Pedal to the metal? Toyota puts ‘stop sale’ on several models

by Jason France – Jason@HighVelocityCommunications.com

We’ve all seen the news about the faulty floor mats and sticking gas pedals on several Toyota models. Those of us who own one of these models can’t help but wonder how this happens.

In conversations with some of my car buddies, their opinions differ greatly on how Toyota should handle this situation. I personally feel stopping production on the vehicles—and refusing to sell another until the issue has been resolved—shows responsibility on the automaker’s part. They have no choice but to do this, in my opinion.

But have I stopped driving my Tacoma? No. Do I have any worries about the gas pedal sticking? Not really. Do I think Toyota should remedy the issue however? You bet!

When you buy a vehicle, you trust the automaker has pursued every possible safety concern. And it’s in their best interest to fix any potential safety problems to keep their customers happy.

High hopes for 2010 NASCAR season

by Warren Eulgen – Warren@HighVelocityCommunications.com

The 52^nd running of the Daytona 500 on Valentine’s Day marks the beginning of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. How sweet it would be to see Jeff Burton and the Caterpillar No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo sitting in victory lane.

Optimism—for the Great American Race and the 36-race season—is running high among members of the Cat Racing team led by crew chief Todd Berrier, and for good reason. Burton, the newly appointed Berrier and the team closed out the 2009 season with finishes of fifth, ninth and back-to-back seconds. The 648 points tallied during November were more by far than any other team.

You can read all about the Cat Racing team’s high hopes in the 36-page edition of Inside Cat Racing-2010, available from most Caterpillar Dealers in North America. It is the ninth annual edition of this popular collector publication.

Texting donations has drawbacks

by Pete Kennedy – Pete@HighVelocityCommunications.com

I thought the ability to text a donation would be a big advantage to charitable organizations, such as those responding to the earthquake in Haiti.

But, as always, there are two sides to every story, according to a report on slate.com.

http://www.slate.com/id/2242668/

What if Salinger wrote unpublished classics?

by Pete Kennedy – Pete@HighVelocityCommunications.com

It was announced Thursday that one of America’s all-time great authors, J.D. Salinger, had died.

Salinger became famous after publishing “The Catcher in the Rye.” He then spent the rest of his life in seclusion, apparently trying to not be famous.

He apparently didn’t stop writing. Salinger allegedly told a neighbor that he had written some 15 unpublished books—and that was back in 1999. With J.D. gone, it will be interesting to see if someone gets their hands on the manuscripts, and eventually publishes them.

At first glance this seems offensive. If Salinger wanted the books published, he would have done so himself. Yet Salinger might not have wanted them published to avoid another bout with fame—or some other reason most of us could never figure out.

Part of me thinks those who might come across, and ultimately own the rights to, the works should let J.D. rest in peace. Why tarnish the writer’s reputation with works he declined to publish?

On the other hand, what if one of the all-time greats has 15 more classics stowed away? Wouldn’t you want to read them?

Off to a better start in 2010

by Jason France -- Jason@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Working as both a freelance graphic artist and an art director at High Velocity, I saw the slowdown of marketing efforts as we closed 2009. It seemed every customer I dealt with in the second half of 2009 reeled-in their marketing dollars in the down economy.

With the start of 2010, I can say that customers are eager to get up and going. I’ve seen new marketing efforts, fresh budget dollars and restored enthusiasm to get back on track.

One client contacted me on Jan. 2 with his advertising placement schedule and direct mail plan for the first three months of the year. Jan. 2!

I applauded his willing to start 2010 with a bang and joked about him organizing his efforts over champagne and the Times Square ball drop. This is a great sign for the upswing of the economy if this is happening everywhere.

2010 is a new year. Let’s hope a great one!

Let the blaming begin (or continue)

by Pete Kennedy—Pete@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Looking for more information on the “Great Recession”—specifically, who deserves the blame for the mess we recently found ourselves in?

A Newsweek columnist takes a closer look in a recent article. He also points out that there is still debate over who is to blame for the Great Depression of the 1930s. That means you’ll likely not finish reading the piece completely satisfied, but it’s a start.

When is losing a customer better than keeping one?

by Jack Burke -- Jack@HighVelocityCommunications.com

It may seem counter-intuitive—or plain crazy—in these economic times, but sometimes it makes more sense to drop a customer who creates headaches than to try to match ever-increasing demands.

Do you have customers who are always behind on bills? How about customers who keep hitting you up for discounts? There’s no harm in asking for a deal, but you have to make money, too.

The Wall Street Journal has a good take on this issue. The bottom-line: if you need to “fire” a customer, do it professionally and courteously.

And remember, every hour you spend worrying about/fighting with a bad client is an hour you’re not spending with a good one. It’s hard to put a price tag on that.