Just read this

[bucket]

"""The pending post single desk era at the start of the new 2012/13 crop year August 1, 2012, has Canadian Wheat Board officials considering rebranding its corporate identity, a spokeswoman with the organization said.

"It's part of our rebranding strategy currently under consideration to herald a new beginning for the organization," Heather Frayne, with media relations said.

She added the organization was also working on a new visual identity and logo which will be unveiled shortly.

Formally shortening the name to 'CWB' is part of the options being considered, Frayne said.

Even prior to the federal government's legislation, there were efforts to increase the use of the abbreviated title.

"Everyone I think is familiar with the word CWB, and we have tried to move it towards that for quite some time," Frayne said.

She said the Canadian Wheat Board name holds significant value and recognition among international buyers.

"We still will be referring to the full name to a large extent in our marketing efforts overseas, but especially domestically and with our farmer stakeholders we want to be able to match the new era with a new feel," Frayne said. ""


Its shit like this that pisses me off. How about wasting some of this high priced meeting time on getting some new crop prices out to farmers. Sheesh!

[bucket]

A ****ing press release to say they are working on a new logo. Come on, they have to do better than this to be taken seriously.

[LWeber]

Ken Motiuk had a different version 6 days ago...


Canadian Wheat Board to tweak name
Feb 29, 2012 4:07 PM -

Winnipeg | Reuters
Crops, Markets

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Canadian Wheat Board will shorten its name, one of the most storied and well known in global grain trading, to simply "CWB," as it starts to compete in an open market.

The board will give up its 69-year-old Western Canada wheat marketing monopoly on Aug. 1 under new Canadian law, but grain handlers are already buying farmers' 2012 crops for delivery this autumn.
The Wheat Board is expected to join them in buying 2012 crops on forward contracts as early as this week, starting with its staples: spring wheat, durum and barley.

"It's going to be (known as) CWB," said Ken Motiuk, one of five government-appointed directors of the board, on the sidelines of the Wild Oats GrainWorld conference here Tuesday.

"You have to differentiate yourself from the past" while maintaining some continuity, he said.

The Wheat Board has long been informally called the CWB.

It’s not unheard of for companies to shed their full names in favour of their accepted abbreviations, such as CHS (Cenex Harvest States), BASF (Badische Anilin- Soda-Fabrik) and 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.).

[bucket]

Yeah I get it, but it seems they are wasting time on something that should take about 5 minutes to decide or defer it to a school project to make the new logo.

Anyhow, where are the new pricing programs for the 2012 crop??? They could do that first and then worry about the book cover, second.

After all, you don't judge a book by its cover, right?

[TOM4CWB]

Talking about 'Rebranding'

"Alberta Tories launch $425K ad campaign as election looms

Don’t let the Alberta government tag fool you.

What we’ve got here is a pure political piece of work, an ad where the provincial Tories want to get you to vote for them and they use your dough to try and do it.

The government is spending quite the chunk of change on ads these days — $425,000 to be exact — on radio, online and in print.

These are just for the ads referring to the province’s recent budget, running until the middle of March and ... What Timing Batman! ... that’s a spot on the calendar which could be a mere 11 days from the day the battle for ballots begins in Alberta.

The ad in front of us says what everybody knows. It isn’t explaining a government program. It isn’t informing you of some matter of urgent importance.

No, it is a propaganda pitch on your dime or 4.25 million dimes, starring a young mountain bike-loving guy who must not sound in any way British, a 30-something wholesome and approachable mom who has a taste for candy apple red cake mixers and a 50-something couple who are gritty, apparently, says the script, like folks who own farms.

In this ad, life is good, real good, like the best of all possible Christmases.

The mountain-bike loving guy gets his mountain bike, full suspension and all.

The mom will have that candy apple red cake mixer she craves and the gritty couple will likely go on a vacation, presumably far away from the farm they supposedly sound like they own.

And who is responsible for all this sweetness and light coming upon these three who are, of course, mere stand-ins for all of us fortunate souls. The Redford Tories, no else.

Why is that?

Because the Redford Tories have not taken any more money from us in taxes this spring than they already scoop.

Such kindness! How merciful! Stupendously good show. Put your X in the proper box.

Other provinces have rules about this sort of thing, you know, the government running ads blowing its own horn with taxpayer cash just before an election.

Then again, in other provinces, in 40 years, people change governments and, don’t get scared now, sometimes more than once.

In Manitoba, the provincial government has to stop self-congratulation funded from the public purse three months before election day. There’s an exception for ads on important matters of public health and safety.

Here, we get ads on important matters of Tory health and safety.

There is nothing in Alberta law governing provincial government ads around election time. Squat.

The Tory government does have its own policy. They won’t run ads paid for by taxpayers and patting themselves on the back during the actual election campaign. Mighty sporting of them.

Does that sound too British?

As to the question whether there’s a connection between this ad about no new taxes and coverage by this newspaper about tax talk being on the table once the election is over if the Tories win, to say nothing of the Wildrose pledge not to raise taxes.

Absolutely zero connection, says the premier’s office. By the way, the premier has recently almost tripled her staff of spin doctors.

Scott Hennig of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says there’s a reason other places have a law against what the Alberta government is doing.

Hennig adds this particular ad is “bad in general” and “horribly insulting.”

“Somehow we should down on our knees thanking the government for not taking more taxes,” he says, sounding like he’s about ready to gag.

Wildroser Guy Boutilier, a fearless legislature scrapper from Fort Mac, throws down the gloves and accuses the Tories of “running scared” because Albertans are talking about whether taxes will go up after the election, a possible hike in next spring’s budget.

Boutilier pushes Deputy Premier Doug Horner to get the Tories to foot the bill for their electioneering.

Horner says the ads are not about shameless self-promotion at all.

The ads are “so we can communicate and have a two-way dialogue with Albertans. That‘s what they asked us to do.”

What Albertans asked?

Does Horner really believe Albertans are banging on the door to get the Tories to use taxpayer dollars to scrounge for votes just before the election campaign begins?

Guess that’s life in the bubble.

rick.bell@sunmedia.ca

Here is one comment on this article by 'Dustpuncher';

"Our Mothers Prayer:
Our Mother-who thinks shes an eleven..
Hallowed be her game..
Thy thinking not done..
On Earth..
Or anywhere near Edmonton..
Lead us down the slippery waters..
And near the paths of her own self rightousness..
She restoreths her own soul..
Yeah thou she spends like the Shah of Iran..
We shall seek comfort..
In the power of Wildrose!"

Grin
http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/03/06/alberta-tories-launch-425k-ad-campaign-as-election-looms

[bucket]

If the report comes out bearish and drops prices, it seems there may be some demand come in.

That may not immediately drive prices back up, but it lowers an already tight supply.

[charliep]

My thoughts are neutral to slightly bearish but a guess. March is not really a high impact release month - information mostly known with pace of consumption the wild card - boring stuff that doesn't get markets excited. Conditions as northern hemisphere winter wheat comes out dormancy and the US planting intentions report are the next pieces of information I would follow.

I also note the expression buy the rumor and sell the fact. Will be a lot smarter Friday.

[errolanderson]

Grain traders appeared to be willing
sellers today (profit-taking) ahead of the
report.

My ability to second-guess USDA ahead of
the report has been fairly poor. Leaning
toward a neutral report.

Errol

[parsley]

http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?
post=61acf030-1869-4c73-9e8b-06d9f318a99e

[bucket]

Not to offend you, errol, but isn't that part of your job?

[errolanderson]

Hey bucket . . . nothing offends me, getting to be a crusty old guy.

We respect the pre-report trade guesses from the U.S. But USDA has thrown some curveballs at the market at times. So . . . we basically await the numbers and then roll with the report punches.

Bucket, since you want me to do my job . . . here goes.

This report should be mostly neutral with a possible bearish tone (which Charlie mentioned). The South American production impact has been factored into markets. A surprise in the beans may be a smaller or larger-than-expected Brazil bean number.

Wheat ending stocks globally may shrink slightly, but there is still ample supplies. A wheat surprise would be a surprise.

Corn demand numbers may be interesting as there has been a pullback in usuage. USDA is pegging 2012 - 13 corn ending stocks to potentially double from 800 million bu to 1.6 billion bu one year from now. We all know that is a crapshoot number at best.

Hope I redeemed myself slightly.

Errol

[bucket]

errol

That's a pretty good assesment. I am thinking a slight pullback in prices to create some new demand.

[Kodiak]

Tom, you seem to have a knack for shutting down a conversation. Try this stuff on a partisan political thread. You might be surprised at the traction you get.....

[TOM4CWB]

Kodiak,

Rebranding is the new rage... millions spent on P.R. and consultants ... instead of common sense integrety of just doing what is decent.

Buying ads or changing names does nothing to stop mistrust... that is the point. Saying and making a claim... does not make a wholesome brand... or a sucessful organisation. Doing good does.

[errolanderson]

Thursday morning . . . this is a 'risk
on' day because of Greek bond holder
haircut agreement and solid U.S. job
creation numbers, but grain traders may
be a little trepid heading into
tomorrow's USDA.

Apparently, Russia is discounting new
crop wheat. Also soybeans are
technically very overbought (in our
opinion).

Grain price volatility may pick up over
the next 36 hours.

Errol