Hello everybody!
It's been a while since I posted on here - been busy with other things as you might have noticed
. I must admit, I have resisted replying to this thread before as this is after all a place to form and share opinions - so keep them coming.
Now, I have to say this is not intended to be a defensive post by any means (sometimes the written tone can come across that way). I am not adverse to a bit of criticism - however, most if not all of the much loved brands on the forum could be painted with the same brush when it comes to softs - but they're not!
The Salix gloves is an exact copy of the SS Gladiator from a few years back with a change in colour scheme - look it up!
These gloves also look familiar don't you think?!
That is not to say small brands don't experiment or try new things (I certainly do), but the majority go with a colour variations of existing designs as the running of a brand is pretty involved so doing development year on year means something has to give elsewhere. The rest is down to costs and timing. The logistics of releasing products (on this occasion delayed due to experimenting with new designs) means that the general public often get to see one product sooner than the other which contributes to the opinion they form about it (as well as their existing association with the other brand).
Innovation in this industry is virtually nonexistent, change is often reactive rather than proactive. Occasionally someone sticks their head above the parapet only for it to be shot at. Those willing to be different also have to accept the high chances of failure - now given the costs involved in R&D, that could potentially break a small brand. The majority of the market wants something familiar, the small proportion who don't are not usually worth the investment. The general public don't have an appreciation for the pitfalls and challenges when dealing with manufacturers abroad (some highlighted by Tom) - often the limitations are not in the minds of the brands, but the ability/ willingness of the manufacturer. In short, there is far more to this than meets the eye.
It may come as no surprise to some of you that (with the exception of some), small brands often talk to each other - they share experiences, tips, tricks, suppliers, etc etc. and are probably less concerned about brands sharing designs than the people on here. (despite his link to Affinity, Tom has been the voice of reason here).
Price will always be difficult to convince customers on but anyone making a comparison between buying an unseen, unbranded product direct from India versus being able to touch and feel a product at a local retail store simply does not understand the logistics involved. Customers are also willing to place a value on a trusted relationship with a retailer - as an example, customers place pre-orders for Phantom products through ItsJustCricket when they can just as easily do it through Phantom directly. Customers want to buy these products from local retailers and therefore the price point has to take into consideration a number of factors - not least that sometimes financial loss is difficult to predict (replacement of damaged items/ loss in transit/ theft). Financial investment and margin structures vary massively between suppliers and retailers too therefore comparisons are difficult.
Anyone who has attempted to do this before will know that starting a brand is the easy part, running a brand is demanding but the true test is in making a brand a successful and viable business. I have the utmost respect for all brands but in particular small successful brands - their challenge is not just the big brands but also the perceptions of customers who often only see a fraction of the effort that has gone into getting a product on a shelf.
Phantom have only just started on this journey and we are most certainly not claiming to know it all or be better than anyone else.
Thanks for reading.
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Topic: 2016 Phantom Softs (Read 43919 times)