Proof That Image Is Fleeting
For those of you who get severe stomach cramps when a shiny Jaguar, Porsche or Mercedes-Benz pulls up next to your beat-up old Ford, don’t fret. Many of those drivers don’t own those sexy and speedy cars; they just rent them for a day.
Ken Kerzner, president and chief of operations for Budget Rent-a-Car of Beverly Hills, said thousands of people, including celebrities, Japanese businessmen, tourists and those who choose to test-drive before they buy, rent the exotic and luxurious cars. Budget also rents car phones and life’s newest essential: the car fax machine.
He said customers, age 25 and up, rent the cars for business and personal reasons. Some simply do it for show.
Customers are “screaming” for the Mazda Miata and the new Toyota Lexus right now, Kerzner said.
“People in Southern California have a love for automobiles. Without a car in Southern California, you can’t get around.
“Your car is your image.”
Wannabes--those who want to sit behind a Porsche and the like--can expect to pay $29.95 a day for the Mitsubishi Mirage and $1,000 a day for the Ferrari Testarossa.
Not in Gear With Michael
Where do you go after you land Michael Jackson as a pitchman?
Well, for athletic shoe company L.A. Gear, it’s gone a long way down the celebrity ladder. Since Jackson signed on with L.A. Gear in the fall, the Marina del Rey company has named a host of celebrity endorsers--but none seem to be in Jackson’s league. Among the additional celebrity pitchmen are basketball stars Akeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone and model Heather Locklear. Last week, L.A. Gear also announced that it had signed actress Priscilla Presley to target what it calls the “30-plus” woman.
For those awaiting the Jackson commercials, don’t hold your breath. They are not expected to air until next spring.
If You Really Loved Us . . .
If all else fails, ask your customers to help you sell your product. That’s what Investor’s Daily, the Los Angeles-based publication that dubs itself “America’s Business Newspaper,” is doing.
A computerized letter sent to subscribers from Investor’s Daily founder and Chairman William J. O’Neil begins with the plea: “You are very important to Investor’s Daily, and I’d like to ask you for a little help.”
O’Neil asks the reader to submit the names, addresses and phone numbers of “friends, relatives, investors or business associates” who might be worthy candidates for Investor’s Daily subscriptions.
But don’t worry, Investor’s Daily will do the rest, sending each nominee a free two-week subscription with the compliments of the subscriber who submitted their name.
Although Investor’s Daily, with a circulation of 101,000, is “growing rapidly,” the letter says, the help is needed so that the newspaper can double its circulation and compete with the Wall Street Journal. Now what subscriber could ignore such a heartfelt entreaty?
