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-230

Pacifist Patriot computers.

-230 points posted to Sales Strategies by jmxz Apr 30

This is a followup to the two "patriot" ideas from earlier today.

Both were focused on the military aspects of patriotism: "camo with the end users choice of military logos" ... "charity that specifically supports ... soldiers and their families". While those focused on the military, there are many ways of showing patriotism including non-violent ones.

If you do a military-patriotism-computer - please also do a non-military-patriot-computer too.

This would be just like the other ideas, but change
"choice of military logs" to "choice of non-military, government logos"
and change
"charity that supports...soldiers and their families" to "charity that supports non-soldiers and their families".

jervis961
Apr 30		 Why not bundle it all together and let the people decide. Maybe I don't want camo but want to support the troops.
jmxz
Apr 30		 Why just the troops?
Perhaps I want to support the Civilian Contractors in Iraq.
Many of them are doing hard dangerous work too.
joyscant1980
Apr 30		 And what about a version for all the major charities? Like the Red Cross, Unicef and a large portion of the profits go to the charities?
sa2008
Apr 30		 I do agree that not all forms or PATRIOTISM are military related. However, I feel strongly that companies like DELL can and should support the TROOPS (both current and former) that have provided us the many FREEDOMS that we all enjoy. The intent behind my original IDEA was simply to allow us all as AMERICANS to make a clear CHOICE to show our patriotism through a SIMPLE and GOOFY SYMBOLIC gesture. It also gives DELL and us all as customers a CHANCE to give back to those same men and woman who have been placed in HARMS way to PROTECT and guard our FREEDOMS.

US FLAGS, CAMO, US MILITARY LOGOS, TEAM USA and other similar concepts can all be tied directly to the THEME.

The above is my emotional response.

Now for a more practical response.

COST!!! It would greatly increase cost to DELL is too many options are provided. That is why I initially kept it simple and stated a US FLAG or a CAMO style laptop. Having a couple of shell options keeps costs intact and allows for such a theme to materialize and become economically reasonable to DELL. It also, allows for the desired end result to be achieved.

MONEY being donated to organizations like WOUNDED WARRIOR or something similar.

Ultimately this IDEA could balloon into and out of control monster, thus it would simply get lost in the MASSIVE STORM of IDEAS!

I really think KEEPING IT SIMPLE is the best approach at this time. If worked out for DELL economically, then maybe they could expand into other areas of importance.

Cancer Research, AIDS prevention, etc.

Just my 2 cents
jmxz
Apr 30		 @joyscant1980

Yeah - that's the direction I was hoping the conversation would go.

Rather than the original idea "Stuff for one country and one branch of government", wouldn't it be better to have 3 independent ideas:

  • "Clearly label computers 'Assembled in [countryname]'" - so for people who care, they can use that info to make their buying decisions
  • "Customize the logo with whatever you want, military or otherwise"
  • "Encourage the customer to donate his savings to the charity of his choice - rather than bundling it with a computer"
jmxz
Apr 30		 @sa2008: "to give back to those same men and woman who have been placed in HARMS way to PROTECT and guard"

Which I'll again mention includes the civilian contractors working with the military and state department in Iraq, etc.
sa2008
Apr 30		 @jmxz: I already indicated that I understand and agree. However, I feel that complicating such an idea with too many options initially creates hesistation on a companies part.

Start with the PATRIOT in a couple of color/shell options. If the IDEA is a SUCCESS then give other options a chance.
sugarbear
Apr 30		 @jmxz. Do you have any idea how much tax free money the civilian contractors are making over there? They also are going freely of their own will to make the big bucks. The soldiers don`t make much money and don`t have free will. They go where they are told to. My cousin is a secretary in Iraq, she works for a non military contractor. She makes $85,000.00 US dollars, tax free money a year. Her rent, utilities, and meals are paid for her also as a fringe benefit.
jmxz
Apr 30		 @sugarbear: "Do you have any idea how much tax free money the civilian contractors are making over there?"

Some of them (especially upper management in the companies) make more than the soldiers.
Some of them make far far less and have far more dangerous jobs.

Consider these workers: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-060423pipeline-story,0,354...
KBR, in turn, has outsourced much of that work to more than 200 subcontractors, many of them based in Middle Eastern nations condemned by the U.S. ...
...described how some subcontractors and a chain of human brokers allegedly engaged in the same kinds of abuses routinely condemned by the State Department as human trafficking.
...The Tribune identified three major KBR subcontractors that employed thousands of foreign workers on U.S. installations in Iraq and confiscated the passports of their foreign workers as a standard practice. At least two of those firms also have their own contracts with the U.S.

I can assure you that very few of them make as much as the soliders there; and the soliders will be entitled to veterans' benefits, etc after.

Sure, some contractors are well paid.
But surely you must admit that some are paid less and have more risk than the soldiers, no?
siger
May 1		 why are you trying to convince us ? can't we think other way than you ?
phubert
May 1		 Would it be difficult to make more than soldiers???? I thought the pay was pretty dismal?
siger
May 3		 we can do this for all soldiers, not only american ones, so i don"t understand the interest .
jesse_l
May 23		 I really cannot say if Dell would be able to make all these themed laptops for customers, Although, some good ideas I might add.If your looking for a variety of themes try going to www.skinit.com. They have numerous themes for laptops that you may find pretty interesting.
jmxz
May 23		 You're right, jesse_l. The customization through skinit is already offered (though the links are hard to find on dell.com; seems they were more visible many months ago).

This idea was intended more as a parody of the previous two military-focused ideas earlier that day.
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