Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Marketing a Morgan Car

Another suggestion, change engine supplier for the trads from Ford to Honda(providing Honda are willing to associate its product with Morgan)
There are a number of advantages...

A: Top notch quality and reliability

B: Every motoring mags would want to test drive it as new model..(more publicity)

C: Recent spades of Hondamentalism advert have promoted Ariel Atom, since then Atom's order have increase dramatically, now over one year waiting list, Honda may well give Morgan a similar plug

Still think they would look good in a 'Potter' fillum....

From the responses, we are obviously creatures of the business culture we grew up immersed in. MORE IS BETTER. Yet, this company made huge profits on no marketing, far less production and sales for decades, up to just a few years ago.

The MMC has been moved progressively further onto the Harvey-Jones highway each year. Modernized premises, more outsourcing, more development, higher prices, more Agents and increased production. The result has been a disappearance of its capital base, the loss of key markets and falling residuals in the markets still open.

Considering this, is an effort to find ways to encourage more of the same be ultimately helpful? (Especially if it is successful!)
Perhaps the model for the MMC is not Harley-Davidson, but rather De Beers.

Lorne

I don't agree Lorne.

I haven't heard anyone say "MORE IS BETTER" but what I believe many of us are concerned about is that Morgan are falling further and further off the buyers-radar.

I would challenge anyone to take a picture of a Morgan to a busy town in the UK and stop people at random to ask them to name the car in the picture; furthermore, in what year was it last produced? I could be incorrect but my feeling (which mirrors others ownership experience) is that few potential customers have any idea what the car is or that it is still in production.

If the desired result is to increase waiting lists, surely we need to supplement the customer base with new owners. And if few know the car is for sale, how are they going to purchase one?

This isn't about increased supply as I believe Enzo Ferrari had it nailed when he said, "I would always like to make one less can than I can sell" but surely raising the profile of a car to a level where people know it is an option in the market place is darn important?

It is my perception, at times, that there are a niche of Morgan owners who believe they are the champions of the Holy Grail that is an MMC car and it suits them just fine not to have the profile of the product raised. On the other hand, you have new owners who are enthusiastic about the car and want to shout about it from the roof tops to all and sundry.

I fall into the camp that says yes it's great you bought a Morgan 20+ years ago and that you still own it; however, that isn't going to help the company survive and thus new, younger, customers are needed. A loyal community of owners is super but not if they haven't spent money with you (the business) for an extended period of time. Few businesses can survive (if any) when loyal customers aren't spending and new customers aren't being converted.

Raise profile, attract new owners. If that means making more cars, fine but not to a level where cars are sitting unsold at dealers for long periods of time because that helps no one.

Paul, it would be ideal; however, the problem is MMC would have to pay for that as HP is a massive money spinner and product placement would command a premium. Hence, it falls out of our press-for-'nothing' remit! (not asking much, are we? )

Does anyone remember when TM first started someone came on and asked how/if they could borrow a Plus 4/4 for London Fashion week. IIRC, it was to deliver the models to the red carpet, etc?

This would be perfect - imagine all the press there and 3 beautiful women pull up in a Trad? Talk about positive exposure!

Other ideas off the top of my head - get tied into fund raising for Children in Need, Comic Relief, etc. Play the British angle - last Brit car company owned by the founding family, doing something to support Children in Need. You get the idea! Social responsibility not only gives something back but also helps to raise the profile of the company both in the immediate community but in terms of national events, across the UK if handled well.

I could go on for hours about grass-roots (and beneficial campaigns in terms of staff moral, etc) but you get the idea I'm sure.

Kin, as for TVR, 2001's Swordfish was the film that really turned the Americans onto the idea of them. After that film, and GT got them excited, TVR seriously considered the US market. Obviously their position in the UK put pay to any expansion but it is interesting to see what effect low kep placement in film and video game can accomplish.

Hi,
It was me who asked about the fashion week for Rodnik, my brother fashion label www.rodnik.co.uk..

In the end Bentley offered them a le mans blower car and driver for the week foc.

Morgan were always useless in response to them. A couple of years back they borrowed one at it got a good bit of press in vogue and the like.. as people tend to warm to the car as it is seen as inderring.

If morgan offered them a press car it would get a good bit of press but they havent and bentley did.

My brother might be getting my dads one for a bit in London to use but it would be better for Morgan for a new one to be in the focus rarther than a tatty old one..

I recall talking to mark leddington on a test drive a few years back, he said they thought about giving some cars on loan to beckham and the like but decided against it.

Will we see the new roadster, aero on topgear...

Will

Lorne, no one should be resting on its laurels and thats including MMC, modernising of manufacturing facilities will ensure better production and quality, more development will ensure its future to pass stringent legislation and may regain loss market such as USA, all these will reduce its capitalbase in the short term, but it will definitely ensure its long term survival of the campany...

Simon has hit the nail on the head, I was trying to compose a similar post, the marketing is simply to attract new customers outside of Morgan community, and increase its orders, but not necessarily increasing its production, hence the waiting time would increase, in turn the residual would improve...

Simon, yes, it was Swordfish, I got mixed up

Hi Will, would you have the link to that particular article?

Whoever decided against the idea is an idiot!!

May be someone could persuade Hamster

Phil, I somehow missed your post, any enthusaist will always trying to recommend their P&J, the best way is let the car itself do the selling, by taking her out more and let the public decide for themselves

Well..we are getting as little far from marketing now (smile) but I can completely agree that anything necessary to keep the product on the road must be done. Millions have been spent. However, 90% of the Morgan product line was not made more legislatively compliant in any meaningful way in that spending... a sad omission costing lots of markets and money.


I agree that millions were also invested in plant and equipment, but if we are candid, they were quickly forced to sell it all to survive...possibly evidence of too much too soon.

Perhaps a new approach could help. After all, Mr. Garnett changed the direction of the company for just a few months and the beneficial effects are still growing.

However, back to point..marketing.

Have you considered that restricting production and sharply increasing prices may be a better solution than trying constantly to find more buyers for ever more cars? Less sales and higher prices would resolve the marketing issue, and allow more time, attention and per-car revenue to better the product. It would certainly produce much higher unit profits and rocket residuals up world-wide.

However, I am not sure the company can any longer be restructured to allow for this type of program.. It would likely require a capital investment to lower operating costs.

Lorne