Later, The Rock Does A Brake Job
Let’s face it, the XFL has as much to do with football – or real sports – as, well, the WWF. America’s scribes have weighed in heavily against the XFL, comparing and contrasting the fledgling league’s attempt at football with the pinpoint execution and superior athleticism of a NFL contest. Even the skills displayed in
Focus on the ‘Why,’ Not the ‘What’
"Changing the basic retail tire buying experience" is the hot topic right now. It’s been the underlying thread of every dealer meeting I’ve attended over the past year, and it will doubtlessly be the theme of many more in the near future. And it should. Between 1997 and 1999, tire retail customer satisfaction, measured by
Our New Dubya, Dubya, Dubya
Since the early days of the WWW, magazine publishers – like so many others – have stumbled, staggered and struggled with fashioning effective Web sites. Hindsight, as they say, is always 20/20, so we have a clear view of the laundry list of World Wide Whiffs. Suffice it to say, we all made mistakes over
And To All, A Good Night
I have a fistful of ideas on bits of paper, but no BIG IDEA for this month. So, ala Larry King, and in an attempt to clear my desk of those bits of paper, here are some random thoughts to close the year: As we all embark on much needed consumer education about tire
Dale, Dale, He’s Our Man…
Dale Schermerhorn.Learn that name and learn it well. He’s our new poster boy.Dale lives in Connecticut and drives a Honda Accord. That’s really all I know about good old Dale. Except that he doesn’t keep his tires properly inflated.USA Today – often referred to as the “McPaper” because it serves up news hot, fast and
Covering the Extraordinary
I’m sitting here staring at a six-inch thick file, jammed with news clips on the Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS) recall. I have read every word and listened to every press conference for four weeks straight now.. And I don’t even know where to begin. I’m sure you’ve followed this incredible saga as it’s twisted and turned, changing
The Great Questions of Life
Sometimes I swear I have the best job in the world. At least in the tire world.I can sit and watch the industry press forward in a seemingly endless cycle of inventing, consolidating, buying, selling, creating, synergizing, negotiating, assimilating, downsizing, upsizing, enhancing and rationalizing.And I never get blamed for anything, never get hit by the
Headbanging Over the Internet
I don’t particularly care for Metallica. But I’ve always been impressed with the band’s co-founder and drummer Lars Ulrich. It’s hard to picture a devout headbanger as being bright, but Lars has proven himself as one of the most intelligent and erudite people in music today. Metallica has been a loud opponent of Napster, a
All This and More – for $300
What if someone came into your shop today and told you they would do all your marketing and promotion, would represent you and your products at numerous trade shows across the continent, would produce dozens of print and video news releases supporting your business, would monitor media coverage of your business in virtually every newspaper
Basketball? No…It’s Tire Retailing
Around the middle of the second half, I realized what I was watching. Sure, on the face of it Michigan State was systematically dismantling Florida in the NCAA finals. But what we were really watching was a perfect metaphor for the state of tire retailing.Fresh-faced, flashy underclassmen versus patient, methodical upperclassmen. Youth vs. experience. Slick
A Quiet End to a Distinguished Career
The last time I had the opportunity to speak with Pat Rooney was during the International Tire Expo last November. It was at a cocktail party in a room teeming with people, loud with animated conversation coming from every direction. He was standing alone. No entourage. No underlings. No posse. To me, that situation was
Bringing You the Best – Brick by Brick
I learned a long time ago that when you ask an honest question you should expect an honest answer. Especially if it’s about something the person you’re speaking with truly values.The whirlwind of dealer and industry meetings over the past few months has given me the opportunity to renew old friendships and meet a lot