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Core Brands Completes Downsizing of National Sales Force

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BREAKING NEWS

Nortek's Core Brands LogoStrata-gee.com heard this week from multiple sources that Core Brands had completed the analysis phase of its sales force consolidation, and was now executing the termination of the losing reps – and the reassigning of brands to the winning reps. Core Brands, a division of Nortek, Inc., had announced the downsizing process in a conference call with their entire sale representative network on April 19th – laying out a process for which the desired result was to create a smaller network of fewer authorized sales representative companies presenting most, if not all, of the company’s ten brands.

But there is some question as to how successful the process was, given continuing multi-rep territories… [Read more…] about Core Brands Completes Downsizing of National Sales Force

To Skeptical Crowd, Apple’s Tim Cook Promises ‘Game Changers’ are Coming

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Apple, Inc. LogoWall Street analysts are getting increasingly concerned about the ability of Apple, Inc. to sustain its historic run of innovation. Some are suggesting the company’s best days may in fact be behind it. Exacerbating the growing drumbeat of discontent…it has been eight months – since October 2012 – when Apple last announced new products. And even they were more iterative than innovative. Clearly feeling the pressure, over the last couple of months Apple CEO Tim Cook has told anyone who was willing to listen to hang on, great things are coming.

Are ‘game changers’ really coming? Or is the innovation just a figment of Cook’s imagination?… [Read more…] about To Skeptical Crowd, Apple’s Tim Cook Promises ‘Game Changers’ are Coming

Do Your Email Marketing Campaigns Measure Up?

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Photo of Silverpop Study CoverFor many of today’s companies and marketers, whether business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B), email marketing has become one of, if not the, most potent arrows in their marketing quiver. There are many reasons why this is the case. Certainly, one reason is “cost effectiveness.” For a relatively low-cost, marketers can address large lists of email addresses with their targeted message. And thanks to fill-in-the-blanks message templates, email marketing is also fairly easy to create. And finally, once you “push the button,” email marketing is delivered almost instantaneously.

But do you know if your campaigns are effective compared to objective norms? See more here… [Read more…] about Do Your Email Marketing Campaigns Measure Up?

Sharp Launches 4K Ultra HDTV

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Photo of Sharp DisplaySharp Corp. announced today that it will begin selling 4K or Ultra High Definition televisions to high-end consumers in Japan starting in June, according to a report by the Nikkei. To be included as part of its Aquos line, the company says that 4K technology offers consumers four times the resolution of existing HDTVs.

See more on Sharp’s plans, including whether they have plans to export 4K to the U.S…. [Read more…] about Sharp Launches 4K Ultra HDTV

Wake-Up Calls and Blind Spots

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Photo close-up of walking shoesLast Wednesday, I got a wake-up call the likes of which I never expected…and it has changed my life. Oh yeah, not hyperbole. It started with a simple walk and ended with what I think demonstrates an important lesson in life…and an important lesson in business.

What was it? Well, as I said,  it started when I went for a walk… [Read more…] about Wake-Up Calls and Blind Spots

In Wake of Fiscal Year Loss, Pioneer Seeks Business Alliances…and Capital

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Pioneer_2012CES_2Pioneer Corp. is seeking to form a business and capital alliance with Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. according to a story today in The Japan Times. The company will also try to enhance its ties with Mitsubishi Electric Corp. “in a bid to survive” in its main car electronics business with a stronger financial footing.

The announcement was made the same day that the company announced their Fiscal 2013 results in which sales came in at ¥451.8 billion ($4.4 billion), up 3.5% over ¥436.8 billion. But more importantly, the company announced a big loss of ¥19.6 billion ($191.6 million)…much worse than the profit of ¥3.7 billion last year.

See more on why Pioneer needs these new alliances… [Read more…] about In Wake of Fiscal Year Loss, Pioneer Seeks Business Alliances…and Capital

Huge Loss & Management Dismissals Induce Sharp Pain at Sharp Corp.

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Photo of Sharp booth at CESSharp Corp. announced this week the worst net loss in its long corporate history for the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2013. Booking a net loss of ¥545.35 billion ($5.4 billion), the company has aggressively moved to shake up the company management replacing both the President and Chairman in a rare (for a Japanese company) public rebuke of company leaders. And in what may be a signal to the market, the new President has no ties to the company’s TV business…and he’s talking tough.

See more on this worse-than-expected result… [Read more…] about Huge Loss & Management Dismissals Induce Sharp Pain at Sharp Corp.

Nortek Reports Uneven Q1 Results, But TECH Actually Contributes This Time

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Nortek LogoNortek, Inc. reported their financial results from the first quarter of fiscal 2013 late last week. The results were mixed as the company deals with a struggling economy and a difficult internal restructuring that is impacting costs now, with any resulting benefits to be realized still down the road. But for the first time in several quarters, the company’s Technology Solutions Segment (TECH) actually offered a positive contribution with growth in both sales and profits offsetting losses in other divisions. But TECH’s success was largely due to a recent acquisition in the security business.

See more on Nortek’s results… [Read more…] about Nortek Reports Uneven Q1 Results, But TECH Actually Contributes This Time

Banks Throw Sharp a $1.5 Billion Lifeline

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Arial photo of Sharp factoryTwo key banks in Japan announced yesterday that they will extend Sharp Corp. an additional line of credit of ¥150 billion ($1.5 billion) over and above all of their other financing. Mizuho Corporate Bank and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ originally had considered a ¥100 billion line, but ultimately decided to up the ante with each bank kicking in ¥75 billion – a real lifeline to the struggling electronics manufacturer.

See more on this surprise announcement out of Japan… [Read more…] about Banks Throw Sharp a $1.5 Billion Lifeline

Kathy Gornik: Why I Sold Thiel…

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*Strata-gee.com EXCLUSIVE*

Photo of Kathy GornikMuch has been written on the changes at Lexington, KY-based Thiel Audio Products Company (Thiel) in the wake of its purchase by a group of Tennessee investors that we first reported last November. Shortly after their acquisition, strata-gee.com was invited to speak with Bill Thomas – one of those Tennessee investors and now the new CEO of Thiel Audio. And a couple of months after that, we had the opportunity to speak with new Thiel interim COO and Board member Bob Brown.

But many Thiel-related reps and dealers kept asking us about co-founder and former President Kathy Gornik. Some of this curiosity was related to rumors that Gornik had been forcibly removed from the respected high-end loudspeaker company that she helped found. And some of the interest centered around an unanswered question, not covered by any of the press (including Strata-gee.com) as to why Gornik decided to sell the company.

Now, Gornik has granted Strata-gee.com an exclusive interview…to tell her side of the story… [Read more…] about Kathy Gornik: Why I Sold Thiel…