Honda Performance Development: Building Brand Relevance
Wanted to throw a big “atta boy” to our friends and clients at Honda Performance Development.
At last week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas, HPD rolled out a bunch of performance racing products featured at parent American Honda’s official display. I snapped some pics of the exciting array of products, including a 2012 Civic Si Coupe equipped with a limited-edition Honda Factory Performance™ (HFP™) package, the Compass360 Racing HPD 2012 Civic Si Coupe Racecar, the Accord Coupe HFP Concept, and several vehicles equipped with Honda Genuine Accessories. They even had a Civic with two Recaro baby seats in the back! Too bad my sons are teenagers already . . . I could have been a much cooler dad. LOL.
I wasn’t the only one who noticed HPD’s product array. Edmunds.com called the HPD Civic Body-In-White one of the best new products of the Show.
Nice job, HPD!
In Crisis, Don’t Forget Your Customers
In the recent NFL Lockout, Commissioner Goodell did a nice of job of always keeping one eye on the most important constituency in the NFL’s labor crisis: the fans. After all, it was their hard-earned cash that made “revenue splits” and “salary caps” possible.
In any PR crisis, it is critical to apologize for the inconvenience, pain, or insult hurled at your customers. 
I don’t see too much apologizing in the NBA Lockout. With each successive cancellation of a part of the 2011-2012 season, Commissioner Stern makes it plain that he’s reacting to the tit-for-tat positioning of the NBPA. But, it seems that Stern’s attitude is almost punitive, forgetting that the sport belongs to his fans . . . not the team owners.
Fan attitudes can be fickle. If they feel abused, they take their wallets elsewhere. Just ask MLB and the NHL. In the NFL’s case, football barely missed a beat in terms of fan attitudes when its lockout ended.
The NBA Lockout? I love the sport of basketball. So, I hope the League has a more detailed fan management plan than “hoping for the best.”
Dan Wheldon Remembered
My good friend and client, T.E. McHale, wrote an amazing remembrance for IndyCar star Dan Wheldon. Check it out here.
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