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KNOT GOOD MARKETING? How Well Does the Firearms Industry Do it?

Every Vacation Day Carry? I'm a fan of good marketing.  I loved Mad Men and I admire the fictional genius of Donald Draper.  I’m probably not the only one who likes to play armchair ad-man now and then.  Still, I admit it’s a lot easier to criticize after the fact than to create a good marketing campaign from scratch. For example, a Facebook meme revealed that decades ago A&W root beer hamburger stands tried to compete with the McDonalds Quarter Pounder(tm).  Proving that some things are more important that price and quality, they offered more (1/3 pound  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | July 30, 2019 | Marketing | 0 Comments Read More »

MORE NRA… plus How Inventors Can Cut Patent Costs

Why Even I Shouldn’t be an NRA Director The above was going to be my newsletter title, but we’ll get back to business after a couple of months of NRA Snafu news. Here’s a quick update: The reason I shouldn’t be a Director is probably exaggerated, but being a Director is good for business and PR in this industry, and it would benefit me. That’s not who you want for directors. We’ll get into it later, but Directors should care only about ensuring good corporate governance, and not how decisions affect their personal bottom line. Last month’s news I broke  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | July 10, 2019 | Firearms | 0 Comments Read More »

SAVE THE NRA: D-WAYNE THE SWAMP

Innocent until proven guilty – and I don’t have all the facts. Breakin' up... ...is hard to do? But... fair or not, it’s time for Wayne to go.  The NRA is far too important to our nation, to our rights, and to our industry to risk its well-being and very existence simply for the sake of ensuring fair treatment of one of its employees.  If by the time you read this Wayne LaPierre has resigned his position, I’ll salute him for doing right by the organization he has served for three decades – and I’ll let go of all the  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | May 29, 2019 | Firearms | 0 Comments Read More »

HOW TO FIX THE NRA

Should the Faces be bigger than the organization? (photo courtesy of Tom Gresham - guntalk.com) I might actually have been a gun rights nut before I was a true gun nut.  Before I became part of this industry in 2002, I had been the lead plaintiff and a legal strategist on a concealed carry civil rights case in Oregon that achieved a partial victory even with hostile judges.  I got a lot of mentoring from a “no-compromise” organization that continually criticized the NRA. I’m an NRA member and recognize the immense value and leadership the  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | May 14, 2019 | Firearms | 0 Comments Read More »

HOW TO PROTECT “COOL”…

HOW TO PROTECT “COOL” TWO FAMILIAR WAYS TO PROTECT PRODUCT DESIGNS, PLUS A THIRD WAY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF AND CAN UNDOUBTEDLY AFFORD. Everyone wants a patent. It’s perfectly logical to want to protect a new product.  Technical innovations help set you apart in a crowded marketplace and a patent prevents anyone else from offering your innovation for 20 years. But let’s be honest, not every new product has patentable technical innovations.  Sometimes, what makes a successful product isn’t how it works or what it does, but how it looks.  Style sells,  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | March 20, 2019 | Books & Resources, Business, Copyright, Firearms, Firearms Industry Advice, How To, Intellectual Property Advice, Legal News, Marketing, Patent, Trademark | 0 Comments Read More »

SHOT 2019 – HOW TO HEALTHILY HANDLE HUNDREDS OF HANDSHAKES?

I’ll report on the health effects and proposals for the future, later in this issue.  Meanwhile, for SHOT Show number 18, I continued a more relaxed approach I started last year.  Instead of worrying about visiting every client, friend, and lead I possibly could, I focused on simply having a good show, and making each day count.  As a Buddhist friend put it: “You’re not supposed to keep constantly shaking the snow globe – you’ve got to let the snow fall and settle to appreciate it.”  By my rough review of the checkmarks on my “must visit list” I had  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | February 12, 2019 | Firearms | 0 Comments Read More »