indy – brave expectations amid challenges

warn selling goes the extra mile and delivers results

We’re off to Indy tomorrow, where the forecast includes single-digit lows. Hmmmm, guess I’ll pack an extra sweater.

News of White Brothers closing their doors is just one of many news ripples we’re expecting in what’s shaping up to be a bellwether year. I’m anxious to find out how the Asian tsunami of anything other than full sized bikes is playing out. ATVs, SXSs, scooters, pit bikes – all flooding our shores in record numbers, with identical undecipherable logo plays, ridiculous brand labels and a parts and service problem that paints all imports with the same brush.

Marketing’s all about perception and regardless of how efficient the back end manufacturing processes, it’s the sell that wins the day. Will there be any interest in delivering messages that connect, or business as usual as defined by those who don’t shop trying to connect with those who do? We’ll see.

brand? or category?

the future’s not too sweet for the folks at Hershey these days

Think of chocolate, think of Hershey. Buy chocolate, buy M&Ms. Own the brand, lose the category. As a powersports industry that’s already feeling the approaching recession wonders what to do, one approach might be to consider what’s more important – brand, or category? Is there a difference? You bet. And how you define your marketing approach may determine whether your product lives or dies.

Continue reading →

want fries with that?

cover your eyes and don’t read the rest

Harley’s Hog Club notwithstanding, snorting pig brains might cause, among other things, numbness and weakness in the extremities.

According to a story in the Washington Post, some of the folks working at Quality Pork Processor’s “head table” reported the symptoms after, um, using compressed air to remove the deceased porker’s former thought processor, a process referred to as “blowing brains” which researchers now think may have atomized some of the material that was subsequently inhaled.

Everything but the oink? You betcha. The product is shipped to, among other recipients, Korea and China.

a really super bowl

one take and we’re done

I’m still enjoying the aftermath of LSU’s whuppin’ of Ohio State so the lure of the Giants finishing a come from behind season to topple the Pats wasn’t that much on my radar. Until I heard who the halftime entertainment was.

Over 20 years ago I got a gig shooting Tom Petty in the most unlikely setting; a penthouse balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. You can read about it over on the web.

yeah – what about jobs?

Timing’s everything. The Michigan primary has the current crop of politicians stating the obvious: the state’s in trouble, and promising the banal: the plan out of unemployment is retraining. Okay so far, we don’t disagree.

But. In case you didn’t know, and I sure didn’t, the leading black hole darlings for investor capital continue to be dot coms, like, well, YouTube. Purchased by Google in 2006 for $One-with-a-B billion. Spread out over about 60 employees. No, I can’t do the math.
Continue reading →

pri’s speed shop – a performance triple-decker

performance racing industry’s 3-day portable speed shop

Tag along as we travel to Orlando for the Performance Racing Industry’s annual trade show, held last December under Chamber of Commerce skies and a little north of 40,000 dealers. You won’t find stereos or flat screens, spinner rims or rhinestones. Just aisle after aisle of speed and performance. So jump on the bus and take a look at Performance Racing Industry 2007.

xerox’s newest logo generates half-buzz

xerox launches contemporary new looknew look replaces this old look

News this week that Xerox picked Omnicom group Interbrand to develop a fresh interpretation (left) of their somewhat stodgy all caps rendering that’s been in use since, well, since ’04. Nuts and bolts include the following: cost unknown, but they didn’t use a part-time freelancer who moonlights at the community college; rollout to take 18 months; applications range from biz cards to equipment badging. Stated goal is a rebranding (here’s my take on the process) from a copier company to communications omnipotence – or something close. Oooo-kay.
Continue reading →