Topic: 2013 Suggestions for Blenheim (Read 4900 times)

Blenheim Cricket · « **on:** September 24, 2012, 10:19:58 PM »

Gents

Please fire away with suggestions for how we can improve our service in 2013 - with particular reference to yourselves (the forum badgers!). We want to be up there competing with other brands on the forum, both in terms of our softs and our bats...

Gus

thecord · « **Reply #1 on:** September 24, 2012, 11:05:30 PM »

Hey Gus, I think the key for any sponsor wanting to do well with the forum users is to interact fully with the members. It seems that the likes of Ayrtek, Blank Bats, Saf and retailers like Its Just Cricket are very popular and I don't think it's a coincidence that they are also highly active on here

SaadIjaz · « **Reply #2 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:18:48 AM »

Good point raised by thecord - Engaging and interacting with Forum members is the best way to get to know everyone here. Once you know them well, usually you also understand the general requirements/preferences to the type of equipment people are after.. You can then drive your company in that direction, striving to achieve people's cricketing needs..

In the case of Blenheim Cricket, as many now know - I am a happy customer having ordered some softs before and I can see amazing potential in the brand but it seems like not many people are aware of it.. So raising awareness is the first step, through social media, web advertising on major cricket sites etc..

Finally, the one thing which gets us all forum members excited are special offers/deals either pre or mid season...These should be short running offers and provide massive savings for the customer - Recently Vantage and Vulcan sold Pad/Gloves in that manner... even if you aren't making much profit, the fact that now 20 new people are using Blenheim Bats or pads is a positive step and will encourage repeat business/word of mouth etc.

LASTLY --- How about some new gear for 2013.. Maybe Cricket Bags range.. A Large Wheelie, Medium Sized Wheelie and a Duffle.. Or probably just the Duffle and Wheelie - You can start a thread asking for suggestions on types of Bags and people will offer designs and ideas..

Alvaro · « **Reply #3 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:29:57 AM »

Reviews help foster trust in brands.

Six Sixes Cricket · « **Reply #4 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:30:06 AM »

I think you need to look at your pricing structure. As classy as your pads and gloves are I think they need to come down in price if possible. Not doubting there quality.

Bats seem well priced, the problem is on this forum we are offered a lot of similar shapes/profiles, so maybe why your struggling to shift them.

As for something new for 2013, how about some light traditional looking pads but with 2 straps?

PedalsMcgrew · « **Reply #5 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:33:06 AM »

Simple, offer something other 'brands' don't. As good as your gear is there is nothing that distinguishes it (apart from nice stickers) from a lot of other 'brands'. Especially on here where people are a bit more clued up about things.....I've seen the profiles before and the softs before (I'm talking design here NOT branding) there is nothing that is distinctly 'Blenheim' in your range. Nothing I can only get from you (apart from stickers!)

Outside of this forum then I doubt it matters so much but the question you asked was directly related to us on here!

Manormanic · « **Reply #6 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:41:51 AM »

Valid comments - I think perhaps the biggest thing you're fighting against on here is that, whilst the bats look nice enough, there is nothing about them that stands out from, say, Chase, Woodstock, SAF and a lot of other brands going for the classy/classic look.

Thats not to say that their bats are better than yours - but when someone asks for a word of advice on here they are more likely to hear top words about Black Cat, H4L, SAF, Laver and others that most of us have had the chance to try as opposed to AN Other undistinguished newby. It'll take a while and a bit of clever marketing to get to that next level.

Another point that comes to my mind is that you've never really answered the question of where your bats come from and how customisable they are, which are big factors for a lot of customers in this type of "knowledgeable/sad act" environment. When I bought my H4L, I knew I was talking direct to the guy who would be making it...

Tom · « **Reply #7 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:51:47 AM »

Quote from: d7bow on September 25, 2012, 09:30:06 AM

I think you need to look at your pricing structure.

Agree. The prices as are aren't high enough to make the product aspirational. Nor low enough to make them a bargain.

PedalsMcgrew · « **Reply #8 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:57:39 AM »

Quote from: Tom on September 25, 2012, 09:51:47 AM

Agree. The prices as are aren't high enough to make the product aspirational. Nor low enough to make them a bargain.

Spot on. You will sell a lot more kit if you are cheaper or at least on a par with other companies selling the exact same gear. Alternatively, keep your prices higher and offer products that no one else does. You seem to be stuck in the middle a little, so that when people look to buy new kit you get passed over for either being too expensive in comparison or for not offering the 'original' products a lot of other higher priced companies do.

petehosk · « **Reply #9 on:** September 25, 2012, 10:16:01 AM »

I think a lot of members are familiar and therefore 'comfortable' with most of the other brands on the forum, as they know a lot more about the maker, the brands and what is offered.
With Blenheim, I feel that the brand is not yet familar enough to members. How could this be resolved?
Well, I have seen the brief introduction about how Blenheim was started but it may of helped if there had been photos of the people behind the brand, and especially if you had photos of the brand owners playing cricket? Also a few photos of the workshop where the bats are made could be a good idea? I think that forum members feel comfortable with brands they trust and can visualise, rather than an anonymous brand which very little is known about (compared to the other brands on here)
That would be my suggestion anyway

uknsaunders · « **Reply #10 on:** September 25, 2012, 10:42:51 AM »

Like everybody else has already said, you are fighting in a very crowded space. The �175-250 segment seems to have alot of brands all carrying very similar shapes and reputations. I don't think you can do a lot different in terms of innovation, so maybe take a look at pricing more keenly. That requires more aggressive supplier and cost management, but with the odd "special" or "limited edition" at a higher price range. I think your brand would do well in the �125-175 area, if you can still maintain the quality.

Like Hosk said, open up a bit and interact more with your potential customers. Are you guys full time or is this more of a project?

Manormanic · « **Reply #11 on:** September 25, 2012, 10:55:07 AM »

Quote from: uknsaunders on September 25, 2012, 10:42:51 AM

Like everybody else has already said, you are fighting in a very crowded space. The �175-250 segment seems to have alot of brands all carrying very similar shapes and reputations. I don't think you can do a lot different in terms of innovation, so maybe take a look at pricing more keenly. That requires more aggressive supplier and cost management, but with the odd "special" or "limited edition" at a higher price range. I think your brand would do well in the �125-175 area, if you can still maintain the quality.

This is a very good point actually - if you are actively cheaper than wht people might perceive to be equivalent brands then you have a big advantage - it will also make it easier to market because people, no longer paying top of the range prices, will be a little more forgiving on questions of where and how the bats are made etc.

The only downside is that that strategy was last used by a well known vendor of Canadian willow...

Blenheim Cricket · « **Reply #12 on:** September 25, 2012, 12:37:07 PM »

Thanks for all your thoughts and ideas, we really appreciate them.

With regards to pricing it is a hard one for us - we don't want to become too inaccessible by pricing really high (for example Instinct have gone straight to the top end of the market), but yet we also want to make sure we maintain the price-quality inference that comes with pricing at a higher end. If we priced our bats cheaply, there would be a danger that people might not think they were good bats (obviously on the forum this wouldn't matter so much...). I'd like to think we have offered some goods deals on gloves and pads (we had gloves+pads for �90, gloves for �38 and when we launched we did two gloves for �65), but I think your points about bats are good. In light of this we'll create a sale thread now that will hopefully mean that a few of you can pick-up some bargain bats and get a better feel for the brand, while also building up that trust.

Thinking about gear, we'd love to do wheelie bags etc. but there just isn't really enough demand to warrant producing them yet. We did duffle bags this year which went down well enough. Next year we are going to have some slightly more colourful bat options alongside the traditional look we've had this year...

Also the website is due an overhaul soon, so hopefully we can sort that out!

Manormanic · « **Reply #13 on:** September 25, 2012, 06:12:53 PM »

if you're going to do something more modern why not really go all out and create one very modern look and one very ol fashioned look?

Blenheim Cricket · « **Reply #14 on:** September 25, 2012, 06:14:45 PM »

Quote from: Manormanic on September 25, 2012, 06:12:53 PM

if you're going to do something more modern why not really go all out and create one very modern look and one very ol fashioned look?

Such as the Marlborough and Churchill!

Author Topic: 2013 Suggestions for Blenheim (Read 4900 times)

Blenheim Cricket

2013 Suggestions for Blenheim

thecord

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SaadIjaz

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Alvaro

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Six Sixes Cricket

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PedalsMcgrew

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Manormanic

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Tom

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PedalsMcgrew

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petehosk

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uknsaunders

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Manormanic

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Blenheim Cricket

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Manormanic

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Blenheim Cricket

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