It's busy... really busy. Next week we have our yearly Marketing Summit. We bring a handful of our sales reps and then a handful of our retailers out to see us and discuss everything we do. We hear about the hits and misses and then we talk about how we can improve things and give them a sneak peak into our thinking for the upcoming line. The bills from Vegas aren't even paid yet and we're on to the next thing... it's a lengthy process that requires a lot of work and feedback from the folks out in the field. Needless to say, we have a lot of work ahead of us as we get prepared for this coming week. I've been putting the initial pegs in the holes and trying to pencil out the next series of bikes. No, I'm not leaking anything to you right now... well, except that I promise all the bikes will only have two wheels and none of them will be recumbents. There, now you know what's happening.
I had a great visit with my buddy Kendall from Ritchey yesterday. He had bags and bags of samples and we talked bikes and bike parts. Then we just talked. That's the best part of this goofy business; the people you get to know and befriend.
Roberto Heras? Tour of California? What do they have in common? The grim specter of doping. Heras is waiting for his B sample to be tested and hopefully clear him of the possibility of a doping suspension that would effectively end his career. The new Tour of California is sponsored by Amgen, who makes EPO. EPO, the very drug that has been at the center of so many drug controversies in sport, especially cycling. On the one hand, I think it was savvy of Amgen to try and give a positive spin on their image, related to cycling. On the other hand, what on earth were they and the organizers thinking? I am really torn over this because a race is going to happen, that might not otherwise. Still, it's kind of like letting Smith & Wesson sponsor the high school football team at Columbine. "We're sorry. Here's some money."
Ok, I have to go again. There are other things I was going to talk about, but I can't remember and I have way to much staring at me that is time sensitive. Gotta run...
Tim
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6 comments:
Talk about the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing...
Seems so backwards.
I think a better analogy is. Marlboro becoming the chief sponsor for the Walk against Cancer...
hey Tim,
I had no idea Amgen makes EPO. Hmmm...very interesting.
Ethics aside, no race promoter is going to turn down that type of cash.
Tim - the announcement about the Cali race and the title sponsor left me speechless. Anyone who knows me, knows that hardly ever happens.
Having put on events, I understand how hard it is to get a sponsor, but still...I wish that someone else had stepped up to the plate and become the presenting sponsor.
As a friend pointed out to me, what happens if someone tests positive for EPO at that race? Hmmm...
Hey Tim...Whatcha' doin'?
Anything IMPORTANT? Maybe some MASI DEALINGS?
Hey Haggisman - Tim is on "FIRE" right now. He will tell you when he gets a chance.
Ihear the office A/C is broken, so it's pretty WARM in there...Maybe even En FUEGO! would you say Timmy ol' boy...RUN WAYNE! HE'S GONNA KILL US!!!
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