FREE marketing on the internet

[J._McD]

Take an unknown, small regional manufacturer that makes a good product that does not have a major network of dealerships or an unlimited advertising budget, but has the ambition to grow.  How do you get the word out to the masses that generates interest in your product?  How do you stand out?  How do you create and develop your name into a “buzz word” that passes along on the “grapevine”, such as on the internet, attracting inquiring minds to your website, where all of the consumers are trying to learn more about what to look for and look at, searching out what others are talking about that should be consider.  

You create controversy and conjecture and you repeatedly keep your name in the limelight and the forefront, discussing controversial issues that center around your product.  You have someone start a thread that grows into a hot topic that stays in front of the web browsers on a daily basis and rekindle that fire every other week.  You set out to get all of the FREE advertising you can get, spreading your name around and keeping it up front and on the minds of the inquiring shopper.  What a stroke of marketing genius.

Think about this,   WHO, wanting to get the best product at the best price and expecting service from a dealer would drive 4 hours one way just to water test such a controversial product?  How many other legitimate, quality manufacturers and dealers do you drive by in 4 hours one way, driven with a passion just to evaluate a “wet test”?  Why would a young, under 30, shopper refer to colors of the 80’s and the 90’s when he was in grade school or high school.  Why would one want to buy a synthetic cabinet and spend money to convert back to a cedar cabinet, especially, when I can not purge my inventory of 2 wooden cabinet spas at any price?   ::)This is so bogus.  

You go from the unknown to the most recent discovery and you come out of nowhere to become the talk of the internet.  You call it a marketing program that deals with hidden agendas, controversy and shopper psychology that creates interest and conversation with consumers and dealers alike that spreads like wild fire or poison ivy.  You send your little army of trolls and Trojan horses out to get into the minds of marketplace shoppers.  

This is not a dealer driven program, not when it is monitored directly by the manufacturer, who oddly enough is injecting correctness, confirmation and guidance.  Dealers are regionally structured and motivated and would have little benefit.  Instead of paying for advertising on the web you spread your name around on the internet forums that are read not only nationally, but internationally and globally as well.  

Personally, I think all manufactured Hot Tubs are good.  If there are over 140 different manufacturers and they are all good, it is certainly understandable that some of them might be considered to be better, and still again there are few, but only a few at the top of the pile that would be considered the best, would they not?

Why then do we not see controversy and exposure for manufacturers like Baja, Clearwater, Emerald, Saratoga, Bradford, Moonlight, Solana, Sonoma, Spa Crest, Sunbelt Spas and the list could go on?   :-/

Someone asked what my take was on this so I thought I would ask, What is your take on this?

[shabba34]

I wouldn't put Solana Spas on that list due to it being a Watkins product, but the others I understand.  Ethical and Moral values come to mind, from the sales people on up to the owners and manufacturers.  Most of these companies haven't been around for 20-30 years, where the solicitation of  the internet wasn't required to promote your product.  All it took was building a respected product and refferal business did the rest.  I blame Al Gore

[Chas]

Another approach would be not to go with the free part - but to sell enough product and set aside an advertising budget divided into various media.

Then you could advertise to more than the couple hundred folks who visit a forum or other web site.

You could end up selling more tubs than anyone else.

[Rayman]

Ever since there were carvings on a wall, grunting and pounding chests - there has been marketing.  Most people who are Internet literate know that the info they are getting on chat sites are epinions from people who are probably just as knowledgable about the subject as themselves.  The questions and/or answers just spark a brainstorming session.  In the early part of the last century (the 1900's I am speaking of), newspaper reporters could make or break a product or a person, and that was just one person's opinion - the reporter could have had a hidden agenda or investment and probably did.  Just buy what makes ya feel happy and leave freedom of speech alone, kill censorship at all costs from every level.

IMO Ray

[fletch49]

...my take on this is that you are out to lunch. You actually think that a few salesguys dropping in on this site and other sites, and a few 'prospective' buyers are all in on this together as a publicity stunt to sell product?

You know what's wrong about this site...a few big dealers run it with an agenda. You guys make everyone else believe that anything but what you are selling or the advise you are giving is nonsense.

[Rayman]

See that's freedom of speech, it's harsh and a little angry but very free.

[shabba34]

See that's freedom of speech, it's harsh and a little angry but very free.

I hope everyone doesn't go out and start burning their owners manuals.

[Soakin]

I have been gone for a couple of weeks, so I had to go back to see what had gotten under your saddle, JMcD.  I really think you are looking at apples and oranges here.

I will be blunt here, rather than try to soften things to avoid stepping on others toes.  It appears to me that the poster who has you so riled up is a young guy who just likes to push buttons, and likes to see his words in print, kind of like the poster who encouraged everyone to lie to get the best price.  His posts cover such a wide range of nonsense, it was hard for me to ascertain which manufacturer you were implying is behind this, other than the title of a couple of his threads.  If he is associated with a specific manufacturer, he isn't doing it any favors, because he comes across as an idiot that can type (barely).  For what it is worth, I also don't buy the 4 hour drive to wet test, and the wood cabinet BS, but that is the stuff that makes him look stupid.  The best way to rid ourselves of him is to not respond.  I fully expect him to disappear after a few more posts, like the "lie" guy did.

Regarding the manufacturer that has benefited from all kinds of the discussion on this forum, both positive and negative:  I agree that they have taken an approach of big claims to generate discussion (and also make a compelling story for their salespeople), and given the regularity with which their supporters appear out of nowhere, raise everyone's blood pressure and then disappear to be replaced by the next bozo, your suspicions may be correct.  Again the best way to avoid wasting our time is to not respond, letting those threads fall off the front page quickly.  I know, easy to say, hard to do.  Selling against it is another story,  all I can think of is to include "other manufactuers will make claims of superior construction, but realize that all spas... in your customer education.

Regarding the "voice of reason", I have to agree that it appears that he only shows up after the buzz has run its course, using his posts to attempt to put his company in a better light.  Pretty sophisticated, if it is planned, but given the small numbers of participants on this site, probably not worth his time.  It is interesting that a couple of regular contributors who appear to be consumers, made the decision to go with that spa, in spite of all the red flags raised by the members of this forum.  Hopefully it is because they felt the spas performance surpassed its hype.

I think the best way to counteract all this is by doing exactly what you, Chas, Stuart, Mendo and the rest of the professionals have been doing: offering (almost )unbiased information and assistance to us consumers.  I am certainly more inclined to give your brands consideration when it comes time to replace my spa, and if any of you were in my area, your dealerships would be on the top of my list.   The goodwill you generate more than offsets any publicity they are getting.

All this said, their controversies have created some good discussion here.  I personally have learned quite a bit about spa construction, insulation, covers, and ozone management from threads related to them, so perhaps this could be solved by the moderators taking a more proactive approach in controlling their exposure/free publicity.  Failing that, perhaps they deserve the Calspas treatment, where everyone knows better than to bring the name up, because there is no discussion of their merits, only their faults.  That would limit their desire to post.

[Rayman]

I think the best way to counteract all this is by doing exactly what you, Chas, Stuart, Mendo and the rest of the professionals have been doing: offering (almost )unbiased information and assistance to us consumers.  I am certainly more inclined to give your brands consideration when it comes time to replace my spa, and if any of you were in my area, your dealerships would be on the top of my list.   The goodwill you generate more than offsets any publicity they are getting.

If I was a conspiracy theorist I would say you all started the original post so you could respond with this to sell you own tubs, but I am not and have gained a great deal of knowledge here that have have turned into questions for various dealers.

[Soakin]

If I was a conspiracy theorist I would say you all started the original post so you could respond with this to sell you own tubs...

I've said this a lot lately, but IMO, if they are willing to offer their time and free advice to people who will likely never do business with them, good for them. If it is indeed a conspiracy, and an attempt to enhance their reputations and sell tubs, it is a silly way to try to conquer the spa world.  I would guess they are doing it for more altruistic reasons, but I guess I put my rose colored glasses back on after writing my diatribe.

[East_TX_Spa]

I raised some of these questions pretty early on and got called an "A$$" and was told that the brand of spa I sell will no longer be considered  .  I felt like my world was ending.  The poster in question then let it be known that he wasn't a "dumby" and then I felt even worse.

Terminator