Fresh & Easy offers great value in tough times

The truth is that I am addicted to some of the great stuff at Fresh & Easy. The coffee is unreal -- and about half the price of Starbucks, Peets or Seattle's Best. I'm also a huge fan of the pre-cut, ready to cook squash. Also the boil in the bag rice. Plus, they have the best chicken and beef this side of Whole Foods -- but at a fraction of the cost.

What's old is new again.

Chevy releases the new retro Camaro. Guns n' Roses releases Chinese Democracy. Michael Jackson announces new tour. Britney Spears is alive and well. General Mills announces retro packaging for Honey Nut Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Trix and Lucky Charms.  What's next? Cel phones go back to the big beige brick style? That would be cool! 

New Dentyne Campaign Leverages Social Media

Check out the new Dentyne Campaign. It feels so obvious. So predictable? Yeah, but they got there first. And they did a great job on the execution. Now go twitter about it.

http://www.dentyne.com

The Tropicana Orange Juice Redesign Flipflop

Quick... the bloggers and Twitter geeks don't like the new Tropicana Orange Juice packaging. Let's change it back to the old packaging for fear that our loyal customers will reject us for another brand. 

Can a technical brand also be a fashion brand?

People have always worn sneakers as a fashion statement just as guys with 4x4 trucks have had a preference for pavement. But as our economy shrinks and brands scale back their offerings, can products that fall outside the "core" brand vision survive the scrutiny of the fickle and frugal consumer. 

Will premium brands survive the recession?

I think it's safe to say that people are putting off purchases of everything from new plasma TV sets to new surfboards to new houses, and so on. So which brands are bullet proof if any? Obviously there will be reduced inventories as retailers scale back but there seems to be heavy traffic in the movie theaters and lots of people lining up at Starbucks in the morning.

A recent trip to TJ Maxx proved to be an eye opener as the aisles were packed with bargain hunters snapping up $20 jeans that normally retail for around 4100 at Nordstrom. You've got to wonder where al the Circuit City inventory is going to end up? And will it be discounted enough to get people off the couch and buy a new plasma?

I'm thinking that there might be some other great deals to be had other than foreclosed real estate, trucks with V8 engines and over-priced blue jeans. This is a great opportunity for brands like The Gap and Old Navy to reclaim the middle of the road, down to basics, affordable fashion thrown.

I also think that a lot of over extended brands can get back to their roots and focus on why they were relevant in the first place. Consumers will look for deals, but they will also reward innovation and authenticity.

Stop your Saab-ing

"Today is the beginning of a new chapter in Saab's history," said Jan Ake Jonsson, Saab's managing director.

Whew... good thing I sold my SAAB wagon last year. Well, actually, I traded it on a Cadillac Escalade. If GM keeps heading in this downward spiral, my Escalade might be a bigger headache.

Saab said in a statement that the reorganisation was "the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment".

In a restructuring plan submitted to the US Treasury this week, GM had said it planned to make Saab an independent business by the start of 2010. Yeah. The entire company will be an independent unit unless they close up shop on Pontiac, Saturn, Buick and uhhh... oh yeah: SAAB!