business « Kymlee Is Awesome

Category: business

Mar 24

AT&T and World Domination

“So AT&T wants to dominate, huh?”

It’s the same thing we’ve all been thinking since the news broke this weekend.

AT&T has long had its sights set on world domination by acquiring smaller companies. And then it became a legal — albeit regulated — monopoly during WWI as a way to return to private ownership after being nationalized for a year. Bell Systems [source]

The story and its implications are well documented, so I’m not going to deal with that here. What struck me was that so many people brought it up. We’re not talking about internet people or people very tuned into business news. These were family members, friends and conversations overheard around town.

People are worried about this deal. They’re worried about price fixing and AT&T’s aggressive move to dominate the market.

And why shouldn’t they be? AT&T has been making its slow march to recover its dominant position for a long time, gobbling up Pacific Bell and Cingular. Now AT&T might have its hands on one of their biggest competitors, with its defense against anti-trust action being that there are plenty of small local wireless carriers all over the country.

One thing was clear, as AT&T continued to come up in these discussions. Not a single person thought this acquisition was good for the consumer. Nor did anyone think the deal was good for competition.

Sprint may be safe for now, but how long before AT&T and Verizon are the last monoliths standing?

If you like this post and want regular updates, subscribe to my feed.

0
comments

Posted in business, My Life, Opinion anti-trust AT&T AT&T-TMobile deal price fixing wireless industry

Oct 13

Screw the logo, Gap lost its brand identity

It’s silly, I think, that so many are buzzing about the fail that was the new Gap logo. Personally, I could care less about the logo. And aside from the fact that the logo, SUCKED, I wonder, what difference it makes. When the Gap decided to jump on the lifestyle brand bandwagon 10 years ago, the brand lost its identity.

Let’s think about it. The Gap used to be the go-to place for wardrobe basics. Comfy sweaters and khaki cargos; bright colored scarfs and a line of jeans to rival Levi’s (I always preferred Gap jeans). While I still think Gap jeans are still very affordable and made to fit a wide range of body types, the quality is seriously lacking. And where, pray tell, are the cute Pea Coats with the colorful lining? Where are the Oscar worthy T’s and casual dresses meant to be lived in?

Perhaps the real reason the Gap is in trouble, has very little to do with what’s on the outside, and everything to do with what’s on the inside. No amount of logo changes will improve the quality of Gap jeans, which I remember lasting for years, but now I’d be surprised if they lasted ONE year. Sure tees for layering is great, but that doesn’t mean anyone wants to pay $25 for a T-shirt so thin its see through and deteriorate quickly in the wash.

I get it. Being the basics brand is a challenge because everyone wants to be a fashionista. Thing is, if you’re the last pillar of everything basic, while everyone else is trying to sell their lifestyle brands and runway knockoffs, you are the last place people can get (hopefully) durable, every day wear. If I need a suit, I’m going Banana Republic or Jones NY Co. But if I want a comfy cardigan, I want to go to the Gap and know that they’ll have one, and perhaps in a rainbow of colors. Or maybe a beautiful cable-knit sweater…

Good luck. Have you been into the Gap recently? Its pretty hard to find something so basic and so simple. So where do you go? Somewhere else. And when the jeans don’t hold up to snuff, you go somewhere else too. And then you’ve got Gap loyalists like myself jumping ship.

And they’re worried about their logo. Talk about screwed priorities.

1
comments

Posted in business, Opinion brand identity Branding fashion logos quality The GAP

Feb 24

I’m not buying the Toyota recall outrage hype

I’ll be honest. Lately I’ve been stifling myself here, in my own house, on my blog. I’ve been searching for inspiration to share and ignoring certain things that I’m really passionate about. So tonight, I’m going to start returning to my roots of having an opinion on everything.

Today’s opinion topic: The railroading and scapegoating of Toyota for a massive recall for what appears to be an obscure defect. One that has been reported to result in a few dozen injuries and maybe a half-dozen deaths. Yes, death is a serious, even tragic result, but we’re talking probably 50 out of millions of cars and people.

Considerably fewer deaths or injuries cased by the Bridgestone/Firestone tire defect.

Thing is, 50/2.5 million is still pretty good in the safety department when you consider all the things we do every day that put us in danger; including driving cars. So if there’s some rare defect on a car that’s still considered one of the safest, I say the outrage is misplaced.

Ah, but the plot thickens. I don’t think the media circus and Congressional Hearings are all being instigated and created by some very savvy PR folks representing the American car makers.

Think about it: The best PR is the kind you never see. It’s about pulling the right strings, getting the ear of the right people and finding the right channels to distribute your message. It’s about ~~manipulating~~convincing a targeted audience that the message is true, even when it isn’t.

And no one does this better than lobbyists for big business interests.

And the American car making industry is one of the biggest interests in the country.

Bottom line. Its all a show and a scapegoating of the competition. We can only have the expectation the cars are reasonably safe; i.e. safe enough to pass safety standards. We can expect and even demand quality. What we can’t expect is perfection.

So I call bullshit on the Congressional hearing and I call bullshit on the smear campaign against Toyota.

1
comments

Posted in business, Opinion Business Just Sayin Open Mic Toyota Recall