COLUMNIST–DATELINEAMERICA
Thebestoftimes,
Andsobegins2009.AsIwrite Thisisgood. halfthe$104,000,this
this,weareaweekawayfrom
Indifficulttimes,it
Justasrampantand restaurantismilkingthe
theUSPresidential
becomeseven
undisciplinedconsumerismwas publicitygeneratedfromthefish
Inauguration.Thefeelinginthe theportraitofthelastdecade, likeadairyfarmerwithaherdof
countryisoneofcautious
moreimportantto
nowwehopethepicturebeing Holsteins.Theysaythatasa
optimismandrelief. gettogetherwith paintedwillbeoneofasenseof marketingandbrand-building
Theoptimismisduetothe proportion. strategyithasbeenahuge
charismaticappealofBarack
othermarketersto
Ifthat’sthecase,whatever successandtheyplanondoing
Obama.Thecautionisforthe shareideas.Don’t hardshipslieaheadwillbeworth itagain.
verydireeconomic it.Ifittakesasevereshockto So,isre-allocatingmarketing
circumstancesthecountryand
workinavacuum.
shakeacountryoutofalifestyle dollars(orYen)–noteliminating
theworldarefacing.Therelief andthoughtprocessthatcannot them–thewaytogoindifficult
issayinggoodbyetoeightyears besupportedbyrealdollars, times?Icertainlythinkso.
ofanadministrationthatmay centsandsense,thenIthinkthe Whilesomehunkerdownand
havecausedmoredamagethan shockhasfinallybeendelivered. licktheirwounds,thecompanies
weevenknow.WhatObamacan So,marketershaveto thatcontinuetobuildbrand
doisuncertain.Damagecontrol re-align,re-defineandre-design awarenessandcustomershare
beginsonDayOneandrecovery theirmodelsasconsumer willthrive–inboththeshort
timeestimatesareunknown. attitudeschangefrom andthelong-term.
ButAmericaisacountryof free-spendertosaver.Companies
optimistsandentrepreneurs. thatcanchangetoalignwith Impactonincome
That’swhatmakesitaspecial thiswilldowellandthrive. Onebenefittohavingminimal
place–itgrowsitsownand Thosebasingtheirproducts disposableincomeistherecent
attractsthosefromaroundthe andservicesonconspicuous stockmarketmeltdownhashad
world. andobsceneconsumptionhabits alimitedpersonalimpact.Ihave
Onlythealready willsuffer. beenreadingaboutbillionaires
over-burdenedmiddleclass Unfortunately,thoseoffering committingsuicide.Comeon!
seemstorecognisethatthe necessarybuthigh-ticket Eveniftheylosteverything,
fundingforeconomic merchandise–likecars–will theirdefinitionof‘everything’
bailoutscomesfrom suffergreatlyaswell. muststillleavethemwithmore
taxrevenuesand thanI’lleverhave!
theserevenues Abigdeal Ofcourse,shameisan
areshrinking Ofcourse,therearealways entirelydifferentmotivation...
drastically. exceptions:TwoJapanesesushi butseemstohavenoeffecton
Belt-tightening restaurantsjustpaid$104,000 BernieMadoff–whataclassic
andliving foradeadfish;aBluefintuna Americansuccessstory!Hehad
withinmeans (apparently,theJapanesego alegitimatetradingbusiness
isbecoming crazyovertunathewaywedo thatdidverywell;itwasthe
imbeddedinthe overBeaujolaisNouveau.Both undersideofthebusinessthat
sub-conscious arehighlyoverrated).Abigdeal didhimin.
ofalmostall ismadeoverthefirstcatchof ButIwouldneverhave
Americans. theyear. trustedhimwithmymoney–
Torecoupitsinvestment,one evenifIhadittoinvestand
restaurantisofferingathinslice couldgainmembershipofhis
ofthetunafor$22– foraslice countryclubinPalmBeach
sothinit’stranslucent!The (whichseemedtobea
otherrestaurantismore pre-requisiteforinvesting):This
practical;realisingitwillnever isamanwhoregularlyhas$50
comeclosetocoveringthecost pedicures...notmanicures,
ofthesharedfishandincluding pedicures!Iassumehespenta
itinitssushiplatters.Wisely, lotoftimeinopen-toedsandals
andthereasonitplunkeddown insunnyFlorida...but
14 January/February2009
www.dmi-news.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52