If they were informed that the press isn't a free publicity machine, and we don't just copy and paste every press release we get, because most press releases are useless in getting readers to spend the time to read, about things they aren't interested in, based on the press release simply being a marketing push to guy a buyer to part with money.
Readers want something to be excited by, something to swear out loud over... you know? When you first heard about the Turbonique bolt on thermolene rockets of 850 horsepower being added to cars, with a push button activator to launch them into top fuel speeds, for a stock muscle car... did you say out loud "holy shit!" like I did? THAT is what I'd love to get a press release about.
Even someone remanufacturing Turbonique parts, or fuel... or whatever the aftermarket companies come up with that for a moment makes me forget what a dull day at work it is, and how I can solve a problem by buying their product. Instead, companies are trying to let us know that they improved a wax, or car wash, by the amount that no one can perceive, which now makes it exactly as boring as every single other car wax and cleaner that line ROWS at the auto parts store. They have no clue that they're wasting money paying a PR company to try and shine up the same old paper, and that the pr or marketing people are wasting the time of everyone that reads that press release, because NO ONE is impressed anymore. It's like they can't wake up from a repetitious dream where they repeat themselves, and then start over on groundhogs day, to do it all over again. It's not one company, it's most of them.
They have a new lift kit, a new shock absorber, a new paint, or a new tire. And so does every single one of their competitors, and no one can tell the difference when buying any of it - whats good, bad, a scam, made in the USA or China, or just a Moog part licensed by Honda with a Honda parts identification sticker over the Moog info.
How can they get my attention? Tell me a something that will cause me to buy their thing. No one can sell a heater to an Eskimo anymore, they are too stupid or lazy to even try. There's no effort, no respect, and no honesty around anymore.
It's so bad there are tv shows about it, like Made In America with John Ratzenberger, and Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, and Mail Call with the Gunny, simply because the audience is listening to anyone that will tell us the honest truth, and what is good stuff, and what's junk.
There is no more Mickey Thompson, no more Paul Schiefer. The originators of companies were a driven individual, a member of that greatest generation, who had all the determination they needed to succeed at whatever path they chose for their lives. Thompson, Hedman, Hooker, Schiefer and a hundred other guys made something, created the hot rodding aftermarket, and now they are subsidary companies of corporate conglomerates (The Holley group for example) that answer to stock holders in meetings about the quarterly earnings statements. Just look at Federal Mogul, and it's recent sale for 5.4 billion. These corporations are billionaires investments now, and are flipped for profit like cars at Barrett Jackson.
In my lifetime we went from buying a part based on the guy that made the part, to buying something made in the USA in hopes that the ISO audits were keeping the quality up. You bought a magneto because Joe Hunt made it... instead of a Vertex mag. You paid more for a Yenko Camaro, or Grand Spaulding Charger because Don Yenko or Mr Norm stood behind their car's performance.
If companies want to get me to run an article on their product, or invention, or paint, wax, or whatever... show me the guy that makes it. Barry Meguiar made his wax. Well, he used to. Now 3M owns Meguiars waxes. Stan Lee used to make comic books, then when he moved to upper management Marvel lost their momentum, became a corporate trading card for profit, lost all it's soul, and went bankrupt in a predictable circling of the drain. So did Rolls Royce, Jaguar, etc etc ad infinitum. When the men that made the companies successful left, like Rob Petersen selling Hot Rod, things just swan dive into the bankruptcy pit of lost hope. How many owners has Hot Rod had before Petersen sold them, and how many after?
See where I'm going? There is no trust in products anymore, we have all had our trust scammed to death by greedy companies and snake oil men. Sears craftsman brand used to mean highest quality for a good price... now it's junk made in China by a company that subbed out the manufacturing and went bankrupt. No one buys Sears Craftsman anymore, we go to swap meets and look on ebay for the good old stuff that was made with pride, Plumb, Snap On, and a hundred others back when there was a bunch of lunch pail guys that made good stuff, and sold it.
People notice when something is made by a guy you can talk to, not a corporate syndicate. It's why Foose is a star, why Barris once was. Why Carroll Shelby had fans, before he licensed his name to Ford, and whoever made that awful Dodge Safari Shelby van. https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/04/carroll-shelby-sadly-would-sell-his.html
Pardon me if I've written too much, you did realize you were asking a car guy writer to inform you about something with his opinion... right? Short answer, have a guy who is the face of the company. He's the guy who makes it, he's the one we will either trust and respect, or not. If we do, we'll prefer his brand over the competition, and there is so damn much competition it's ridiculous. Perfect example, Linda Vaughn
Readers want something to be excited by, something to swear out loud over... you know? When you first heard about the Turbonique bolt on thermolene rockets of 850 horsepower being added to cars, with a push button activator to launch them into top fuel speeds, for a stock muscle car... did you say out loud "holy shit!" like I did? THAT is what I'd love to get a press release about.
Even someone remanufacturing Turbonique parts, or fuel... or whatever the aftermarket companies come up with that for a moment makes me forget what a dull day at work it is, and how I can solve a problem by buying their product. Instead, companies are trying to let us know that they improved a wax, or car wash, by the amount that no one can perceive, which now makes it exactly as boring as every single other car wax and cleaner that line ROWS at the auto parts store. They have no clue that they're wasting money paying a PR company to try and shine up the same old paper, and that the pr or marketing people are wasting the time of everyone that reads that press release, because NO ONE is impressed anymore. It's like they can't wake up from a repetitious dream where they repeat themselves, and then start over on groundhogs day, to do it all over again. It's not one company, it's most of them.
They have a new lift kit, a new shock absorber, a new paint, or a new tire. And so does every single one of their competitors, and no one can tell the difference when buying any of it - whats good, bad, a scam, made in the USA or China, or just a Moog part licensed by Honda with a Honda parts identification sticker over the Moog info.
How can they get my attention? Tell me a something that will cause me to buy their thing. No one can sell a heater to an Eskimo anymore, they are too stupid or lazy to even try. There's no effort, no respect, and no honesty around anymore.
It's so bad there are tv shows about it, like Made In America with John Ratzenberger, and Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, and Mail Call with the Gunny, simply because the audience is listening to anyone that will tell us the honest truth, and what is good stuff, and what's junk.
There is no more Mickey Thompson, no more Paul Schiefer. The originators of companies were a driven individual, a member of that greatest generation, who had all the determination they needed to succeed at whatever path they chose for their lives. Thompson, Hedman, Hooker, Schiefer and a hundred other guys made something, created the hot rodding aftermarket, and now they are subsidary companies of corporate conglomerates (The Holley group for example) that answer to stock holders in meetings about the quarterly earnings statements. Just look at Federal Mogul, and it's recent sale for 5.4 billion. These corporations are billionaires investments now, and are flipped for profit like cars at Barrett Jackson.
In my lifetime we went from buying a part based on the guy that made the part, to buying something made in the USA in hopes that the ISO audits were keeping the quality up. You bought a magneto because Joe Hunt made it... instead of a Vertex mag. You paid more for a Yenko Camaro, or Grand Spaulding Charger because Don Yenko or Mr Norm stood behind their car's performance.
If companies want to get me to run an article on their product, or invention, or paint, wax, or whatever... show me the guy that makes it. Barry Meguiar made his wax. Well, he used to. Now 3M owns Meguiars waxes. Stan Lee used to make comic books, then when he moved to upper management Marvel lost their momentum, became a corporate trading card for profit, lost all it's soul, and went bankrupt in a predictable circling of the drain. So did Rolls Royce, Jaguar, etc etc ad infinitum. When the men that made the companies successful left, like Rob Petersen selling Hot Rod, things just swan dive into the bankruptcy pit of lost hope. How many owners has Hot Rod had before Petersen sold them, and how many after?
See where I'm going? There is no trust in products anymore, we have all had our trust scammed to death by greedy companies and snake oil men. Sears craftsman brand used to mean highest quality for a good price... now it's junk made in China by a company that subbed out the manufacturing and went bankrupt. No one buys Sears Craftsman anymore, we go to swap meets and look on ebay for the good old stuff that was made with pride, Plumb, Snap On, and a hundred others back when there was a bunch of lunch pail guys that made good stuff, and sold it.
People notice when something is made by a guy you can talk to, not a corporate syndicate. It's why Foose is a star, why Barris once was. Why Carroll Shelby had fans, before he licensed his name to Ford, and whoever made that awful Dodge Safari Shelby van. https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/04/carroll-shelby-sadly-would-sell-his.html
Pardon me if I've written too much, you did realize you were asking a car guy writer to inform you about something with his opinion... right? Short answer, have a guy who is the face of the company. He's the guy who makes it, he's the one we will either trust and respect, or not. If we do, we'll prefer his brand over the competition, and there is so damn much competition it's ridiculous. Perfect example, Linda Vaughn
I agree.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree 100 percent with your comments. I am one of the holdouts, I still own the same company I started nearly 35 years ago, I still manufacture most everything I sell, and I am still the face of my company which makes me the owner, and the janitor on Saturday! I am the advertising department, the purchasing department, the shipping department, and I run the manufacturing and quality control departments, and I am also the bookkeeping department. If you are buying something from Fifth Avenue, you are buying it from me. I quit going to SEMA years ago for the exact reasons you describe. So if you want to see the face of the guy who started the company and still owns it, and still shows up for work everyday including holidays... go visit fifthaveinternetgarage.com Come on...I dare you!!
ReplyDeleteDare accepted, compliments on the Great Race cars! However, I can't find the gallery you say was made for Cecil the ambulance, on the page you state has it http://ccmcks.org/
DeleteAnd the crowd goes crazy with standing applause, whistles, cheers, and some girls flashing their breasts, when Jesse finishes his remarks.
ReplyDeletelol... well, we all respect the person who stands FOR their product, Isky, Gene Winfield, Linda, .. I can't think of any other of the older set of company starters, builders, etc (Linda qualifies for sure, there from the start to the resale, and reselling, over and over of Hurst) but damn it, those guys were the heart and soul of their companies, and when they left, there's nothing left. Bruce Crower, he's still alive too... 88 years old, incorporated his business 60 years ago. There aren't many of the car parts companies still run by the inventors, innovators, etc.
DeleteIt's not just the hot rod parts suppliers, everything is this country is being taken over by Big-Buck-Bandits and their bean counters. Some companies they keep, some they just suck dry in order to satisfy Wall Street every quarter.
ReplyDeleteWHat I want is an actual usefull product,
ReplyDeletelike say car wax that has been blended to match the color of my car, so it doesnt leave white residue
ive seen black tinted wax, but thats it, no other color.
residential paint stores could do the same, blend me some caulking thats the same color as the custom color paint you just made for me.