Silicon hose advice please

Jul 11, 2005 49 Replies

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Hi andrew,

I would look at the younger more gullible driver 17-25 is where the real money is at the moment. You need to follow the example of other car modifying companies and aim at the "thick" end of the market to put it politely. Go for the Saxo, Clio, Nova, Micra drivers to name a few - the ones that will buy anything at any cost if you tell them it will give them better performance. Then you need to get some good PR and marketing going, cleverly worded adverts to entice people to buy your product, really make them believe it does anything you claim. Appeal to drivers that can't get insured on anything above a 1.2 and tell them your product is brilliant, they will grab it. That's the basis on which some exhausts are sold when they do nothing for performance, also induction kits that reduce the engines efficiency by sucking hot air in. Then you get many other items sold in a similar fashion. Pick up a car magazine, look at which products are aimed at which people and just follow their example and you will be laughing all the way to the bank. You will be happy and so will the boy racers. There you go, a quick lesson in market research, advertising and sales - works every time! Best of luck, just don't feel too guilty.

Which part of the following did you fail to understand?

'I no quite a lot of people drive older cars on this newsgroup as a long time lurker and i'm obviously still interested in supplying to this market'

It's a very common way for a spammer to appear innocent 'I've been lurking but have this new product available, what do you think?'

I'm quite surprised you haven't spotted this one, as it's a technique that's as old as Usenet itself.

Hmm, maybe I'm just based on the Golf floorpan, but if it is spam, (and I don't really think it is) the OP has not done a very good job of actually selling anything has he? You know, like actually having a website or anything.

(c:

Douglas

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snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com&start=10&num=10&hl=en&lr=&as_drrb=q&as_mind=1&as_minm=1&as_miny=1981&as_maxd=11&as_maxm=7&as_maxy=2005&safe=off& Do a google search of the group. You'll see i'm an occasional poster. Can you do abuse reports for useing offensive language directed at someone?

Ok i'm tired and it was a stupid idea...

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Never thought of this approach. You are hinting at the "powerboost" approach aren't you. I totally get what you mean but i doubt the company would like that approach. Although an approach like you see from the like off k&n would be good

-Good point that. You are making me think about a whole new market here.

-Cheers for that useful post. Makes a change from me defending myself from accusations of spaming and it really has made me think about a totally different market

So a price list and email addy aren't enough, then?

Would you buy anything from a photobucket hosted price list and an email address from usenet?

Douglas

Well, no, but it's enough to get people emailing, innit?

It's classic 'chummy' spam - if it were a genuine post there would have been no reason to post the application and price list, would there?

Email addy has not been used for ages

I posted the table as it was the easiest way to show what kits where made. Check the many other car newsgroups. Ones that are more boy racerish. Theres no crossposting from me. I posted here as i no this group is more concerned with engine modifications rather then genereal stick on mods. I figured these would be the people who would be able to help me. If i was really spamming i'd have hidden my ID, i'd have cross posted to hell, and not continually checked back here looking for advice

To answer the original question, I'd have thought a good kit for the K-series would be in demand. They're used a lot in kit cars, where users would be "up" for buying new hoses to look good; you can also target the Rover enthusiast (of which there are quite a few of us!! go check the MG-Rover and Rovertech forums. A lot of the head gasket failures are caused by leaks in the coolant hoses causing cooked cylinder heads, so a replacement hose kit becomes an insurance policy of sorts.

Picking up on Rob T's suggestion could you persuade your supplier to go for a "sub brand" to target the Max Power brigade? You could go for the "as used on WRC cars" angle or just get a few topless females to pose with the hose in a suitable suggestive manner and you'd be laughing.

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K-Series is a good idea too. Might not be that many kitcars around but loads use the k-series and many would appreciate this kind of thing

Possibly. Its not something i'd go for at this stage. I've just started at the company and i think such a shake up would look like i was pushing it. I could though approach another company with the aim to supply them and let them do the rebranding. More i think about it the bigger the market seems for this product. The motorsport division of the company at the moment only accounts for arround

2% of the uk business. I think this can be dramitically improved

If it's any consolation, i know the feeling well.

Just remember, there are no stupid questions. Just stupid people asking them ;)

seriously though, if you don't half the hairbrained ideas, you aren't using your imagination. And if you don't do that, you are braindead.

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I would get in touch with a few owners clubs and see what they say. You'll soon be able to guage demand. You can start with

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:)

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Us 19 16v owners are neglected!

That's blatant bad spelling.

Ta, G.

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Ooops, sorry - those three were the only ones in my head :)

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Cheers for the advice group(most of) Deffinatly made me think. When i'm in a position too i'm going to approach a few owners clubs with free kits for publicity although i'm not interested in selling direct to them it should generate interest.

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