Jeff,

Oh yeah, I forgot about your audit. :( Good Luck, maybe you will luck out and your auditor will be a boating enthuisist, if not maybe you will have to promise him a ride in your boat for the madien 90mph trip. If it helps, I will give up my seat to help a brotha out. :D

One more thing Jeff,

Mine boat will be done before yours.... :p :p Not that i will be able to use it but it will sure look good in my driveway. :D

OK, ThunderDan's 41st revision is complete! Hope he likes it, everyone else does! http://www.activethunderboats.com/ac...raphics/dl.htm

I can not help it if those guys at Active Thunder keep giving me ideas on how to make the graphics a bit better. :D

and Steve, I know you have nothing else to do.... ;) :D :D

OH WAIT, Dan just emailed me a few more changes!

Just remember Steve, for every post on OSO in reference to my graphic changes, that will mean at a minimum of 2 change requests...... :D :D ;)

Dan, don't you think you could use some more color on the port side of the boat? I remember you saying you don't like white very much. Well, take the stripes of blue right up to the deck line, then...

I can almost feel Steve glaring at me! :D

Miller,
You are correct about me not liking the white, but what you can not see is the grayish airbrushing (similar to Outlerlimits)
please be a bit more specific and continue your thoughts, :D :D

I was going to e-mail you today to see what was up.

Hey ThunderDan

I like the new graphics...They look great!

Happy New Year everyone. :)

Hey Steve, let me see those re-design charges for Dan. You're killin' me here with this paint job.
Miller, Steve send you the CD and shirt yet? Let me know.
On a business note, let us know your thoughts on who actually buys boats at a boat show. How many people buy from boating advertisements? How many buy from racing? How about poker run exposure? We are in 2002 and are looking to grow with input. Give us yours.

Pat, call me Monday. I'm too tired to type, besides my hands are needed elsewhere and she's cuter than YOU! :eek:

NO MORE CHANGES!!! NO MORE CHANGES!!!

IT LOOKS GOOD, Steve only 37 more times to go for me, hehe ;) Hurry up and get done with whiney baby Dans boat so my can get started, I've got some important advertisemental poker runs coming up. :D

Everybody knows which advertisement is the most effective

Close your eyes everybody, picture it now, Jassmans Titalating Multicolor Active Thunder
caressing the open gulf with 5 beautifull ladies in latex and thongs, with the heli above taking shots. Do you honestly think anybody would know, if it were done right that the ladies were actually topless, we could get away with it. Ok Ok, I volunteer my wife, anybody else, I know Diane and T-BIKINI are in, come on guys I need just two more. NO STOPPIN ME NOW,

Pat, when you come to New Orleans I'LL show you some nice airbrushing and latex, of course from the balcony. :p

ActiveThunder,

My input on marketing.

1. I believe that word of mouth sells boats. I would ensure that you have boats in customer's hands in every major boating market. Your boats will sell themselves. After thinking that I had to have another brand, a guy showed up with a Thunder at a local boating function. After seeing that boat run and getting favorable reviews from trusted friends, I went with a Thunder (I bought used but someone has to make room for the new ones).

2. I personally take magazine boat tests with a grain of salt but it appears that favorable magazine tests help get the word out. Do you have to buy advertising to get a mag to do a test? Looks like it but I think a lot of people get the fever to buy a boat on the toilet with a boating magazine. I haven't seen too much of Active Thunder in Powerboat/Boating/Hotboat lately.

3. That Donzi magazine ad is hot!

;) :eek:

Keep up the good work. Tom

Jassman,

I'm helping a friend put Whipple's on 500EFI's in a 36' Spectre Cat. I'll let you know how it goes.

i agree with ThunderStruck...Active Thunder needs more exposure, starting with the major markets! Get to the Poker Runs, and show your stuff. Although, i have seen them in the Powerboat ads, they just need to show up in numbers at the major events...just my .02 worth!

I do feel that, while magazine ads offer some product recognition, these ads just wet the appetite as to what you really want to see at a boat show. In my opinion, boat shows are one of the best ways to generate strong customer interest. You may not sell the boat at the show, but you may have hooked the client on your boat when he, (or she), really went to see the new Scarabs. That, and the "tire kickers" that may not be buying a boat for another two years, but when the time does come they damn sure remember your boat from the boat show.
Here in the midwest, (Ozarks) there really are no big poker runs. I know Poker Runs America had one a couple of years ago but almost nobody knew about it so the numbers were pretty sad. I do feel that Poker runs are a great way to advertise your boat on the water if you're in an area that has a lot of them, but it still doesn't gather the number of potential new buyers like a boat show. A poker run allows quite a few folks to see your boat, but how many really get a chance to look at your boats? That, and the folks at the poker runs probably already know about top end custom stuff like Active Thunder.
Untill a few years ago, very few around the Ozarks had really heard of the Active Thunder or knew they were a custom hi-performance boat. A lot of these potential clients have the bank for them, just never really seen one or been around one. In fact, lots of very well off folks had never heard of the Active Thunder till I got mine and started dishing out some "spankins" on boats with larger power. It definitely makes a statement for Active Thunder.
Recognition from racing on TV has helped alot also. Look at what offshore "Factory class" racing has done for sales in the performance market. Obviously lots of manufacturers have seen the value of their product with a first place trophy on the deck and a row of checkered flags on the side. They use those photos in their mag ads and display them at boat shows. Folks see that boat on display at a boat show and immediately remember that boat from the magazine ad or seeing it racing on TV.
For example, Formula was a top quality boat with a top end price tag, but they were just not that fast and you rarely saw one on the race course. So the real adrenaline junkies went with another, possibly even lesser manufacturer who has that racing heritage behind it. Formula gets back into racing, backs some great teams who applied some serious R&D, and now have a top quality boat that can, and has put a whuppin on the best of them right on national TV. Today Formula enjoys a boatload of wins, a host of divisional championships and a national and world championship. Talk about name recognition! Just ask some of the Formula dealers how much more interest there race boats generated.
Let's face it, Racing is probably the best product recognition you can get. It's like a TV commercial that keeps on going. I'm sure Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and all the other automakers realized this long ago when they started paying big bucks for market analysis and research. I'm sure they don't spend billions, (yes, billions), on racing if they could just put a few ads in Car & Driver and HotRod and achieve the same goal.
The difference is, everyone has to own a car, but not everyone has to own a boat. This being the case, the more people see your boat up close, or in a celebrity like status, the more your name and product is worth. This pays off in more than just boat sales. Look at Cigarette and how much they make in clothing sales.
Remember where the name Thunderwear came from?

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: Gordo ]

Pat and Steve, remember what I told you to do with that THUNDERWEAR, ;)

I also agree on boat shows, I know thats not your bag, kind of like me do a parade of homes, I entered 2 homes last year, sold both of them and won top award, hell I always thought they were a waste of my time.

Also, more exposure at poker runs, A.T. DAN and myself will be attending 3-4 this 2002 season, and Im sure that will help generate some interest, especially with the kick ass paint jobs Steve is designing. :D

The Miami boat show is soon, A.T.DANS boat would sure look good there, a new 42 would be
UNFKNBLEBLV :D

OK, IF NONE OF THAT SO CALLED LOGICAL, CORPORATE SALES BULL**** DOESNT WORK, NUDITY, SEX, AND ALCOHOL JUST MIGHT BE THE TICKET, WORKS FOR ME :p

Pat, how many boats are you trying to sell and in what configuration? I think that your questions are too general for me to expand on them. If you want to become a well-known performance boat manufacturer and sell as many as you can possiblely make well still maintaining the highest standards (like Cigarette), you need to market one way. If you want to hit only the high-end of the market and sell more super-custom, high-powered machines (like Outerlimits) then you need to go in a slightly different direction. If you want to sell 100 boats or more per year at a mid-price point versus the competition with mostly standard Merc power and with similar setups from one boat to another (think Sonic) then you would market in a different direction.

I agree with Gordo about the boat shows. It really give people the opportunity to see the boats, get in em, look around and generates interest. Would I buy a boat from a boat show, no, but would it get my interest up as well as introduce me to the product yes.

I am not real sure about the racing aspect. I think that several of the racing boats(no all have a race/pleasure boat like one vision) are not really the same boat as a pleasure boat.

Poker runs are good exposure and people get to see the boat and see em run.

I say a few select boat shows is a great way to get the product name out there.

Jassman,

You should be thanking me for the changes, it is going to help pave the way. :D

Pat,

Last changes, I promise. :p It gotta be right you know being the first new design to roll of the line. I will give you a shout tomorrow to expand on the marketing topic.

Steve,

Just a few changes and then after tomorrow, no more....honest.... ;)

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: thunderdan ]

Ya, Ya, Ya, and if the Queen had balls she'd
be King, or I'm Jonnie Holmes, hell if that were the case I'd be makin movies not building houses, than I could afford that 42
Active Thunder :p with triples :rolleyes:

It's yadda, yadda, yadda. :p You know kinda like 500 efi's, no 575sc, no blue lightning motors, no whipples, no gm vortex engines. :D :p And as far as the john holmes, isn't he dead????


At least with your mind changing, you are not making Steve crazy with all of the changes like I am.. :D

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: thunderdan ]

died of AIDS,...be careful what you wish for :eek:

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: thunderdan ]

Pat give me a great price on 37 f-2 90mpm race ready, lite and loaded, trade my 32 and lets win the National Championship, that will sell some boats

Randy

Hey Randy, What you trying to do, get in on that 90mph club before me, next you'll want my wife, her friend Krissy, T-Bikini(if she buys a THUNDER), Diane, and finally Halie, ok, you better take me too :rolleyes: :p

Dan, Im not making him crazy yet, I still havent told him about the changes :p

Those days of being a MAN WHORE are over, pecker placement is chosen for one women only, _____ ______ :p Guess who :D

Jeff,
No one enters the 90mph club without the founding fathers to do the pre screening :D

Well, I quess you gotta take me as well, can not miss out on that show.... ;) :D

OK, according to Dan we have finalized his graphics (again). Oh wait, Dan just emailed me something. Guess what?

I know Steve, I keep you busy. But man does it look sweet. These are going to be some of the best graphics to come out of the AT factory. Of course that is only my opinion and I am a bit biased.

Here it isTHUNDERSTORM

They only thing I am still trying to deceided on is wheather to have the headrests done in blue, white or yellow???? ;) :D :D

[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: thunderdan ]

DAN, I LIKE YELLOW, IT TIES WITH THE BLUE AND RED ON SUN PAD, this way the deck, both sides and sunpad have the 3 colors.

Just my opinion :)

Thanks Jeff, still fighting over the headrest in my head. There is not much rattling around up there so you can only imagine.

Steve, remember that the headrests are vinyl and in no way shape or form have I represented that this is part of the graphics that have been completed. I am certain that my fellow OSO Active Thunder thread brethren will back me on this. (the checks are in the mail guys) :D :D

Hey tbikini,

What do you think of the colors, they will sure match with your red, white and blue latex if you do not have your own thunder to ride in, and my offer to ride in mine stil stands, and you can bring h20 too if you want. Thunder run, thunder run, thunder run. :D :D

I need some help from some others about my head rest colors. Hoping they are used quite a bit by me, relaxin and chillin. ;) :D :D

Either go WHITE on WHITE or go with WHITE with mixed colored headrests...it's that simple!

Come on Steve you should know that nothing is easy with the thunderdan.... :D :D

eeny, meeny, mieny, mo...catch a GIANT by the toe...if he hollars, let him say, pick your colors right a way.

hickory, dickory, dock, the thunder is on the clock, when the month stikes two, Steve will be blue, as my boat will be done and new.

I will choose very soon...stay tooned.. :D