The Queen’s Cars, Wholesale Slips, Brand vs Merch

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We have that ‘Friday feeling’ as we’re prepping to roll onto ASOTU CON. But first, we’re talking about the Queen’s epic taste in cars, the wholesale price index in August seeing some sinking numbers, as well as a bold move by retailer Lowes in its reorganizing marketing and merchandising. 

• Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British Monarch passed away at age 96 years old surrounded by her family yesterday and will be remembered by millions across the globe for many things. One of them is a great, and quite tasteful car collection
  • Ruled for over 70 years beginning when her father died suddenly in 1952 while she was on a trip in Kenya and was flown home. She didn’t realize that she was to immediately become queen. Her coronation was the first international live TV broadcast
  • To the cars: 
    • Queen’s first preference always steered toward British off-roaders throughout and even before her reign. Perhaps the first was an Austin K2/Y, which she would have used during her World War I
    • She loved Land Rover Defenders.  Her favorite being a 2002 Defender 110 TD5
      •  When the current-gen Defender rolled out, Land Rover gifted a Defender 130 to the British Red Cross for her 75th anniversary as queen in her honor to commemorate her long-standing relationship with the vehicles
    • Her fleet included several Bentleys, including Bentaygas and Arnage-based state limousines, including her golden jubilee steed from 2002
    • Others included Rolls-Royce Phantom-based limousines, Rovers, Vauxhalls, and Aston Martins
  • By law, she was the only driver in England who didn’t need a license
  • Elizabeth's eldest son, Charles, 73, formerly the Prince of Wales, has immediately become the King of England
• Wholesale Used Car prices dropped 4% in August, the sharpest decline this year according to Cox Automotive data which is adjusted for mix, mileage and seasonality.
  • They are still 8.4% higher than they were in August of last year
  • According to Black Book, pricing has consistently depreciated for the last 6 weeks
• Lowe’s fires its CMO and moves marketing under merchandising head Bill Boltz, executive vice president of merchandising
  • Following 2 quarters of decline from YoY comps, CMO Marisa Thalberg, chief brand and marketing officer at Lowe’s, has left the home improvement retailer as part of a corporate reorganization
  • Under Ms. Thalberg, Lowe’s moved into several high-profile campaigns, including running commercials on ESPN during the NFL Draft broadcast. She was also key to new marketing initiatives at Lowe’s, such as Halloween trick-or-treating, and Valentine’s Day date night and Petco shops inside the chain’s stores.
  • Richard Sanderson, a consultant at Spencer Stuart, said the practice was more common in grocery more than a decade ago when “marketing was really driving

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