Coordinated Marketing

Leed's Called It Mugs and More

During the normal course of the year a typical products supplier within ASI will release products two or three times.  During the dark years most companies skipped that entire process and instead just stuck with the main introductory catalog at the end of the year.  This year as the economy rebounded most rolled out a June catalog.  Leed's took it a step further and introduced hundreds of new products for the fall season.

Little did they know at the time - or perhaps they did know - several of their products are calling the economy on the nose.  Drink-ware has been their fasting growing catalog so it is no surprise the Double Dipper Ceramic Mug with Stainless Base was part of the launch.  The double name doesn't really explain anything about the mug itself so the theory that is currently bouncing around the industry is that the name relates to the state of financial affairs in the nation.  In some circles that would be seen as inappropriate but I find it funny. 

The market dropped over six hundred points and overseas markets are getting hammered today.  Futures for the markets are down sharply again.  Tuesday is not going to be a great day and the carnage will continue for weeks and months ahead.  Spending has stopped and even though credit has not yet locked up it doesn't matter.  People are scared and they aren't spending their money.  Maybe the more appropriate name for the gift would have been the double recession mug.

Ultimately the NY Times hit it on the head in their opinion piece today.  We are a debtor nation.  We are a nation that doesn't generate enough revenue to pay for all the social programs we desire or have committed to over the years.  Our Treasury owes about 10 trillion dollars to the public sector.  Think about that for a moment and you will better understand the extent of the problem.  Our nation will never recover and it is time that we all start to realize that.  Times have changed and we need to recognize our place in the world sadly has changed.

 

Rapid Decrease in Daylight Signals Blanket Season

The days are rapidly growing shorter with the sun rising later in the day and the sun setting much earlier each evening.  What follows is cooler nights and eventually even cooler days.  At the same time we are all heading to our kids football games, soccer games and our local professional team games.  For those looking to catch a few last days on the beach the need for warmth becomes more obvious.

There is nothing you can do about what mother nature has in store but you can head out prepared.  That means bringing with you what you need to stay warm and that's where custom blankets excel.  The Leeds Picnic Blanket has the advantage of some weatherproofing which will keep it from absorbing moisture from the surrounding ground area.  That's important because the cool nights tend to lead to condensation which can dampen the ground or benches even on an otherwise clear night. 

Do you remember the parkas people would wear to games years ago?  A couple of years ago Sweda came out with the fleece equivalent with the Snuggle Me Micro Coral Fleece Blanket which is basically a giant fleece blanket with sleeves for your arms.  That's pretty cool because it will allow you to wear it on your way into a game instead of having to carry it.  Security checkpoints at many stadiums now prevent you from entering with anything in your hands.  The ability to put this blanket on and wear it like a jacket is a unique advantage that very few products can offer at this point.

So what is to be made of the general business situation?  There is really nothing that anyone can do at this point other than to go about their normal business.  CNBC and other outlets go from one extreme to the other and are so busy injecting their political viewpoints into their broadcasts that getting the straight story is difficult but here it is in a nutshell.  You will work harder to make the same or less over the next several years.  That is the new paradigm.  Market yourself and your business appropriately as it is the only thing you can do at this stage.

Economic Version of the Rollercoaster the New Normal?

Not a day has gone by in the past month where turmoil in the economy stays the course.  For a few solid weeks there was solid news in a positive direction.  A week later and the sky is falling.  A lot of this is likely the result of poor reporting by the major outlets but there is obviously something else going on that has prevented the so called experts from getting a grasp of the situation.

We just ordered our second round of promotional tumblers that we intend to use at a corporate event this week.  According to the organizers attendance is going to be down ten percent over last year.  As an aside we got our first good look at a pre-production Leeds Veranda Tumbler just this morning and it appears Leed's will knock one out of the park with it.  The silicone on the outside of the stainless body gives it a smooth feel that is comfortable.  Because they are not yet ready to ship we picked the Slazenger Fuel Travel Mug instead and have been very happy with it.  We had tried to order it as we liked the appearance and rugged handle this Spring but there was no stock.  Stock issues earlier in the year were abundant.  Fortunately it seems most of the major distributors have been able to get around these issues.

Back to the economy and the dreary daily news.  This morning we see that homebuilder confidence collapsed again.  The media very quickly is blaming that on all the REO properties hitting the market while ignoring the fact that if given the choice buyers would take new properties.  They aren't buying REO properties out of choice but rather it is the only way the few people that can afford properties now can buy at all.  That should send a shiver up the backs of just about any economist as this is after we supposedly emerged from the Great Recession.  Instead it appears we are heading for the lost decade.

As a quick correction, last night I discussed the Leeds Odyessy Travel Mug but we actually gave the wrong address.  We have corrected that above and it should now work properly.

The Mid Year Economy is Far From Stainless

Well we were trying to come up with a good opening line and that is about the best we could come up with for now.  The economy is a mess and it will take a few weeks or maybe months before the average media talking head will even realize it.  There is really nothing about the situation that is as stainless as the mugs we are about to present.

A week or two ago I received from a client a gift I'd gotten a million times prior.  I opened the recycled gift box to find the Leeds Odyessy Travel Mug which was decorated with a single logo on the front.  The mug had some significant weight, appeared to be double insulated but to my surprise is not listed as dishwasher safe.  In doing some digging it is the plastic liner that prevents it from receiving that rating but after a few weeks of washing it every day it has held up fine.  The Leeds Hawaii Tumbler is the same way, made from solid double wall stainless steel construction but with a liner on the inside.  In most cases that will mean it is top rack dishwasher safe.  I like them both and I figured I'd pass along the first supplier I found on-line.

Oil prices are still way higher than they should be if it were not for the flood of speculative dollars into the market.  There are no jobs and millions fewer commuters to burn oil.  Until we see prices drop under 70 per we will not see any significant drop at the pumps.  Until we see a significant drop at the pumps which is the petrol version of a tax cut we will see no real recovery in the economy.

Oil Prices Continue to Hurt Economy

The sad part about the state of economic affairs is that the economy is still a disaster and yet there is actually positive media coverage as if things have improved.  Oil prices have more than doubled since the winter and that is on the back of horrible demand and millions of jobs being lost.  It is basically the exact opposite of this stage in earlier recessions.

Our main problem now is the fall of the dollar but to be realistic speculators are again hurting the average consumer.  By most estimates oil prices are inflated by about twenty dollars due to the weak dollar.  The other $25 added to the price since March is the result of money flowing into the oil markets from fund managers. 

We have updated the look of the site and expect to get back to posting much more frequently.