Thursday, March 22, 2007
Lessons from the little one.
I got a call from my daughter today telling me that she just got a new bicycle at her mother's house. The important part was that she was so pleased (as her mother has been promising her bike for almost two years). She is on her third bicycle at my home.
Well, this news got me in a bicycle-thought mood. I have been on a regular workout plan that is weight exercises followed by a cardiovascular component. Thoughout the winter the cardio part has consisted of indoor exercises (including riding rollers on a bike) with the occasional outside run in milder weather. As I finished the weights tonight, I chose to ride intervals on my single-speed bike outside. The kicker is that I was riding at 9:00pm, in the dark, and in a light rain. Plus, uncharacteristically, I just rode in my neighborhood. I am fortunate to live in a quiet neighbor hood with streets in a square with a good climb on one side of the square. What great fun!
Part of my encouragement was the memory of a couple of nights ago. My daughter (6 years old) and I were going to the grocery store to get a nighttime snack (cookies for an imaginary birthday party for one of her stuffed animals). The grocery store is about a half-mile from our home. Instead of driving I suggested we walk. She heartily agreed. Somewhat like tonight the weather was drizzling, foggy, but not too cold. We had a great time.
What have you learned from your 6-year old today?
Well, this news got me in a bicycle-thought mood. I have been on a regular workout plan that is weight exercises followed by a cardiovascular component. Thoughout the winter the cardio part has consisted of indoor exercises (including riding rollers on a bike) with the occasional outside run in milder weather. As I finished the weights tonight, I chose to ride intervals on my single-speed bike outside. The kicker is that I was riding at 9:00pm, in the dark, and in a light rain. Plus, uncharacteristically, I just rode in my neighborhood. I am fortunate to live in a quiet neighbor hood with streets in a square with a good climb on one side of the square. What great fun!
Part of my encouragement was the memory of a couple of nights ago. My daughter (6 years old) and I were going to the grocery store to get a nighttime snack (cookies for an imaginary birthday party for one of her stuffed animals). The grocery store is about a half-mile from our home. Instead of driving I suggested we walk. She heartily agreed. Somewhat like tonight the weather was drizzling, foggy, but not too cold. We had a great time.
What have you learned from your 6-year old today?
Saturday, March 17, 2007
No one wants a grubby baby.
Read some great ad copy (for customer floor mats by Milliken www.yesmats.com) today.
"Because your car is your baby."
"And no one wants a grubby baby."
Awesome, this could apply to most guy stuff, including motorcycles, bicycles, etc.
"Because your car is your baby."
"And no one wants a grubby baby."
Awesome, this could apply to most guy stuff, including motorcycles, bicycles, etc.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
The Ducati "brand"
I was interested to read this article quoting Ducati North America president Michael Lock. Two quotes caught my attention. "Everyone assumed that we were the two-wheel version of Ferrari." And, ""We went from being the two-wheel Ferrari to the two-wheel Porsche. A Porsche is attainable."
Here's my little riff on the Ducati brand. A couple of points first. Many people know that I believe the Ducati brand is very strong and a huge asset. My thoughts have been that even though Ducati has moved towards extending the brand they have not done well in maximizing the value the brand can bring. Secondly and interestingly, I frequently have described Ducati motorcycles as "like a Ferrari but something that many people can afford".
This leads me to the concern about Mr. Lock's comments. Ducati's are quirky, stylish, recognizable and a little bit of a challenge to own. I acknowledge that several of my Ducati owning acquaintances seem to primarily own Ducati motorcycles for the snob appeal. But many Ducati owners own Ducatis because they are beautiful and have "soul". My own opinion is that the Ducati company trying to move their motorcycles to be more like Porsches could spell disaster for the company.
Ferrari automobiles are unique automobiles that attract because of style and soul. Porsche automobile (while I might love to own one) lack soul but are incredible works of machinery. I can't tell you how many people come up to me gushing about my Ducati but who apparently know very little about motorcycles. I don't believe the same will be true if Ducatis where more like the Porsche of motorcycles.
It is a mistake to confuse motorcycles with automobiles. While there may be a significant differentiation between high-performance automobiles and regular automobiles there is far less in motorcycle manufacturers. In fact almost every motorcycle manufacturer (especially the big Japanese three) make some incredible, high-quality, and high-performance motorcycles. Each of these manufacturers could easily equate one of their models to be "like the Porsche of motorcycles". It is possible that a few manufacturer, such as Ducati, can stand apart from the others by attributes other than pure performance and technical excellence.
Finally, while possibly a minority opinion, Mr. Lock's comments about being like Porsche correspond with my opinion of Ducati's newest sensation the 1098. The 1098, while an impressive motorcycle, does not light my fire like other Ducatis. Like a Porsche, it has some technical excellence but does not have the same soul as some previous models. Only time will tell if the this new model will stay in the hearts and minds of owners and the general public.
Here's my little riff on the Ducati brand. A couple of points first. Many people know that I believe the Ducati brand is very strong and a huge asset. My thoughts have been that even though Ducati has moved towards extending the brand they have not done well in maximizing the value the brand can bring. Secondly and interestingly, I frequently have described Ducati motorcycles as "like a Ferrari but something that many people can afford".
This leads me to the concern about Mr. Lock's comments. Ducati's are quirky, stylish, recognizable and a little bit of a challenge to own. I acknowledge that several of my Ducati owning acquaintances seem to primarily own Ducati motorcycles for the snob appeal. But many Ducati owners own Ducatis because they are beautiful and have "soul". My own opinion is that the Ducati company trying to move their motorcycles to be more like Porsches could spell disaster for the company.
Ferrari automobiles are unique automobiles that attract because of style and soul. Porsche automobile (while I might love to own one) lack soul but are incredible works of machinery. I can't tell you how many people come up to me gushing about my Ducati but who apparently know very little about motorcycles. I don't believe the same will be true if Ducatis where more like the Porsche of motorcycles.
It is a mistake to confuse motorcycles with automobiles. While there may be a significant differentiation between high-performance automobiles and regular automobiles there is far less in motorcycle manufacturers. In fact almost every motorcycle manufacturer (especially the big Japanese three) make some incredible, high-quality, and high-performance motorcycles. Each of these manufacturers could easily equate one of their models to be "like the Porsche of motorcycles". It is possible that a few manufacturer, such as Ducati, can stand apart from the others by attributes other than pure performance and technical excellence.
Finally, while possibly a minority opinion, Mr. Lock's comments about being like Porsche correspond with my opinion of Ducati's newest sensation the 1098. The 1098, while an impressive motorcycle, does not light my fire like other Ducatis. Like a Porsche, it has some technical excellence but does not have the same soul as some previous models. Only time will tell if the this new model will stay in the hearts and minds of owners and the general public.
