Times change. Some things go out of style. Some come back into style. Sometimes, the changes bring about interesting new ideas. Today’s set of lunchtime news chum all seem to be connected with the changing times:
- From the “Brand Loyalty” Department: When I grew up, my parents always bought Buicks. Then, after we moved to Brentwood, they moved to Mercedes and Audis — their brand loyalty was dead. According to the New York Times, that problem has gotten worse: the brand romance and loyalty is gone. People don’t stay with the same manufacturer and move up the line — they go to each car model individually. This has significant impacts on the future of multi-line companies, such as GM and Ford, and even foreign manufacturers such as Honda and Toyota.
- From the “Gotta Light?” Department: When I was young, you found matches in every restaurant. You pocketed them, even if you didn’t smoke, and kept using them. I still have a large collection. But with the advent of non-smoking restaurants, they’ve died… and if you don’t smoke at home, how do you light your trendy candles. Guess what? Restaurant matches are coming back, even in non-smoking restaurants. Turns out: they are still great advertising.
- From the “Unique Gifts” Department: Looking for that perfect wedding gift? In the old days, you either went off the registry, or tried to come up with something unique… but that was hard. How about a box that can’t be opened until you reach the right GPS coordinates? Further, you only get 50 guesses…
- From the “Hot Pastrami” Department: When I was young, if you wanted good deli, you went to New York. Nowadays? According to the LA Times, Los Angeles is the deli capital. From Langers to Brents to Nate and Als to even Weilers: LA has the best delis, and the best deli families.
