Author Archives: John

if you own it…just try and prove it

protect your property

Clients often ask how they can protect their hard work from being stolen by imitators. Most think a patent is like Kevlar when it comes to fending off ripoff artists. They’re an important part of protecting your (manufactured) work, but we think an equally important level of security is afforded by trademarking a unique identifier for your product.

All you have to do is Google “Chinese copyright” to get a sense of the problem. The full magnitude of violations is huge; right now, the biggest stick in reining in the IP thieves are the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics and the embarassing fallout the Chinese government hopes to avoid by launching an internal crackdown on the wholesale stealing of protected Western ideas.

While copyright is usually the second process that comes to mind in any discussion concerning intellectual property, that category was primarily designed to benefit fine art creators – publishers, writers, photographers, now web creators – and which extends to the marketing and advertising community.

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should britney be tasered?

can the media be trusted?

Between the primal scream “Leave Britney Alone!” and the primal duh! “Don’t Tase Me, Bro!” it’s clear the water’s a lot murkier when it comes to intellectual content these days. The screaming momos starring in both these YouTube hits are obviously twin sons of different mothers.

My alma mater is the University of Florida, so it’s understandable I’m a little miffed at seeing a journalism student – senior no less! – get the lead role in what looks more and more like a setup with the sole purpose of recasting Whitey as Rodney courtesy of the campus cops. During my stay in Gainesville, they were favorably compared to the Keystone Kops, for reasons obvious and otherwise.

As a communicator, it’s troubling when so much bandwidth is consumed eyeballing these whacked out vid bits – extreme street racing, anyone? – at a time when the majority of the population readily admits to virtually ignoring newspapers and of treating reading in general as something last practiced during Victorian times.

So what’s this doing on a powersports site? If we agree there are only so many moments during the waking hours for information to be consumed and interpreted, then it follows that with content like this on the buffet it’s less likely your message gets heard. Or viewed, as the case may be.

Right now there’s increasing concern over the rise in motorcycle fatalities, and a fair amount of disagreement as to cause. Industry leaders are pretty well informed on the subject though views vary. But we’re left wondering if the actual at large biking audience has any inkling there’s a serious discussion going on. Web forums notwithstanding, the issues that intersect our lives need to be communicated in a fair, accurate and efficient manner by those involved, for those involved. If not, it’ll be the realtor turned legislator who happens to hate bikes that’ll do it for us.

building brand buzz – ktm rewrites the book

x-bow frontktm’s x-bow wonder car

With the mixed bag of marketing news currently rolling in – TMC to cut shipments, overall growth down in most markets – the swath KTM’s cutting in the media and the showroom is nothing short of astounding.

For a brand that’s seen its share of rudderless drifting, what’s happening now is something the Big 3 US automakers wished they could channel. Editorially, KTM’s all up in everybody’s face these days. And these days it’s orange and black. No, not over there. Over here. Lets take a look at this bad boy badge.

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jim vs jack – brand allegiance defined

jim beam bourbon whiskey

A few years ago my decades long brand allegiance to Mr. Jack Daniels was severed when the iconic brand was outed for having diluted Old No. 7 without so much as a by your leave to the legions of faithful sippers.

As a result of that marketing gaffe – remember the Classic Coke disaster? – I switched back to a favorite from my, uh-hem, formative years – Jim Beam – to punish Lynchburg’s favorite son.

This is more than Tennessee vs. Kentucky. Charcoal filtered vs. charred barrels. In today’s online edition Ad Age reports the folks at Beam have announced a $100-million shift in media strategy aimed at really pushing the word-of-mouth category of unmeasured ad spending.

With social content media alternatives popping up like unwanted relatives at a family reunion, it’s no wonder traditional print feels threatened. All I know is the folks at Beam Global Wine & Spirits want to reward their evangelistas. Where do I sign up?

vegas to reno – the really hard way

vegas to reno the hard way

Once a year Trek riding pal Steve Soto’s beautifully prepped Northland Motorsports/Soto Racing Honda XR650R finished 9th in class (Expert-Open) in this year’s Vegas to Reno off-road classic in an event that saw over half the field DNF. Last year a fried alternator sidelined the Reno or Bust team, but this year luck smiled on #334 and 587 miles of Nevada desert’s in the history books. Big thumbs up to Steven and co-riders Gene Lane and Jeff Leonard for a great job of safe riding, and to photojournalist Mark Kariya for a great image.

chris blaise injured – outlook uncertain

chris blaise national powersports auction

Word just in that three-time Dakar rider and two-time podium winner Chris Blaise was seriously injured pre-running the Vegas to Reno Best In The Desert course the weekend of August 4th. With him at the time was Honda rider Johnny Campbell, who according to reports was crucial in making sure the KTM/Red Bull rider received emergency first aid appropriate for his injuries, including helicopter transport to area facilities.

Those injuries include a fractured vertebra, which, according to reports, was fused. Originally treated in Reno, Chris has since been transported to a rehabilitation facility near his Southern California home.

I just met Chris (above) at this year’s Indy Dealer Expo and was immediately won over by his genuine humility, after having witnessed his delicate and determined riding prowess over the past several years during the Dakar coverage on OLN (now VS.) cable coverage.

We’ll post more as both Chris and events stabilize, including details on the fund that’s been established in his name at Bank of America and how contributions are being handled. We’re firm in our belief that given Chris’ unwavering training ethic, determination and natural abilities, we’ll all enjoy seeing this able young star riding again.

flak, fluff, spin – just make it count

getting the most from your pr
I just posted a short how-to here on how to get the most out of your publicity efforts. I only list three checklist tips, but they describe the most common mistakes and how to easily correct them.

Why bother? When you consider the space rates for most of the publications reaching dealers and consumers hands every month, even a modest investment in preparation could yield pretty impressive savings – not to mention the impact on your brand.

It’s like – like getting free gas at the pump, just for checking your tire pressure.

evel at 68 – the first “jackass” reflects back

Yesterday’s St. Pete Times ran another feature update on Clearwater resident Evel Knievel’s daily routine as years of wrecks and crashes vie with the liver transplant and arthritis to see which is the most debilitating.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe the stunts he tried and succeeded at, let alone the disasters, from the seat of an Ironhead Sportster and the pogo stick suspension of the day.

If you’re interested in a field study on how the quality of life could be affected after falling down repeatedly at high speed, this might be the one to archive.

sema show in hi-def — wow!

hanging out at the GM pavillion

For a real behind the scenes look at SEMA’s behemoth, watch for Discovery Channel’s hi-def production hosted by builder legend in his own time Chip Foose. This is one smart docu-pitch, filmed after hours and without the usual mind-numbing acid guitar for no apparent reason loops.

I discovered what I missed — a lot — by skipping the tires and wheels pavillion at the show. Foose, one of the most talented car crafters of this era, acknowledges his peers while discretely letting you know why he’s the talent at the top of the hill. (Foose and powersports bike builder Denny Berg are both Transportation Design graduates of the acclaimed Pasadena Art College — proof that while there’s natural talent, developed natural talent puts these practitioners on a level of their own.)

In rotation for awhile, go to Discovery Channel’s web site then select Discovery HD and search for SEMA: After Hours for next cablecast.

clips and snips

Deadenbacher Icon Hits Dead End

Collected random access tidbits…Detroit agencies are having to suck it up after the Big 3 bail on traditional agency hookups worth over $880-mil…Harley’s going after the Latino market with a new comic book based campaign that acknowledges the sagging boomer demos…Miami agency Crispin Porter Bogusky loses popcorn action after resurrecting Orville Redenbacher icon as digitized spokesman for the brand, leading cynics to pan ads “Deadenbacher” while reminding me of the last gasp campaign for Schlitz — The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous — and instantly dubbed “Drink Schlitz Or I’ll Kill You”, before the taps were permanently closed in the ’90s…Dodge’s quick-step out of court sealed settlement for an undisclosed amount doesn’t bode well for chop fabber Billy Lane’s upcoming criminal trial in September on DUI-manslaughter charges…BMW picks up Husqvarna in a synergistic marketing extension — former Swedish brand expected to bolster entry level, Gen-X rider interest…