The idea behind a brand is to turn a commodity into a special thing. And what is more commodity than concrete; concrete is cement and sand, right? Such was the genius of Gene Winchester, who created Quikrete brand concrete mix in 1952 in Columbus, Ohio. Now headquartered in Atlanta, theMORE HERE
NORTH HOLLYWOOD – This week, we got a press release from the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn. It is proof that franchised chains like Holiday Inn can encourage diversity within their system, yet preserve their Holiday Inn-ness. Now, you should know that I am a big Holiday Inn fan, and haveMORE HERE
There are only a few legacy electronics companies that still operate under their own brand; great names like Sperry, Burroughs, Hallicrafters and such have been merged into other companies or disappeared. Thankfully, Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is still around, though the company appears to be drifting. One great name that hasMORE HERE
Saturday Night Live and British Airways’ new LCY-JFK flight one are two different business ideas illustrating an important idea, namely adaptive reuse. Traditionally, adaptive reuse is applied to historic preservation of buildings. It is a very specific idea; to properly understand it you need to go and read James MarstonMORE HERE
Boston papers are reporting the sad news. Brigham’s is closing its last store in Boston. The ice cream company has been an icon of Boston since 1924, and locals and tourists have seen it as a part of the Boston identity. It’s a great regional brand, and much beloved. TheMORE HERE
Here’s a word relationship that won’t be on S.A.T. tests. As Schweppes is the top brand for tonic water, Canada Dry is the top brand for ginger ale. This pre-1960 guide, from the collection of the late attorney Charles P. Pollard, shows a historic, and sellable, image of the brand.MORE HERE
NEW YORK, NY The International Trademark Association (INTA) today announces its annual President’s and Volunteer Service Awards winners. These awards honor the individual achievements of trademark owners and practitioners during the past year. To read more about the contributions of this year’s winners, please visit www.inta.org/go/VSA09. The President’s Award isMORE HERE
At Staples yesterday, I bought a manual Boston Pencil Sharpener. It was $15.98; the model was the X-Acto KS. I got this manual one after an electric sharpener died. I hate to think how much electricity I wasted with the electric one over the years. After I screwed it inMORE HERE
How did Greyhound get to be more interesting a brand than Delta? Certainly, both have been through bankruptcy. And now, to travel a distance, both can be about the same price. But with the new designs and service of Greyhound, the line is on its way to being a farMORE HERE
For those of us who grew up with the Wisk “Ring Around the Collar” commercials, Wisk is synonymous for getting rid of rings. The brand’s new owners, Sun Products Corp. of Wilton, Conn., have launched a Facebook campaign to get a new generation interested in the brand, this time throughMORE HERE