Dr_Ken's Journal: Another One Bites The Dust - RadioShack Is "Rebranded"

Why mess with success? How did rebranding Coke do back in the '80s? And yet those crazt marketing wizards from the business schools keep trying to reinvent the wheel or in this case a recognized brand. Go figure? Here is this on that topic from a column by an ex-RadioShacker in the LA Times

"The most troubling part of the Shack re-branding is that it reflects the steep decline in the electronics hobby segment, and America's growing technical illiteracy. When I worked there, about 20% of my day was spent ferreting out tubes and transistors for ham radio enthusiasts and kids putting together school experiments."

Sheesh. That's sad but times change. But even so good luck with the rebranding strategy you souless empty suits. Doubt if it'll work any better than Coca-Cola's did though.

a done deal

[Jimmy_Slimmy]

Well, I have not bought a vacuum tube in a long time, nor have I replaced a resistor on a circuit board, so that can not be their model. "Tubes" used to be carried in grocery stores. But I wish RadioShaft would carry more cables and converters, though I guess since I am recycling all my old CRTs, I hardly have much more need for cables and converters like I used to...

The days of home hobbies like electronics and chemistry seem numbered. Though I guess there are kits with integrated circuits and chips and

Re:

[Dr_Ken]

It's kind of sad. But I suppose that the suits at Radio Shack have to adapt to the times. It seems like the tendency of the US government in adapting to changing times is to tightly regulate or ban outright a lot of the cool hands on geek stuff we enjoyed doing especially since the WTC attacks in 2001. Some other stuff time and technology has just passed by. Fun stuff like rocketry, marksmanship, encryption, CB/Ham Radio, archery, building fighting robot gladiators just to name but a few are activities th

Re:

[Jimmy_Slimmy]

I think it is pretty complicated, and what you say contributes.

I think it goes way back before 9/11, the response to which is just another occurrence of the same phenomenon- lowering risk, including the risk of taking risks

Chemistry sets CAN kill you. (hey, appeals to me!) Insurance companies can make payouts. Taxpayers can get stuck with supporting "Darwin Award" candidates. "Holy Warriors" can take revenge for the overthrow of their representative government, the destruction of their way of life, or o