Combe's Brands, Diner's Club, Wachovia, Dodge Ram

A few assorted thoughts that need to get out scraps of paper:

Combe has great brands. The news that the brands of Combe are for sale, the Journal reported, was tempered by the fact that apparently other companies just want Just for Men, and not other brands like Williams Mug Shaving Soap, Aqua Velva, Brylcreem and Lectric Shave. These other brands could be as valuable as Old Spice, which was a tired old thing. Quit trying to sell Brylcreem to Baby Boomers and market it like Every Man Jack, or start selling it at hip places like Grooming Lounge.
Where is Dodge going? So the Dodge disappeared from Dodge Ram trucks, so there are no more Dodge trucks. What do you think of that? Bad, I say. I guess Italians just don’t get Dodge. First Plymouth goes, then Dodge. If they think that separating Dodge into two brands, Dodge and Ram, that’s weird. Why? If they are trying to de-redneck Dodge into a more family brand, that’s fine, but leave the name Dodge on the trucks, please.
Why did they kill of Editor & Publisher when other folks wanted it. Frankly, I am tired of companies shutting things down so they won’t have competition. Others excellent products like MediaBistro.com will pick up the news slack, but the brand called E&P should not disappear. Stupid.
Citigroup’s sale of Diner’s Club to Bank of Montreal is inspired. Perhaps they will know how to make it great, and cool, again. First thing for Diner’s Club? Strike up a deal with OpenTable.com. And its not just a business card, it’s a lifestyle accessory.
What to do with the Wachovia brand? The other day we got an offer for a Wachovia Gift Card. While the rest of the brands will change, Wachovia’s name could life on as a simple gift card, with extra oomph. Or even some sort of cash management account.

Author

Garland Pollard

J. Garland Pollard IV is editor/publisher of BrandlandUSA. Since 2006, the website BrandlandUSA.com has chronicled the history and business of America’s great brands.

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