Machines with Motors

Marketing masters

Toyota has created an eco-friendly persona headed by the hybrid Prius sedan, a step up in technology, economy, size and price from the iconic Corolla fuel sipper and now supported by a cast of Yaris econoboxes. At the same time critics give Toyota a pass on the V8 Land Cruiser, V8 Tundra pickup and a showroom full of high glitter high performance Lexus luxury and performance vehicles. While Congress and consumers complain about $3.00 gasoline Toyota creates TV ads with the headline, "The new 268 horsepower Camry."

And the poster child for everything that has ever or will ever go wrong with the earth's ecology? Hummer. The folks at GM must be wondering exactly when they lost control. And how they're going to get it back.

Power of the pen

A while back I wrote about WD-40 dragging its ubiquitous product kicking and screaming into the 21st century by getting rid of the stupid little tube that, when it hasn't disappeared completely, rolls under the car just after you've spilled a quart of 5w-20 onto your freshly washed but still unpainted garage floor. I had no idea how ubiquitous WD-40 was, assuming there are degrees of ubiquity. According to AdAge:

" ... 94% of Americans already having used the product and a mind-boggling 80% of U.S. households currently having a can of the stuff in their homes."

With limited upside in the garage, WD-40 is expanding its market with a "No-Mess Pen" targeted at "moms" and listing 300 new uses for the pen from "removing crayon marks from walls" to "stopping zippers from catching."

The WD-40 Pen is another product that is "Strong enough for a man but made for a woman."

Small moments in marketing

Stalk Car Race?

As an ad for John Deere, it would simply be a bad joke. For GM its a tragedy.