Thursday, June 10, 2010

I Get It

On every level - A fresh [re]start. A new consumer shopping mentality vs entitlement purchasing / branding. A sense of 'Male vs Female' consumerism.

The story around and thinking behind Jil Sander's hook-up with Uniqlo speaks to
much more than just fashion.
The messages relate to - Personal profession. Product / Service branding, marketing, selling in today's world and the marketplace ahead.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Neo Enters The Matrix

“Are YOU the one?”

Guess that’s what GM Pres - Mark Reuss, CEO - Ed Whitacre, and every US taxpayer is asking about Marketing Maverick - Joel Ewanick entering the GM Matrix.


Are 'you' the one to save the company and our investment?
Many comments about this move, eg -
Here, Here, and Here.

As per
April Auto Sales Reports, GM success lags behind the comp [and the 20% Industry gain]. Sales by brand, Cadillac / Buick exceeded Ind. avg., Chevy / GMC did not [mis-typed April 09 Bowtie #, BTW]. And the GM 'DeadToMe' brands ARE hurting the mth-to-mth %'s, as GM is not replacing those losses.

So, with Joel Ewanick, here is a move to recraft newGM. As a veteran of my own attempts to storm the defenses of oldGM, I wonder if Joel’s first meeting will go something like
this?

And I am raising my hand, right now.
Having met Joel in Hyundai meetings - Having my own unfinished biz with GM - Mr. E, I would like to help you make something good happen for newGM.
Just offering.

Remember, even Neo couldn't get it done alone.
But, being honest, I'm more of a 'Tank / Dozer' team member, not your 'Trinity'.
For a host of reasons!

Friday, April 23, 2010

When 'Full' Means Only 10%



Trusting a brand starts with being true to the truth.
[Uh, Toyota? We got this, now?]

So, GM is telling the world its gov loans are repaid "in full", suggesting - GM is free of handouts, GM has cash again, GM is back.

Oh, really? Like those EPA fuel mileage window-stickers, these GM claims should also come with an 'actual results may vary' disclaimer.

First, there is the
cash question. Is GM cash rich from biz improvement, giving back excess government money it received and doesn't need, OR using one loan to pay off the other? [See my uncle Angelo for details on that last concept.]

The bigger issue is the FACT that GM's repayment represents but a fraction of the $50 billion bailout it received from U.S. / Canadian governments, most of which won't be paid back. Instead it's been converted into GM stock [TBD on this ROI story].

All not exactly consistent with THIS W's wording to the world - "We've repaid our governement loan IN FULL, with interest".

Surely, Ed's not hoping people will think GM is completely free of public welfare / 'socialist' control? What is it with 'W's' and implied truth?

And stay tuned for that whole 'Volt will be here in October' claim, too.

UPDATE - Ha!

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

The Kids Are Alright

I like stories like this NY Times column because -

a] It takes the macro-view of things,
b] It puts the negative spin about the here / now into perspective.

Youth, diversity, enterprise, education, fertile thinking.
All good. Because the kids are alright.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Less Is More? Less is Less!


So, wait a minute. The Internet, the source of knowledge / the home of deeper information search is now accepted by clients and their agencies ONLY as the domain of short-from video........?
While Television, the creator of 'short-attention spans' across the globe, is where brands see long-form video storytelling as better?

So sayeth the quoted in this NY Times story.
This can't be about Internet bandwidth, as aren't we @ 75% of US Households already with broadband and the US trailing other global markets that are faster streamers than we?  Or is this, once again, traditional thinking clinging to the traditional TV model -

* Agency bottom-lines [making $ producing spots AND buying media].
* Clients still thinking 'most eyeballs = more TV spending'.

I'm all for the continued convergence of media[s], but, I'm watching this [not TV] and wondering what's really at the bottom of the thinking.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

When It's Not Work

Count up [and embrace] the many career messages in this NY Times 'The Boss' bio article on Tony Hawk. You'll read how his passion took his learning deeper than just the skateboard tricks.

And maybe you can channel such thinking - to put 'some air' - into your next project, work assignment, or career '540 Mute' [a Tony-invented fave] move.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Not This Year!

In 2005, Toyota won the Japan Quality Award [English page]. Obviously, not this year.

I bring this up NOT to pile on as another detractor.
Toyota is a career Alma Mater.

No, this post is here as a thought-provoker.
To suggest one looks at the events / actions / reactions. To learn -

* That Process, People, Strategy, and Tactics are 'success-deciders'.
* That 'success' requires constant vigilance.
* That objectives must be checked to assure they do not conflict.

* That the toughest job of any company is to get its people to understand their true responsibilities, the implications of their every actions, AND to activate the pride, presence, and freedom in each associate to allow them to stop / think / act to do the best they can.

The Toyota mess is not the result of chasing GM - To be the biggest.
If it was that simple it would be an easy fix.

I fear it it may be more deeply rooted. It may be endemic to why Toyota builds a
$375,000 250 unit supercar, wastes $$Billions on a failed never-winning F1 team, AT THE EXACT SAME TIME it messes up its core business by taking actions that surrender the foundation to its reputation - Quality.

It may be as simple as - Focus.
It probably includes - Smarts, too [Not the cars....the thinking thing].