Since this is a blog dedicated to marketing strategy, we would be remiss if we failed to comment on last week’s Super Bowl – which has become almost as important to advertisers as it is to the NFL. With advertisers spending an average of $4.0 million for a 30-second spot this year (oh yeah that’s an average, some paid more), you would expect we would see that best that marketers could muster. And, for the most part, you’d be right.
Posts
Bob Brown Joins Thiel as Interim COO and Board Member
Industry veteran Bob Brown, known to many from his long tenure as President at Lenbrook America, has joined Thiel Audio as a member of their board of directors. Brown will also, effective immediately, begin serving as the company’s interim Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Thiel, as we recently reported, is in the middle of an exciting revival as the result of its recent purchase by a consortium of Tennessee investors led by current CEO Bill Thomas.
See more on this interesting new development for Thiel… [Read more…] about Bob Brown Joins Thiel as Interim COO and Board Member
Sony Hires Army of 400 Experts to Send to U.S. Retailers to Sell Sony TVs
Trapped by their own newly strengthened mandated pricing programs, and a commitment to grow sales profitably, Sony Corp. has resorted to deploying a wave of 400 company employees into the field to sell Sony televisions at U.S. retailers. The move is said to be a way to try to stimulate Sony TV sales without resorting to retail discounting.
Smart strategy? Or is hiring 400 TV ‘experts’ really just thinly veiled discounting?… [Read more…] about Sony Hires Army of 400 Experts to Send to U.S. Retailers to Sell Sony TVs
Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Toyota’s Innovative New Use for Recycled Prius Batteries
Every year, 6,000 large, expensive, and depleted batteries, recycled by auto dealers all over the country, pour into Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan. The batteries have been pulled out of Prius automobiles as they are replaced by car dealers who then return them to the manufacturer for recycling. And given the growing popularity of the Prius, this rate will almost certainly continue to rise over time.
What to do with them? Toyota has ingeniously figured out a way to refurbish them, reconfigure them, and resell them back to the very dealers who had returned them. How do they do this?
See the ingenious power management system that Toyota will offer its dealers, made from old Prius batteries… [Read more…] about Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Toyota’s Innovative New Use for Recycled Prius Batteries
While Others Go Small, Panasonic Goes Big with 20-inch Tablet
For those of you who were at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month: Did you see the new tablet introduced by Panasonic? Featured during the Panasonic press conference as an example of Panasonic’s innovation, the company showed a new tablet computer launching it into the tablet computer fray which is dominated by the Apple iPad…with a rapidly growing Samsung with its Galaxy Note and Tab lines nipping at its heels.
But does this new Panasonic tablet have a market?… [Read more…] about While Others Go Small, Panasonic Goes Big with 20-inch Tablet
Belden Launches Line of ‘Traceable’ Category Patch Cables
Belden, Inc. announced today it was launching a line of unique traceable Bonded-Pair patch cables to help users and installers to quickly and easily identify network connections. The cables could be a real time-saver for sophisticated system installations involving multiple network connections by providing installers a simple and fool-proof method of verifying paired connections.
See more on this interesting product introduction… [Read more…] about Belden Launches Line of ‘Traceable’ Category Patch Cables
Is It Time to Start a Deathwatch on the Industry’s Annual CES?
It is now late January and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is well into our rear-view mirror. Yes, as in other years, there has been a flood of publicity and tons of articles on gadgets introduced at the show. The show’s promoter, the CEA, has already crowed about the event being the biggest ever and all seems well. Or is it?
See the warning signs that the CEA seems to be ignoring… [Read more…] about Is It Time to Start a Deathwatch on the Industry’s Annual CES?
In Wake of Weak iPhone 5 Sales, Apple Cuts Parts Orders by 50%
From the looks of it, Apple’s iPhone 5 launch may have been a bit of a dud. Several news services such as Bloomberg News and the Nikkei in Japan are reporting that the company has cut orders to its suppliers for parts by as much as 50%. This moves follows a report that the company quietly cut production schedules on the iPhone 5 last month by 30% and suggests that the latest incarnation of iPhone is selling poorly – or at least below expectations based on initial order levels.
See more about this dramatic turn of events for a critical product for Apple… [Read more…] about In Wake of Weak iPhone 5 Sales, Apple Cuts Parts Orders by 50%
Residential Construction Rebound Getting More Convincing Based on December Data
The U.S. Census Bureau released residential construction data for the month of December and the results provide further – and perhaps more convincing – proof that the housing market is showing consistent signs of improvement. Some analysts even call this a housing rebound as overall residential construction starts increased to 954,000 units or 12.1% over the revised November rate of 851,000 units.
There’s even more good news in this report that lends credibility to the housing rebound… [Read more…] about Residential Construction Rebound Getting More Convincing Based on December Data
In a Surprise Move – Sharp is Negotiating to Merge It’s Foundering TV Operations with China’s Lenovo
BREAKING NEWS
The Nikkei is reporting today that Sharp Corp., the struggling Japanese flat-panel TV manufacturer, is in the final stages of negotiations to merge its television division with China’s largest personal computer manufacturer – Lenovo Group, Ltd. If successful, Lenovo could leapfrog the competition to become one of the largest television manufacturers in the world.
