Vince – Great comments, I could not agree more. I don’t think we have all the answers yet, but the ride will be interesting. Thanks.

I remember a mail marketing campaign for a liquid laundry detergent (I think it was a P&G product) more than twenty years ago.

They sent targeted households a free product sample that worked better than anything on the market, so we were psyched enough to buy the brand at the store.

Unfortunately, the stuff on the shelves wasn’t the same as the mail-sample, and was vastly inferior in cleaning power.

I always wondered how well such trust-destroying marketing could possibly work.

Were there really so many people who wouldn’t notice the subterfuge that the marketing campaign could be a sales success?

I’ve seen little evidence that free-market principles correct the behavior of corporations or the ad agencies they hire.

You’re right, it has been staring at them in the face for years. From my pasty experiences with large companies, it is not that they do not recognize the changes, it is that they do not have the ability to change. I would use the Titantic as an analogy. When you have something that large, it is very hard if not near impossible to change on a dime. The differences are when you are working to change or just burying your head in the sand and pretend nothing is wrong.

Thanks as always for your thoughts, Tony.

It’s kind of like waking up and having your dog staring at you, inches from your face. She knows that eventually you’ll wake up, and see that it’s time to get moving.