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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title>Going Wells Fargo one better</title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/going-wells-fargo-one-better/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/going-wells-fargo-one-better/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/going-wells-fargo-one-better/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/aapl/" rel="tag">Apple Inc (AAPL)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wmt/" rel="tag">Wal-Mart (WMT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/dai/" rel="tag">DaimlerChrysler (DAI)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/kkd/" rel="tag">Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/bud/" rel="tag">Anheuser-Busch Cos (BUD)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/sle/" rel="tag">Sara Lee Corp (SLE)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/anf/" rel="tag">Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/rda/" rel="tag">Reader's Digest Assn (RDA)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/hog/" rel="tag">Harley-Davidson (HOG)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/ptr/" rel="tag">PetroChina Co Ltd ADR (PTR)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wfc/" rel="tag">Wells Fargo (WFC)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/jblu/" rel="tag">JetBlue Airways (JBLU)</a></p><p>Yesterday <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/20/genealogical-research-as-an-investment-perk-seriously/">Zac Bissonnette reported</a> that <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/wells-fargo-and-company/wfc/nys">Wells Fargo</a> (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/wells-fargo-and-company/wfc/nys">WFC</a>) employs a historian to create genealogies for their wealthiest customers, and wealthy non-customers they wish to cultivate. This caused me to wonder if this stroke of genius might not be transferable to other markets. In this age when every business is identifying their best customers, might they not reward their customers with the services of a professional? For example:</p>
<ul>
    <li><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/wal-mart-stores-inc/wmt/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">Wal-Mart</a>'s (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/wal-mart-stores-inc/wmt/nys?tabs=quotesandnews"> WMT</a>) Sam's Club customers would love their own stevedore.</li>
    <li>For <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/anheuser-busch-companies-inc/bud/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">Anheuser-Busch</a>'s (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/anheuser-busch-companies-inc/bud/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">BUD</a>) biggest spenders -- a chauffeur, or a bail bondsman. Either would be useful.</li>
    <li><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/krispy-kreme-doughnuts-inc/kkd/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">Krispy Kreme Doughnuts</a>' addicts (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/krispy-kreme-doughnuts-inc/kkd/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">KKD</a>) -- Their own cardiologist.</li>
    <li>For <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/abercrombie-and-fitch-co-a/anf/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">Abercrombie and Fitch</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/abercrombie-and-fitch-co-a/anf/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">ANF</a>) customers- a personal bikini-waxer. (I wonder if this is truly a profession?)</li>
    <li>For devotees of the <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/apple-inc/aapl/nas?tabs=quotesandnews">Apple</a> iPod (NASDAQ:<a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/apple-inc/aapl/nas?tabs=quotesandnews"> AAPL</a>) -- why not a personal audiologist? I said A PERSONAL AUIDIOLOGIST.</li>
    <li>For <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/waste-management-inc/wmi/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">Waste Management Inc</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/waste-management-inc/wmi/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">WMI</a>) customers -- their own aroma therapist.</li>
    <li>For <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/jetblue-airways-corporation/jblu/nas?tabs=quotesandnews">JetBlue Airways</a> (NASDAQ: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/jetblue-airways-corporation/jblu/nas?tabs=quotesandnews">JBLU</a>) frequent flyers - a personal anger management coach.</li>
    <li>For <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/daimlerchrysler-ag/dcx/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">DaimlerChrysler AG</a> (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/daimlerchrysler-ag/dcx/nys?tabs=quotesandnews"> DCX)</a> loyalists -- a magician to teach them the trick to turning five pounds of crap into a steak dinner.</li>
    <li><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/harley-davidson-inc/hog/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">Harley Davidson</a>'s (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/harley-davidson-inc/hog/nys?tabs=quotesandnews"> HOG</a>) favorite customers -- A personal wardrobe consultation with Dog, the Bounty Hunter. </li>
    <li><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/sara-lee-corporation/sle/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">Sara Lee Corp</a> (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/sara-lee-corporation/sle/nys?tabs=quotesandnews"> SLE</a>) - Their own seamstress, expert at letting out seams.</li>
    <li><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/petrochina-company-limited/ptr/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">PetroChina Co Ltd ADR</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/petrochina-company-limited/ptr/nys?tabs=quotesandnews">PTR</a>) -- Their own personal Oxfam volunteer.</li>
</ul>
<p>And for you, our most loyal and treasured BloggingStocks reader: A personal chef, to prepare and serve my bologna.<br /></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/going-wells-fargo-one-better/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/901747/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/going-wells-fargo-one-better/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/going-wells-fargo-one-better/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>aapl</category><category>anf</category><category>bud</category><category>dcx</category><category>Harley-Davidson</category><category>hog</category><category>jblu</category><category>kkd</category><category>Krispy Kreme Doughnuts</category><category>KrispyKremeDoughnuts</category><category>ptr</category><category>Reader's Digest Assn</category><category>Reader'sDigestAssn</category><category>Sam'sClub</category><category>Sara Lee Corp</category><category>SaraLeeCorp</category><category>sle</category><category>Wal-Mart</category><category>Wells Fargo</category><category>WellsFargo</category><category>wfc</category><category>wmi</category><category>wmt</category><dc:creator>Tom Barlow</dc:creator><dc:date>2007-05-22T17:29:00+00:00</dc:date></item><item><title>Turning a page: Reader's Digest goes private</title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/16/turning-a-page-readers-digest-goes-private/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/16/turning-a-page-readers-digest-goes-private/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/16/turning-a-page-readers-digest-goes-private/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/privateequity/" rel="tag">Private equity</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/rda/" rel="tag">Reader's Digest Assn (RDA)</a></p><p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2006/11/rd.bmp" id="vimage_1" /></p>
<p>Reader's Digest is a true American success story. Founded in 1922, the magazine's first print run was 5,000 -- and the retail price was 25 cents. Eventually, the magazine would become the biggest in the world.</p>
<p>But nothing lasts forever. In the case of Reader's Digest, the brand started to get crusty and its financial performance suffered as a result.</p>
<p>Now the company has decided to <a href="http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/readers-digest-to-be-sold-for-161/n20061116090709990002?cid=403">go private in a $1.6 billion deal</a>. The lead investor is Ripplewood Holdings, which has lots of experience in the media world.</p>
<p>True, Reader's Digest has a diversified set of media assets, such as videos, books, music and so on. However, the company was particularly late in terms of moving onto the Net and in many ways still seems old-fashioned and a bit crusty.</p>
<p>As a result, the price tag is a tepid $17 per share. This is only an 8% premium. </p>
<p><em>Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&amp;A Handbook and operates InvestorOffering.com.</em></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/readers-digest-to-be-sold-for-161/n20061116090709990002?cid=403>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/16/turning-a-page-readers-digest-goes-private/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/703032/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/16/turning-a-page-readers-digest-goes-private/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/11/16/turning-a-page-readers-digest-goes-private/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Buyout</category><category>Reader's Digest</category><category>Reader'sDigest</category><category>Ripplewood Holdings</category><category>RipplewoodHoldings</category><dc:creator>Tom Taulli</dc:creator><dc:date>2006-11-16T12:39:00+00:00</dc:date></item></channel></rss>