Berrics "Unified"

http://theberrics.com/dailyopspost.php?postid=1498

Despite the unsettling image of Berra appearing to have AIDS, and delivering his message in a tone so serious that it should only be reserved for announcing that one has AIDS, I still thought the overall idea was pretty positive. There's nothing wrong with helping to direct people toward local skate shops or parks. I felt this way about it while I was still under the impression that it was a free service.

Later in the day, I was told that it's at least somewhere in the $1000 to $3000 range (PER YEAR) to sign up for it. Giving a dramatic speech about "helping out small businesses in this tough economy" which doesn't mention the relatively steep subscription fee, seriously subtracts from its genuineness. If Berra had some kind of video game style special meter which incrementally earned him a kick in the nuts, it would currently be at max and glowing red.

However, that fee does provide the shop with temporary ad space on the actual Berrics site, which is something that many larger companies probably pay an even higher price for. I'm not sure that a small skate shop needs to advertise nation-wide like that, but it could benefit those shops which have online stores. It's something that could work if it's used properly, or be a colossal waste of money if attempted by the less savvy.

There are plenty of lame shops that I wouldn't mind seeing get wiped out, and I'm sure this Berrics thing could play a role in that. Unfortunately, it could also negatively affect a bunch of good shops that are struggling as it is. In the end, it’s just helping Berra buy his way deeper into Scientology, and maybe a few more ivory back scratchers.