So in reading RIMM’s financial results, it struck the similar Blockbuster v Netflix meme that business strategies are forged and like a slow freight train, it can take years to see a well curated, once successful strategy get rolled over. Why is it like a slow freight train? Because it takes years to dethrone a winner giving that winner buffer to get its act together.

Over years, Apple a product company with a strong base as a software company, stepped into the cell phone business. Even if RIMM knew nothing, they could imagine what was next in their world.

Companies are driven by culture and culture can be an asset or liability. Some say RIMM still has a chance, but that train has probably already left the station. Wheels off.

Jim Keyes, Blockbuster CEO, dreams that this acquisition will make them a consumer-solution focused company:

He provided Apple Inc.’s stores as an example of “a user-friendly one-stop shop with solutions for the consumers” that he sees as a sort of model for a combination of Blockbuster and Circuit City.

Here’s but a few strategic concerns:

1. Best Buy’s competitive response could be to buy Netflix or get into the rental game. Neither are profit enhancing for Circuit City or Blockbuster.

2. Blockbuster and Circuit City integration (primarily real estate consolidation, product line meshing and branding) could take years, if not a decade, to fully realize synergies on. In that time, what will the consumer electronics and digital media landscape look like? In short, very different than today.

3. This will not create a new Apple. I shop at Apple, I own Apple products and there is no way that the combination of these two firms will create an Apple consumer solutions vision without completely changing what these two firms do. [on that note, see Sears + K Mart a few years later to get a sense of the enormity of the task]

This smells like a bet the company move: Wheels off.

Case in point: GM/Chevy with the “From Gas to Gas Free” in this week’s Economist…

While Toyota, Honda and Ford have already sold cars and can advertise an actual product, GM must think selling an idea gets them something. Save your money, Chevy marketing team, on the advertising. Better yet, divert it to R&D and launch sooner. Wheels off.

So Aquafina is being called out as the middle market product that it is: tap water.

So what’s really the selling proposition for Pepsi on this one? One guess is really that consumers, and a lot of them, are basically buying bottles. Maybe Aquafina has a chance to go one step better by going green, and making slightly more durable bottles that can and should be reused.

Know what they call reusable, durable bottles? Flasks…

Oh, and in looking into the novel concept of not being so wasteful and using durable bottles, Nalgene is already on it:

With green gaining steam with the public, we’d like to hope Pepsi sees this as an opportunity to hit the tipping point.

Campaign: Print, TV

Alright, I’m probably the target on this one, but just don’t see it. You can dance and do sporting events, but Michelob, the campaign is a bit flat. The run schedule is even good, btw.

I’d suggest getting out of the box. Is Mic Ultra refreshing enough to drink as a refreshment after a run? during a run? There’s got to be a ton of creative for the 30-40 somethings that want upscale, are calorie conscious and are looking for a lifestyle beer. FYI, I’ve seen a number of mile 23 beer stands during a marathon and a brand play at the event carried to interactive and traditional media could be cool.

[Note: Realize that Guinness wins this fight every time (low cal, high brow, cool beer, and the ads are a riot.]

Wheels off, Mic, sorry.

Zillow.com announced that they intend to build a social community network where neighborhoods can provide information, pictures and recent events to flush out what living is like in that community. I get social networks are everywhere. I like marketing that comes from education, user displays and social interaction.

I don’t get why Zillow would ever agree to this kind of mission creep. It reeks of attempting to find more social relevance while the real estate market has tailed off. Taking on the National Association of Realtors and streamlining the closing process seemed so much more compelling for Zillow.

Stats don’t lie, traffic to Zillow.com and Realtor.com are just plain down:

From the Back Seat, this one looks like a stretch.