So my question is Why? Why are other bigger modern ducati forums Facebook groups, feck me even some ducati whattsapp groups with a bigger members list, beyond the year 2000 not recognised or invited? This event should be seen as a way of Ducati staying in touch with and rewarding its brand loyal customers, and to do that surely as a business you have to and even want to communicate with the largest groups. just don't get it!
Ducati marketing have a different view to you. All clubs which want the official recognition & affiliation of Ducati must conform to some very rigid guidelines. This is to ensure that the Ducati branding is controlled by them, and will not be associated with groups outside their control. Currently due to these arguably invasive rules long established groups are dropping Ducati affiliation for example UKMOC . The invites to dinners with a meet the team riders tacked on, annual mail outs of stickers and a t.shirt etc are presumably part of the package to lure Ducati groups to affiliate, as these are rewards for kissing the ring... Now have Ducati got this policy wrong? Clearly there will be people such as yourself who are irritated, annoyed or dumbfounded by it. On the flip side we don't know how much the mailing lists of owners & riders brings to Ducati in revenue or information for the company. Personally, a bag of trinkets and a one in a hundred thousand chance of dinner with a few Italians isn't worth lots of spam emails.
yep..... but I don't get it. Ducati want to make money and that comes from selling their brand advertising it to as bigger organisation group as they can...whats the point for their association with what is not the most influential appealing way to do it?
Legacy clubs. Can’t imagine UKMOC is that big either these days. Forums are much larger but you can’t control ‘the message’ as easily.
Facebook pages are probably the largest and least controllable? A Forum core business aim does not necessarily coincide with Ducatis own. Is this forum affiliated & info sharing with Ducati @El Toro ?
Fair criticism is alive and well here I think? Ducati engine paint is CRAP and no moderators seem to mind that many of us mention it. For the most part people here don't diss the brand, because they like it.
There have been posts on the past that have disappeared. This forum will want to maintain a relationship of some kind. It gets free tickets occasionally… And Macabbee used to be a terror at ‘take that down’ messages. Bit on the whole we love the grand I guess. Even tho I have been accused in the past of hating it
We can diss okay on here. I'm continually moaning about build quality and the tendency for fairing screws to rattle off. This forum is pretty balanced in that respect. I like Ducati's but I dislike Ducati as a brand. Its contrived, pretends to be high quality and attempts to infer cred from marketing, plus it overcharges us for mediocrity, rest on its past laurels too much without breaking new ground. Personally, i think brands need to stand up on their own without PR pushing it. Ducati falls flat at that imho. Not everyone takes blind acceptance. A mature company sees criticism as a means to improve. Ducati could learn a bit there too.
It’s not officially “affiliated” but both Ducati HQ and Ducati UK know of us, and UK takes an active interest in what goes on here
And reduce the cost of servicing….and open a store in Aberdeen…which I will happily manage for £200k pa…plus a use of all bikes…for me and my mates. This is going to be awesome, thanks El Toro
Is Dundee really getting one and any idea when it’s expected to open? Happy that there will be one closer, but struggling to see the business sense in this decision. A little more wealth in Aberdeen than Dundee, lovely though it is, and an opportunity to better service the north of Scotland. Currently in California, not seen a single red beast yet. Just croooooozers that certainly make a lot of noise…which I’m cool with, and can appreciate why people ride them over here, although not with FF helmets!
Dundee is definitely happening. The build/conversion has taken longer than originally anticipated due to planning regulations. Last I heard they were planning on opening in August. But don’t hold me to that. https://ducatidundee.co.uk/
I still have a smile when I see my Gallery with my old 999 at the top of the leader board ( second to the webteam of course)
