| Author | Message | ||
     Wbrisett |
On another board (generic motorcycle board), a thread was starting letting people know about the hydration packs from Buell for test riding a bike. One individual said he went in asked for a ride, they asked if he was ready to purchase and he told them not for at least 3 months. They handed him a Hydration pack and a business card and told him to come back when he was closer to making a decision. He really had no intention of buying a bike, he just wanted the swag. Which got me to thinking... do these promotions actually work? Obviously Buell owners would love messenger bags, neck gaiters, and hydration packs. But, do these promotions actually get non-Buell owners in the door and get them to buy bikes? Wayne | ||
| Skyclad |
Anything that gets more people to at least come into a dealer is going to have some effect. Of course, it would probably help if current Buell owners stopped grabbing all the swag before non-owners have a chance. Yeah, I do like my hydration pack and gaiter. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
i like everything i've ever gotten from the promo's. use the messenger bag and slingbag the most. and by going out into public with them, aren't you giving them free advertising. i look at it like this, we who already have the bike appreciate it so we keep up to date on what's going on and if that means catching the free stuff, so be it. although taking the demo was the deciding factor for getting my first buell, i didn't get anything and wasn't looking for anything to test ride it. i just wanted to. you either get it or you don't. | ||
| Kip |
I wasnt looking for the swag I just happened to go into my local dealer and they happened to have a demo 1125r. It was awsome.Better than I thought it would be they even had an after market pipe on it. Ya it was dragster loud... I didnt ride back to the dealer on the same roads. But when I got back I filled out the sheet and they gave me a hydration pack. | ||
| Dick_stilton |
Hydration pack? Thats nothing, I went in to test a bike and came away with a bottle of scotch, 50 Cuban Cigars and a voucher for dinner for two at the restaurant of my choice. The guy wasted his money as I was going to buy the bike anyway. Realy, do they think a pathetic freebie or two is going to sway anyone to part with a thick wedge of cash? You either want the bike or you dont no matter what crap they give you. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I have this arguement with my sales manager every year. But it is about balloons. He insists that balloons on every bike during our events is want makes them sell..... Just to make a point I took the balloons off of the Three bikes I had appointments on. They all sold. Its amazing what "marketing" will do for sales, and curious what it wont. PS I did tell one guy he could have the bike for free, he just had to pay me 12995 plus tax title and licensing for the hydra pack.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
I was pretty happy on my M2, until I went and did a joy ride on an XB9. From that moment on, I was looking for reasons to trade in (it didn't take long  ). | ||
| Ulyranger |
I am not in, nor have I ever been in sales, but seems to me it's all about name/product recognition. If a few trinkets or widgets gets people in the door looking at, fondling and perhaps test riding your product a certain percentage that was pre-disposed to liking it to begin with will step across that imaginary line and open their wallet........................ ...........or something like that. A neck gaitor/hydration pack/messenger bag/fill in blank is not going to by itself propel someone not into the product to suddenly rip out the check book. It will get people in to look at and hopefully sample the wares, that's half the battle. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I know that every promotional Buell item giveaway has each time gotten at least one person from the concours.org board to either test ride, or visit their Buell dealer, and talk about it on the forum, and thus stimulate discussion about the brand. I guess it works. | ||
| Chrisrogers3 |
What Buell does with these little promotional items is extremely effective. You first though have to get past the mindset that someone is going to buy your product directly because they just gave you a hydration pack. It is possible, but whoever does marketing for Buell isn't interested in that. What they are interested in is what people in marketing refer to as "branding" or generically referred to as name recognition/advertising. Seeing "Buell" plastered on someones neck gaitor/hydration pack/messenger bag gets people's curiosity and they ask questions. So with thinking in these terms, Buell really intends these promo items to go more to current owners to talk up the product. Personally I love carrying around my Uly backpack to and from classes and work. It really is amazing how many people have no idea what/who Buell is. (Message edited by chrisrogers3 on May 01, 2008) | ||
| Prowler |
My wife uses our Buell messenger bag to carry her laptop back and forth to night school. She's always surprised at the amount of guys that ask her if she's got a Buell......I guess I better get her something else to carry the laptop in...... | ||
| Jlnance |
Which got me to thinking... do these promotions actually work? Yes, they work. I hang out on ADVrider as well, and there are several people on Ulys who only looked at the bike because they wanted to get a messenger bag. It's pretty good marketing. Buell knows that lots of people are going to come by with only the intention of picking up a bag. They are betting they can impress you with the bike as part of the process. The Inside Pass program also runs along these lines. I'd guess that about a third of the people who showed to the one I was at weren't Buellers. They just thought the idea of doing a cheap track day on someone else's bike was going to be fun. So lots of people who would never walk into a Harley Dealer had fun day on an 1125r and got to have lunch with a bunch of Buell guys. Some of them will be buying Helicons, much to their surprise. | ||
| Jcbikes |
I own a 2004 XB12S and absolutely love the bike with no desire to purchase anything else. Yesterday I went to the dealer just to get the hydration pack and as a result test road the 1125r. Oh my God, what an incredible bike. Now I want one! Yes, the promotion works! | ||
| Thunderbox |
I don't know about others but I have purchased 2 new Buell bikes and both times I took a demo and bought. So I guess the idea is to get people on the bike. Buell in particular has a stigma associated with what is commonly conceived as the H-D lump of an engine. I find that generally anyone who actually rides a Buell is pleasantly surprised at how well the package actually is and how enjoyable a Buell can be. For those who wouldn't otherwise try one out, giving them something for free might make them at least try the product and if nothing else may stop them from badmouthing the product to others. I think it's a great marketing ploy to improve the overall image of the Buell line of motorcycles. There is also no doubt they have sold many bikes this way. The dealer who just gave the person the hydration pack was doing a diservice to himself and the company by not insisting the person ride one before getting the freebee. I think Buell knows what they are doing in regards to marketing. |
