It's a real shame if HG disappear - I think their biggest problem is that no-one wants to buy expensive kit, no matter how good it is. HG kit has always been "top end" stuff, and therefore not cheap. Too many people are buying cheap kit these days, believing that it is "a bargain"... HG's kit is excellent quality and good value for money. Their sales people always seemed to know what they were talking about too... The Plymouth shop was really good...
That's exactly the point. Hein Gericke made good quality clothing, and I've never heard anyone complaining about the point of sale (the shops, their layout, and how the customers were treated), but still they're broke. Alpinestars, I'd say, make stuff to the same sort of quality, but they're the rock star brand, selling everything they make. What's the difference?
I'm not sure I agree! We had 30-40% return rates on certain Frank Thomas product, it was hot and miss at best! Buffalo still exist! And they are the worst of the lot!
Decent marketing. HG is not an aspirational brand. Alpinestars is. HG doesn't sponsor top racers. Alpinestars and Dainese do. When people decry marketing, they might remember that it keeps people in jobs.
It is. The thing is, the youth now live their lives vicariously, plugged into a screen. If they are sat on their bums, living in a virtual world such as GTA, which is addictive and exciting in their bedrooms, they can't actually be bothered to get out in the real world and have real experiences. Go to all the hassle of training for a bike licence, and the expense of getting one and going somewhere? Why bother? You'll have noticed that when you go to a concert, people spend all the time filming it on their phones so that they can post it on Youtube or FB. They don't spend much time in the present, experiencing things. Life is just raw material to share electronically to boost your status.
So do you think that if a few riders in BSB or WSBK wore Hein Gerike branded race suits that would have helped their market share? They did leathers, so personally I think that may have helped a bit
Yes, it would have helped. That alone doesn't constitute a marketing plan or strategy, but it's a start. The idea of "aspirational" must be easy to understand on this forum, with Ducati being about the most aspirational bike brand. This is something that KTM, or Aprilia still struggle with. They don't have the visibility of Ducati - their brand visions are not as well marketed, whatever the quality of their products. HG just made what are apparently good quality products for a decent price. But in a market where image is, if not everything, at least a very great deal, that's not enough. Biking is a now a leisure activity and the consumer isn't very price sensitive. If you don't believe me, just look through the "What have you bought for your bike" thread. People spend thousands to buy individuality and image. No one really needs Termis, and not at that price, but most people want them and are prepared to pay. I personally wouldn't have bought any HG stuff. If I was doing budget biking, fine, but I'm not. If I was doing budget biking, I wouldn't even have a Ducati. That almost certainly makes me a bike brand snob, but this wouldn't be a great place to start throwing stones. Sadly, HG's market niche is not a good place to be these days. In 1985 it would have made a lot of sense.
So, to sum up in simple terms... Not enough people where prepared to buy decent kit at a decent price... They all prefer to buy "budget" crap that is much worse but cheap, or pay over the odds for "aspirational" brands that are no better but are fashionable.
That's about right. Over the past few years, since the financial crisis, successful products have fallen into one of two categories: 1. Very cheap VFM brands 2. Expensive luxury brands. All the middle brands are being squeezed out. It's only logical. All the people affected by the crisis are now reverting to the cheaper the better (see rise of Lidl, Aldi) All the people unaffected are probably getting richer and want the luxury brands. You'll find this phenomenon over all product categories, from clothes to cars and everywhere in between.
You're so right. I went into Lidl this week and bought a pheasant and two partridges. Oh, and a stollen.
A shame if they disappear as they make my favourite goretex gloves and pro shell trousers. I admit to buying a Klim jacket though as the HG range was a bit performance over style and was a bit too drab perhaps? I must look into this Stollen business. Pete did you fit the partridge into the pheasant before squeezing into the Turkey?
