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Digest
Talk of the bay
By Times Staff Writer
Published September 22, 2007
QVC is adopting a minimalistic look with name Three months after HSN unveiled a softer, new look and a national ad campaign to get TV shoppers to switch, rival QVC countered with its first visual overhaul in 14 years to get them to switch back. The West Chester, Pa., network's new on-air graphics, ad campaign and logo call the channel "Q," rather than the dated abbreviation for Quality, Value, Convenience. QVC ran a teaser billboard campaign trying to make people curious about what "Q" is with ads featuring celebrities such as Carson Kressley, star of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, saying "Merci Beau Q" in one spot. A band led by Motley Q unveiled the logo at a headquarters fete. James Bond gadget guru Q need not fret about changing his name. QVC won't try to trademark the 17th letter of the alphabet. But one industry analyst considered the line "iQdoU?" in promotions too obscure and ill-conceived for a network with a United Kingdom audience. "In Britain that would mean 'I wait in line. Do you wait in line?'" said Budd Margolis, a London TV shopping consultant. Bush, 'Journal' take shot at Crist Noting that Gov. Charlie Crist "didn't appreciate our coverage of his plan to socialize his state's disaster insurance market," an editorial in Friday's Wall Street Journal trumpeted criticism from former Gov. Jeb Bush. In a speech Monday, Bush slammed Crist for placing too much financial risk at doorstep of state taxpayers. The editorial quotes state Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, calling him "one of the cooler heads who didn't prevail in the legislative debate." An attorney who specializes in insurance litigation, Ross was one of only two "cool heads" who voted against the reforms. Tampabay.com All about money Times personal finance editor Helen Huntley talks about money topics and answers your finance questions at blogs.tampabay.com/money. GAS WATCH The price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the Tampa Bay area: FRIDAY $2.753 THURSDAY $2.745 MONTH AGO $2.650 YEAR AGO $2.438 RECORD $3.095* * Record set May 24 Source: AAA/Oil Price Information Service To find the cheapest gas where you live, visit money.tampabay.com
[Last modified September 22, 2007, 00:19:04]
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