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!

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.

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.

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!



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.

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

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