NOTHING Is As You Remember It, They Have Ruined Everything…

[Ingomike]

The ain’t no such thing as a product from: RCA, Bolens, Craftsman, to name a few. They are mostly just names, owned by holding/licensing companies whored out to those that will pay the fee. It is rare to see that actually admitted to, as the demographics that make up INGO are often influenced by the reputation of the products under these names back in the day.

This Sports Illustrated situation lays it all out there nakedly for all to see how this goes.

“Authentic Brands Group and the Arena Group, the two companies atop an unusual ownership structure for Sports Illustrated. ABG, which owns the brand, is a licensing company that owns the brands of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Arena Group pays ABG $15 million a year for the rights to publish Sports Illustrated in print and online.“

“Earlier this month, the Arena Group missed a $3.75 million payment to ABG, which ABG said violated the terms of its licensing deal. An SEC filing Thursday said Arena’s publishing license was terminated.”

“Salter (ABG) added that he could sell the license to other interested parties.”

There is no SI, it is just a name sold to the highest bidder like the others above, this is how it works today, nothing is as you remember it, so don’t get suckered in thinking this is really like your dad’s Pontiac…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/19/sports-illustrated-layoffs/

 

[bgcatty]

SI - Just another example of: GO WOKE & GO BROKE!
PS: The fat pigs and trans certainly sealed SI’s fate.

 

[hopper68]

I had an aunt who worked at Nylint in Rockford so I got Nylint toys instead of Tonkas. They have since went out of business. Seen a post on FB a few months ago offering 2 new Nylint trucks, aimed at the nostalgia crowd. Asked if they were still made in Rockford and got the reply that these were being made China.
Told them I would not dishonor my deceased aunt by buying a Nylint toy not made in the USA.

 

[littletommy]

SI - Just another example of: GO WOKE & GO BROKE!
PS: The fat pigs and trans certainly sealed SI’s fate.

I admit, I had no idea SI was still even available in traditional magazine format, but yeah, when they made headlines awhile back about putting plus sized women in the swimsuit issue, I knew whatever was left of the way they used to be, was not long for this world.

Absolutely wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find out they put a mentally ill fake female on the cover.

 

[Twangbanger]

Next you'll tell me the owner of INGO isn't in Indiana...

Seriously, I haven't given a crap about SI in forever. Maybe this is why. I remember when they used to have articles about interesting people in all fields of sports. There was a good one about Chip Hanauer, the boat racer, in one issue. But honestly, I've never paid a single dime for an issue myself, so I guess that tells the story.

Everything in the world will become financialized. The goal is to become A) a Brand, and then B) an Income Stream. It's Ray Kroc on steroids. The goal isn't to sell hamburgers. The goal is to lease the brand and land the building is sitting on, to some other schmuck to sell hamburgers.

The ideal American Business has one department: Accounts Receivable. Everything else is just another mouth to feed.

 

[ditcherman]

Next you'll tell me the owner of INGO isn't in Indiana...

Seriously, I haven't given a crap about SI in forever.

Just did beat me to it!

 

[Ingomike]

The intent of the thread was to raise awareness that these companies are not who many think they are, a company with integrity based on past heritage of the name, whether it is SI or RCA electronics.

The woke aspect of SI has been being discussed for a few days in the woke thread…

 

[Vodnik4]

Ok, hands off Ashley, she’s hot I want only my hands on her.
(I like them thickk, if you know what I mean).

But yeah, trannies in the Swimsuit issue was the last straw.

 

[Lpherr]

It all started with "outsourcing".
Corporations paid another company to produce their product(s), and realized they could license those companies to make their product(s), and instead of paying to have the stuff made, now they can make more money by licensing.

 

[Lpherr]

Ok, hands off Ashley, she’s hot I want only my hands on her.
(I like them thickk, if you know what I mean).

But yeah, trannies in the Swimsuit issue was the last straw.

Round isn't thick.

 

[bgcatty]

The Democrats with Biden, Obama, and Clinton have lead the charge to bring about the downfall of the United States of America. Period!
Our country’s founding fathers are rolling over in their graves in disbelief and disgust! God save US!

 

[radar8756]

Ok, hands off Ashley, she’s hot I want only my hands on her.
...

Works for me ...

 

[BJHay]

A corporation's loyalty isn't to its customers; they have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. To the extent maintaining brand loyalty is profitable then that's the correct path. If licensing and off-shoring are more profitable even after it causes a downturn in brand loyalty, then those are actions worth considering.

I don't like losing a brand I've depended on for years but that's the free market system. Until someone comes up with a better system I'm all for it.

 

[BJHay]

The Democrats with Biden, Obama, and Clinton have lead the charge to bring about the downfall of the United States of America. Period!

One positive thing I'll say about Obama is; for the most part, he did as president what he said he was going to do during the campaign. People knew what to expect yet he still voted for him. IIRC he won Indiana by 10 million votes.

 

[JTScribe]

I miss Pizza Hut.

Salad bar, the cups, the video games in the tables ...

We went to one a few weeks back. Paper plates, bottled drinks only ... kind of disheartening.

 

[Twangbanger]

The intent of the thread was to raise awareness that these companies are not who many think they are, a company with integrity based on past heritage of the name, whether it is SI or RCA electronics.

The woke aspect of SI has been being discussed for a few days in the woke thread…

But I think that's the point. The quality of the product, and the identity of who profits from it, are not 100% separate things. Investment-portfolio ownership eventually affects the product. That's where "Big Buttz" and trannies at SI comes from; "de-centering" whiteness and widening the appeal of the brand to "include" the blunt-smoking malt-liquor crowd and the Wokies. The mantra of woke business is these potential customers are not used to having products mass-marketed to them, and there is money to be made in changing that paradigm and "building out the brand image" to include non-traditional clienteles. But in order to get that incremental revenue, the product offered has to change. It is a challenge, because not many heterosexual boys of any skin color grow up with a picture of Serena Williams or WNBA players on their wall. It's the Bud Light thing all over again.

When a business/brand becomes "financialized," the new investment portfolio owner cares mainly about increasing the revenue stream. Different stuff starts to get pushed in an attempt to grow revenue, and integrity of the product starts to suffer. Which is ultimately what the consumer cares about. If the quality of the product stayed exactly the same, most customers wouldn't care whether the profits go to Dubai, China, or an office in Manhattan. Customers care about the product.

But licensing isn't new. Kroger Pork and Beans isn't "made" by Kroger. There's not a "Craftsman Tool Factory" and probably never was; the tools were probably made a number of different places. We've all probably got an ugly-as-hell-but-functional J.C. Higgins or Ted Stevens Sears and Roebuck shotgun or rifle tucked away somewhere, that was actually made by Hi-Standard or Mossberg or whoever. The whole _point_ of creating that Brand, is to be able to source the product from wherever the owner of the Brand wants to buy it from. I'm sure that was probably driven by the fact that a lot of people in the 1950s weren't "gun experts." They were "Fudds." They didn't feel comfortable going into a gun store, but they would buy a gun from Monkey Ward or Sears if the price was right. Places like Sears were the Dick's of their day. They "widened the appeal" of the product, and caused a lot of people to become gun-buyers, who otherwise wouldn't have been.

Eventually, as people became more affluent, they figured out that "Sig Sauer" is better than J.C. Higgins. So the age of the "sophisticated consumer" was born, who understood that "store brands" were "crap" and "Name Brand" was more desirable. Then, it inverted back the other direction, and your Walther is now licensed to be made by Umarex, your CZ shotgun is made by a company like Huglu in Turkey, and so on. It's Nike shoes all over again. "K-Mart store brand is Crap" >>> "I want Nike" >>> Nike eventually ends up being made by the same. damn. factory that made the K-Mart store brand.

Companies have just gotten more creative about which products Licensing can be applied to. Turns out it's "anything." Nothing is intrinsic. Any product is a bundle of perceived features the consumer will pay a price-point for. It is nice that "your" grandpa is able to keep putting around his yard on a Cub Cadet mower he bought in 1956. But companies have figured out that the "incremental value" your grandpa gets from not having to buy a new mower every 10 years, accrues primarily to his benefit, not that of the company that sold him the product and its stockholders. They made their money off him years ago. It's long gone. They are determined to take that "incremental value" away from your grandpa, and put it back in their pocket.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

One positive thing I'll say about Obama is; for the most part, he did as president what he said he was going to do during the campaign. People knew what to expect yet he still voted for him. IIRC he won Indiana by 10 million votes.

Really? How'd that "Affordable" Healthcare thing work out?

 

[ditcherman]

The tl;dr...welcome to the global economy.

 

[Twangbanger]

One positive thing I'll say about Obama is; for the most part, he did as president what he said he was going to do...

Really? How'd that "Affordable" Healthcare thing work out?

Yeah, I don't remember a lot of really specific promises from Obama. What I remember is a lot of general phrases like "Yes We Can!" He knew the politicians' art of "keeping it simple and vague." That allowed a lot of Millennial Libertarian VideoGamer types to interpret his words however they wanted to.

 

[Cameramonkey]

SI - Just another example of: GO WOKE & GO BROKE!
PS: The fat pigs and trans certainly sealed SI’s fate.

On a related note, SI is apparently trying to win us back. The last swimsuit cover was how do we say "Yeowsas!!!" It wasnt a trans, it wasnt some fat chick, and it wasnt some size 0 stick with mosquito bites. It was a gorgeous healthy corn fed blonde with just the right curves in just the right places, and nothin extra where it shouldnt be. I dont rember her name, and frankly I forgot my own name for a few minutes when I saw it.

I'll be in my bunk. LOL

Carry on