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[Washington]

Right sat at home with a few bottles of Wolf Blass red wine and got thinking about the life cycles of brands. Since ive been playing cricket (about 13 years) there have always been constants i.e. GN, GM, Kookaburra, Salix and Newbery and in that time there have been a number of new brands on the scene, some here to stay with the likes of Puma and to a lesser extent Slaz and Adidas and others that have crashed and burnt no one more than WoodWorm!

There have also been established brands that are on the brink of extinction like Duncan Fearnley.

So I was just wondering what people think are they main reasons a brand is successful?

[Buzz]

consitant quality and good customer service plus a little bit of luck and being able to spot a gap in the market - thus having a good unique selling feature.

[peplow]

Quality products has got to be a first and foremost i feel. Then customer service and price. Exposure is important but not essential if all mentioned before are top notch!

[peplow]

When i say price i mean price relative to quality!

[Ayrtek Cricket]

Evolution and moving with the trends of fashion and sport in order to maintain a competitive edge and stay in the market to maintain a market sector....those who havent have slipped away into the background and been overtaken by those who have looked to strive to improve

[Washington]

You on the wine too Tom?? haha

Na I know what you mean, evolution is a massive factor in success of a cricket brand! Or on the flip side complacency can be the death of a brand

[Ayrtek Cricket]

haha no mate had 2 pints of gold earlier whilst watching the footy but off the booze tonight!

[Washington]

Ive also wondered how many companies have change hands? I know Newbery recently sold out to some business types and WW now owned by someone else!

[peplow]

Yeah would be interesting to see the whole network of links in the cricketing world!

[procricket]

When i say price i mean price relative to quality!

i disagree big time young people look at products and believe there better....

Exposure is a great thing and the only thing that matters...

How many on here have used a Gray Nichols i have and i bet 90 per cent have and how many will buy another not half that total but then because say Strauss and Cook use them the will sell to the next generation simple business model really because gn have never been the cheapest.

Iy funny exposure is the only thing that matters i would go as far to say once everybody in world cricket was using Duncan Fearnley then all of a sudden nobody is then the brand disapeard from site.

I know all the companys are going to say it quality and the aftersales but if you buy one bat the big boys are happy and i suspect they do not care if you return because of exposure they get ...

That is why it better to go with a up and coming brand small brand who care about club cricketers

[Ayrtek Cricket]

Strauss and cook aren't the cool kids on the block tho when comported to KP etc so exposure is not really an argument to use as such.

Quality products will survive the test of time if they serve the end user well and reputation spreads

[procricket]

Sorry Tom i disagree with you...

Sales are built on exposure more than reputation maybe not on this forum but in the big cricketing world...

Tell me who has the largest sales and tell me who spends the most money on marketing there product i suspect there all up there the same companys..

Funny look around this vary forum not many use the big brands even though there the biggest sellers in the country

I wonder how many sponsors on here will last the test of time.......(forum admin this is not a slur).....

would be interesting to see in 10 years time as i think the market is moving into a more bespoke market more than a supermarket market

[Washington]

Yeah I think exposure is obviously essential to expand the brand, but over exposure and in your face exposure (over selling) tends to be synonymous with a flash in the pan brand e.g. WoodWorm and more recently, in my opinion, Mongoose and Adidas

[Ayrtek Cricket]

So woodworm who are well documented to have paid freddy and KP massive endorsement figures to gain exposure are the most successful brand from this exposure...have fallen to over committing financially to gain exposure but not seen a return on their investment in the form of sales.

I would say adidas may spend the most on marketing but I wouldn't say they sell the most volumetrically but who knows as these figures aren't in general circulation

[procricket]

i guarantee you the ashes summer when the exposure was through the roof that season alone they were the biggest sellers i saw more woodworms then than at any time any other in brand in my life...

So if all the top brands are quality as you state why do so many on here not use them..........

Softs are a interesting subject look at all the so called top brands why do they sell so many here but there all made in India and you can buy the same pads with a Indian brands logo on for at times half price why do people go for the big brands anything to do with exposure and the fads of that time and peer pressure