I’ve wanted to do a post on the slow motion car wreck that is the Toyota story, but I just haven’t had the time. This is a subject that satisfies several of my interests, from automobiles to politics to organizational dynamics, and I’ve followed it closely. So instead, here’s a collection of links…
Consumer Behavior
17
Feb 10
Instant DVD Gratification is worth a Premium
I love me some Redbox. I’m ashamed to admit that I’m probably a good 5-years behind on movies I want to see. Buying any DVD (with the exception of kids’ movies) is a waste of money, in my opinion. I contemplated signing up for Netflix, but I doubt I would utilize the service enough to justify the expense. Redbox neatly fills that void by allowing me to pick up new releases at my convenience, all for the low price of $1 plus tax.
16
Feb 10
DIY Shamrock Shake
Carrying the Shamrock Shake is up to the discretion of each franchisee, much like the rest of McDonald’s menu, so some of you may be Shamrock Shakeless (sorry New York, as of 2007).
Fortunately, there is a recipe, which can be perfected with Bailey’s Irish Creme. Check out some vintage commericals on YouTube.
4
Feb 10
Bad Brakes for Toyota. They Audi know…
This is really a stretch of bad news for Toyota. Like I’ve said before, bigger (or biggest) isn’t necessarily better. You know it’s bad when Chrysler is kicking you when you’re down.
As Toyota has gained market share, they’ve also been letting things slip at the periphery. In recent memory, there were the problems with the full-size Tundra at launch, threatened legal action over roof-crush strength, the fiery floor mats of death, and now the Prius’ braking problem, plus others that you’ve likely never seen reported.
30
Jan 10
MacMillan as ‘Canary in a Coalmine’?
Fellow North Catholic alum and Philadelphian crime noir author Duane Swierczynski tweeted that Amazon has removed all MacMillan books from their listings (note you can still purchase MacMillan books through third-parties via Amazon).
The NY Times explains the controversy thusly:
Macmillan, like other publishers, has asked Amazon to raise the price of e-books to around $15 from $9.99.
Amazon is naturally not a fan. It is also relevant to consider MacMillan’s partnership with Apple with regards to the iPad.
29
Jan 10
iFail
I’m just not seeing the win.
Sure, the fanboy who has iEverything will grab one. I likewise suppose that the person who would buy one of Apple’s other fine products but were deterred by the relative high price may also consider one. Like others have mentioned, the iPad (horrible name, BTW. iSlate, iBook, and iTablet would have been much better IMHO) has a series of shortcomings that are inexcusable:
- No Adobe Flash
- No multitasking
- No camera
- No HDMI-out.
- No USB ports
- No expandable memory via memory card
1
Jan 10
Tablets could ruin everything
- Speculated mock-up of Apple’s forthcoming tablet product.
I’m watching all the speculation over Apple soon-to-be unveiled Tablet product, due to be revealed on 1/26/2010. Steve Job’s had questioned the wisdom of a tablet (NYTimes via John Gruber):
Another former Apple executive who was there at the time said the tablets kept getting shelved at Apple because Mr. Jobs, whose incisive critiques are often memorable, asked, in essence, what they were good for besides surfing the Web in the bathroom.
23
Dec 09
Are You a Fan of Pepsi?
This is kind of a big deal, and may be one of the first mass market attempts of strategic use of Social Media by a major brand. Pepsi appears to be running a textbook engagement campaign instead of a traditional mass market television campaign for the 2010 Superbowl (via Springwise):
