Topic: hammer bats, again (Read 15759 times)

Tom · « **Reply #60 on:** December 19, 2012, 09:35:36 PM »

English batmakers make a quality product, but product doesn't sell itself. Needs quality marketing, and for me thatt is what sets apart Hammer at the moment. Their online marketing is ahead of any cricket brand around. 6000 FB fans through targetted advertising, millions of YT views and a growing Twitter following. The risk is associating yourself with Jason and the competition of his own site, but the access to quality traffic and individuals outweighs that. It's no co-incidence that one of the most view posts on CI is a Hammer post and it's no co-incidence that we've had 8 pages of posts about him on here. The brand already has a following and inspires debate, whilst retaining quality. Huge potential to leverage off that through A/B tested and search optimized landing pages. With a brand without that marketing you'd have to do it all yourself, with people who already know about your store (so bringing little extra revenue). Hammer will bring people to IJC.

PedalsMcgrew · « **Reply #61 on:** December 19, 2012, 09:42:14 PM »

IJC can sell whatever they want to whomever they want. Its a free market, if they think people are going to buy the bats then why not? it's their risk (as it is with any brand they take on)

But it is a bit off though to ask us all to 'support our local cricket shop' and give a myriad of (correct) reasons to do so but then choose a Texan brand over a UK batmaker! Does not the British batmaking industry deserve the same sort of support from you that you ask for from us? Obviously you stock other overseas brands but you could have quite easily stocked another UK brand in place of Hammer. It's one brand with no reputation (as yet) being replaced by another with some! If you catch my drift!

Nothing against Hammer, I picked one up a while ago at a net a few of us had it seemed like a nice thing.....

i12breakfree · « **Reply #62 on:** December 19, 2012, 09:43:40 PM »

welcome to the forum Jason.
For sure this has been the hottest topic

As they say Bad publicity - there is no such thing like that

justnotcricket86 · « **Reply #63 on:** December 19, 2012, 09:47:08 PM »

I wasn't knocking Paul in the slightest, it's the first time I've ever properly asked him questions. I wasn't criticising him or his business nouse, just asking a question that's all.

If you read my posts, all I've said is that I think Hammer are pricey, not that Paul is making a bad choice or Jason has it wrong, I was trying to be constructive.

Apologies if it came across any other way

FattusCattus · « **Reply #64 on:** December 19, 2012, 10:03:01 PM »

Does forum publicity actually = pounds and pence sales?

tim2000s · « **Reply #65 on:** December 19, 2012, 10:07:52 PM »

Quote from: FattusCattus on December 19, 2012, 10:03:01 PM

Does forum publicity actually = pounds and pence sales?

What it definitely equals is google search hits...

joeljonno · « **Reply #66 on:** December 19, 2012, 10:13:04 PM »

Quote from: tim2000s on December 19, 2012, 10:07:52 PM

What it definitely equals is google search hits...

and probably Twitter followers

FattusCattus · « **Reply #67 on:** December 19, 2012, 10:51:31 PM »

So not pounds and pence sales then - which ultimately is what you are trying to run a brand for - sales and profit.

Tom · « **Reply #68 on:** December 19, 2012, 10:56:25 PM »

I think forum publicity does result in sales. Why else would 30 brands continue to pay �15 a month?

FattusCattus · « **Reply #69 on:** December 19, 2012, 10:59:03 PM »

If only we had the figures eh Tom? Many of the micro-brands that suddenly arrived on the forum this year never post or contribute much to the forum.

why are they herre - are they getting any tangible sales from the forum. Have they forgotten about their 315 a month?

I'm going to name them in a minute and get into trouble!

Dan W · « **Reply #70 on:** December 19, 2012, 11:02:27 PM »

It's a bold move if you're not confident about your bats - to attract people here means they'll read up on other bats and increase their knowledge of the industry and who makes what.

FattusCattus · « **Reply #71 on:** December 19, 2012, 11:10:25 PM »

I'm happy to be proven wrong, but 180 quid a year is only the net profit on say 3-4 bats for most micro-brands, but some feature so little on here, you wonder if they get the returns from being on here -

Aedos, Aldred, D+P, Fat Bats, Nixon and Shark for instance average 1 post a week, in some cases much less - is this really selling them loads of bats?

I admire Hammer's spunk but does lots of negative/positive argy-bargy on here actually result in the sale of say, 20 bats?

Would any of the more 'active' sponsors on here such as H4L, BlankBats or MSR care to say how many bats they can confidently claim to sell from the forum a year?

Dan W · « **Reply #72 on:** December 19, 2012, 11:23:09 PM »

Quote from: FattusCattus on December 19, 2012, 11:10:25 PM

I'm happy to be proven wrong, but 180 quid a year is only the net profit on say 3-4 bats for most micro-brands, but some feature so little on here, you wonder if they get the returns from being on here -

Aedos, Aldred, D+P, Fat Bats, Nixon and Shark for instance average 1 post a week, in some cases much less - is this really selling them loads of bats?

I admire Hammer's spunk but does lots of negative/positive argy-bargy on here actually result in the sale of say, 20 bats?

Would any of the more 'active' sponsors on here such as H4L, BlankBats or MSR care to say how many bats they can confidently claim to sell from the forum a year?

I think it's easy for the smaller brands to feel as if they have to come on here - it's like a trade show - may not result in direct sales, though you need to be (or feel pressured to be) 'at the races' to stay in peoples minds.

FattusCattus · « **Reply #73 on:** December 19, 2012, 11:30:28 PM »

So are we saying that Hammer is entering a very competitive market - and the negative publicity is a good thing?

ItsJustCricket · « **Reply #74 on:** December 19, 2012, 11:34:08 PM »

Quote from: PedalsMcgrew on December 19, 2012, 09:42:14 PM

IJC can sell whatever they want to whomever they want. Its a free market, if they think people are going to buy the bats then why not? it's their risk (as it is with any brand they take on)

But it is a bit off though to ask us all to 'support our local cricket shop' and give a myriad of (correct) reasons to do so but then choose a Texan brand over a UK batmaker! Does not the British batmaking industry deserve the same sort of support from you that you ask for from us? Obviously you stock other overseas brands but you could have quite easily stocked another UK brand in place of Hammer. It's one brand with no reputation (as yet) being replaced by another with some! If you catch my drift!

Nothing against Hammer, I picked one up a while ago at a net a few of us had it seemed like a nice thing.....

I feel that, with the amount we push Salix and Willostix (especially on YouTube), we are doing our bit for the proper English brands already. And as I said, I like to have variety...

Author Topic: hammer bats, again (Read 15759 times)

Tom

Re: hammer bats, again

PedalsMcgrew

Re: hammer bats, again

i12breakfree

Re: hammer bats, again

justnotcricket86

Re: hammer bats, again

FattusCattus

Re: hammer bats, again

tim2000s

Re: hammer bats, again

joeljonno

Re: hammer bats, again

FattusCattus

Re: hammer bats, again

Tom

Re: hammer bats, again

FattusCattus

Re: hammer bats, again

Dan W

Re: hammer bats, again

FattusCattus

Re: hammer bats, again

Dan W

Re: hammer bats, again

FattusCattus

Re: hammer bats, again

ItsJustCricket

Re: hammer bats, again