R Speculation

yes, I'd heard it was a bit of a 'floater' ;-)

Originally posted by Null Graeme i think you are misunderstanding to the dinghy community. If the boat is aimed at a family market, newbies or people that want a holiday toy.  Then yes that package works and presents plenty of USP compared to the rest of the market. However, historically (as you know and hate) the UK dinghy market is very different, most people are used to dealing with small builders who have little idea about how to actually sell and package a product.  This is why so many are so cynical, the market in the UK is not used to being sold to.  Its used to making informed buying decisions.  I think that's why on occasions there is backlash around wild claims and marketing techniques.

I know that, it's not as if I haven't been selling stuff to cynical b**tards for a fair portion of my jolly old travels on this mortal coil.

But the point I'm trying to make, is there are two things at work here, well actually it's only one, it's called marketing and one outfit does it so much better than the other, for two reasons, one of which it has a permanent vertical route to market and secondly that route has a long history of retailing going back nearly 40 years and is backed by half decent customer service and a huge database.
Marketing as I'm sure you know includes many variables, cs, product, promotion, distribution, financing.. and if you have a machine that's well oiled it can pretty much do what the f**k it likes providing the product stacks up even a little bit.
We, the consumer however can also make a choice who we allow ourselves to be 'marketed to by' so I don't know why we're making such a fuss, we're lucky, we do know what we want, however every summer there will be lots of poor saps coming back from their washing up bowl sailing fun thinking oo wouldn't that be nice to do back home.

Now which would you rather happen to them, RS get them into something half decent or 'wood-botherers-on-pond' convincing them that a coffin should be their immediate future?

Or Rodney wakes up and moves back to England where he should be of course..

Edited by iGRF - 04 Sep 14 at 10:45am

Originally posted by kneewrecker Originally posted by Null However, historically (as you know and hate) the UK dinghy market is very different, most people are used to dealing with small builders who have little idea about how to actually sell and package a product.  This is why so many are so cynical, the market in the UK is not used to being sold to.  Its used to making informed buying decisions.  I think that's why on occasions there is backlash around wild claims and marketing techniques. Very true Russy, and as the forum to a consumer magazine (or at least it used to be), this serves as the perfect place to question, endorse, ratify or call out the marketing claims of the industry over the products and services it tries to sell us.   The protagonists on here are welcome to sit on either side of the fence on any of the products featured, and fortunately 'fan boyish' behaviour, of which I have been guilty of in the past, seems to be at an all time low.  Which is great, as it means we can all talk openly and avoid getting entrenched about any one aspect, brand or type of sailing. As Lily Allen said on Desert Island Discs, 'I reserve the right to change my opinion'. Maybe sailing an Aero might change mine.

Originally posted by iGRF Originally posted by Null Graeme i think you are misunderstanding to the dinghy community. If the boat is aimed at a family market, newbies or people that want a holiday toy.  Then yes that package works and presents plenty of USP compared to the rest of the market. However, historically (as you know and hate) the UK dinghy market is very different, most people are used to dealing with small builders who have little idea about how to actually sell and package a product.  This is why so many are so cynical, the market in the UK is not used to being sold to.  Its used to making informed buying decisions.  I think that's why on occasions there is backlash around wild claims and marketing techniques. Now which would you rather happen to them, RS get them into something half decent or 'wood-botherers-on-pond' convincing them that a coffin should be their immediate future?

Well here's a thing both companies, Rodney and RS, neither have been able to satisfy the demand they created, not even combined. There are more folk out there waiting, than boats delivered, so again, what's the point of arguing the toss, if either of them had boats available for immediate purchase, they'd sell them.

Folk who know their minds have all the info and demo opportunities they need if they don't mind travelling, hell I've been to two and could have gone to two more if work hadn't got in the way and afaik they're both selling well