Comments on: Say Good Bye to the Merrill Bull http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/ Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Geopolitics, Technology, and Digital Media Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:46:34 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: rch http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185351 rch Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:51:56 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185351 I am not a Merrill fan. Having said that, it should be spun back out and let it run its course. Lewis is not to be trusted, he ought to be ousted before he can cause any more damage. I am concerned that "the bank" is nothing more than a conduit to sell unsuspecting, uneducated investors more trash. I am still bullish on America but it will take some time for Americans to accept their individual responsibility and turn the government back to where it belongs, in the background, not at the forefront running businesses with a bunch on amateurs. Rhetoric is nice to a point but it can't alter the basic rules of humanness, the sum of which is business and investing. Back to basics, I hope. I am not a Merrill fan. Having said that, it should be spun back out and let it run its course.
Lewis is not to be trusted, he ought to be ousted before he can cause any more damage. I am concerned that “the bank” is nothing more than a conduit to sell unsuspecting, uneducated investors more trash.
I am still bullish on America but it will take some time for Americans to accept their individual responsibility and turn the government back to where it belongs, in the background, not at the forefront running businesses with a bunch on amateurs.
Rhetoric is nice to a point but it can’t alter the basic rules of humanness, the sum of which is business and investing.
Back to basics, I hope.

]]> By: dcsos http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185343 dcsos Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:10:55 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185343 Just make sure the revised Merrill TV spot shows Ken Lewis on WALL ST completely naked at dawn! Just make sure the revised Merrill TV spot shows Ken Lewis on WALL ST completely naked at dawn!

]]> By: gloppie http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185332 gloppie Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:57:54 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185332 Logos are extremely relevant, "marketing-wise" that is, as in the necessary conditioning of the heard of sheeples out there. Now, sophisticated investors on the other hand will do their homework and tend to disregard the brand and seek the substance. That is a good thing. The entire FIRE industry could aptly be visually represented by a subset of the well established, albeit unpopular and as such a bit elitist (read nerdy) J R "Bob" Dobbs, the figurehead of the Church of the SubGenius. If you don't know Bob, do your home work, you will become a different person (I did not say better). OTOH, you may have spotted the blue hand and already have dismissed me. Good for you ! Disclosure: Short wheelbase. Logos are extremely relevant, “marketing-wise” that is, as in the necessary conditioning of the heard of sheeples out there.
Now, sophisticated investors on the other hand will do their homework and tend to disregard the brand and seek the substance. That is a good thing.
The entire FIRE industry could aptly be visually represented by a subset of the well established, albeit unpopular and as such a bit elitist (read nerdy) J R “Bob” Dobbs, the figurehead of the Church of the SubGenius.
If you don’t know Bob, do your home work, you will become a different person (I did not say better).
OTOH, you may have spotted the blue hand and already have dismissed me. Good for you !
Disclosure: Short wheelbase.

]]> By: philipat http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185300 philipat Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:20:06 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185300 Speaking from experience, in any merger, the most difficult part is aligning cultures and bringing on board the folks from the aquired Company. Changing the name and logo to BOA would make it that much more difficlt to do as it would alienate the Merrill folks and ensure that they feel like second class citizens. If it is essential to change anything, and I personally don't think it is for reasons other that ego, the correct approach would be to start again with a new Corporate identity and launch an internal PR Campaign around it on the basis that this IS a fresh start and all are equal, irrespective of which Company they came from. Speaking from experience, in any merger, the most difficult part is aligning cultures and bringing on board the folks from the aquired Company. Changing the name and logo to BOA would make it that much more difficlt to do as it would alienate the Merrill folks and ensure that they feel like second class citizens. If it is essential to change anything, and I personally don’t think it is for reasons other that ego, the correct approach would be to start again with a new Corporate identity and launch an internal PR Campaign around it on the basis that this IS a fresh start and all are equal, irrespective of which Company they came from.

]]> By: cvienne http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185293 cvienne Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:26:58 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185293 Maybe they just need to put Obama's face on it...(he seems to like his face on everything) ...and while GM is at it, they might as well design Obama head hood ornaments & hubcaps... ...let's see, what's next...the NBC peacock?...or I'm sure he would fancy himself as the new "NBA guy" on that logo if the leagues franchises get distressed and need a bailout (as they probably will)... Maybe they just need to put Obama’s face on it…(he seems to like his face on everything)

…and while GM is at it, they might as well design Obama head hood ornaments & hubcaps…

…let’s see, what’s next…the NBC peacock?…or I’m sure he would fancy himself as the new “NBA guy” on that logo if the leagues franchises get distressed and need a bailout (as they probably will)…

]]> By: Christopher http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185288 Christopher Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:01:28 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185288 BOA....perhaps they should with a big snake logo.....coiled tightly around a small sheep.... BOA….perhaps they should with a big snake logo…..coiled tightly around a small sheep….

]]> By: Mark E Hoffer http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185276 Mark E Hoffer Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:14:47 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185276 Jeff, I hear your explainations of what is/has seemingly occurred in Corporate-landia US, but, take a peek at jc 's post, above yours, see O'Neal, and, similiarly, Thain.. that cat's reality is on different vector than you describe--true Blackguards--Pirates, they be.. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/blackguards http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pirate it is, to me, beyond, simple "selfishness".. Jeff,

I hear your explainations of what is/has seemingly occurred in Corporate-landia US, but, take a peek at jc ’s post, above yours, see O’Neal, and, similiarly, Thain..

that cat’s reality is on different vector than you describe–true Blackguards–Pirates, they be..
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/blackguards
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pirate

it is, to me, beyond, simple “selfishness”..

]]> By: cvienne http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185274 cvienne Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:45:55 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185274 @ahab How about a motto to go with the name... "Merrily Merrilly Merrily Merrily Lynching America...Life is but a dream..." @ahab

How about a motto to go with the name…

“Merrily Merrilly Merrily Merrily Lynching America…Life is but a dream…”

]]> By: nebyarg http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185262 nebyarg Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:49:25 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185262 Good logo, lousy reputations... How 'bout "Bank of Bull"! Good logo, lousy reputations… How ’bout “Bank of Bull”!

]]> By: Mannwich http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/say-good-bye-to-the-merrill-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-185252 Mannwich Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:25:21 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=29558#comment-185252 Logos mean nothing, nada, zilch, squat, without the actual organizational competencies (e.g. it's the people stupid) behind it. That's why I said in an earlier post that it only means something to the empty suits. It's shallow, vapid, window dressing, if you will. If the organizational competency goes away, it's all smoke & mirrors. I've always been amazed at just how long big, established companies could carry on and be successful while they rot from within, but that's what ultimately happens to most of our big companies over time, most of which I attribute to the "churn & burn" mentality at these places. The employes are all just numbers on a spreadsheet to manipulated at the whims of corporat execs so that they can fatten their own paychecks, even if it means hiding the plethora of hidden costs that ultimately bring down the firm in the end. Most of them are long gone by then with their pockets full, so why should they care? What we have in this country is a complete vacuum in real leadership everywhere we look. Real leaders don't just look out for themselves. I think that's been forgotten in this country. Logos mean nothing, nada, zilch, squat, without the actual organizational competencies (e.g. it’s the people stupid) behind it. That’s why I said in an earlier post that it only means something to the empty suits. It’s shallow, vapid, window dressing, if you will. If the organizational competency goes away, it’s all smoke & mirrors. I’ve always been amazed at just how long big, established companies could carry on and be successful while they rot from within, but that’s what ultimately happens to most of our big companies over time, most of which I attribute to the “churn & burn” mentality at these places. The employes are all just numbers on a spreadsheet to manipulated at the whims of corporat execs so that they can fatten their own paychecks, even if it means hiding the plethora of hidden costs that ultimately bring down the firm in the end. Most of them are long gone by then with their pockets full, so why should they care? What we have in this country is a complete vacuum in real leadership everywhere we look. Real leaders don’t just look out for themselves. I think that’s been forgotten in this country.

]]>