missed because you could not produce enough for your customers, you could sink as quickly as you soared. For example, Argentinean wine producer, Fuzion, is currently caught up in a nation wide wine craze. In November 2008, after consumers swept a seasons worth of stock off the shelves in a couple weeks, the LCBO placed an order that was equivalent in size to the one they just received. Despite being faced with a significant challenge, Fuzion realized the opportunity, embraced their momentum, and came through to please their customers in the critical holiday season.

Underdogs are loved by society for their uncanny ability to overcome adversity and succeed. However, the honeymoon doesn’t last forever, and soon the surprising results are standard expectations. As a Montreal Canadiens fan, I’ll embrace this sudden surge or support on their journey to the Stanley Cup. Although, I can’t help but think, are my adversaries actually happy, or are they just glad they don’t have to face the Ovechkin and Capitals anymore.

After spending four years completing his Bachelor of Business Administration in the thriving metropolis of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Dorian decided to explore other major cities around the world. Although sporadic trips were exciting, the novelty of serving double tall lattes faded fast. Thus returning to his native Halifax was a no-brainer, as too was his decision to pursue his passion in advertising. However, when Dorian isn’t crutching around the office, he enjoys relaxing with friends and taking in the best sounds and suds Halifax has to offer. You can find anything from Jazz to House music on his iPod… just not the Jonas Brothers.