Boy I have read this whole thread. WHEW!!! As an American with a couple of 55 year old Morgans and one built of Morgan Junk, if I had not gone to LeMans and Assen a couple of years I would not have a clue what You are talking about. There I was in this old +4-4Str amongst a sea of Morgans no older than 2005. There was a 196? DHC from Michigan at Assen. I love My Morgans, I love to drive them. Brings out the "Walter Middy" in Me. My Morgan, now Morgans have entertained Me since 1982 when I bought a "Basket Case". What fun. As a USer I think I am in a World of My own. Certainly a Continent of My Own!!! Morgan Owners are the best all over the World.
The 'Lifestyle' tat thing is sound business sense. Extends the brand, makes a profit and highlights the products. Harley has been mentioned, who support fully the HOG thing. The Harley Owners Group is a factory sponsored enthusiast club that is the biggest in the world, and it costs almost £70 a year.
Triumph motorcycles do the same with clothing and products, plus the Riders Association of Triumph (RAT) and it works!
I love the fact that tours to the factory contain 99% of people that may never own a Morgan, but they want the brand and appreciate the ethos behind a British company. Allowing them to take home 'something' that acts as a memory and brand extension is a great way of being positive as a manufacturer.
And yes, it would be great to see tuning products sold from the same place or attached for those of us who own the cars but they may be thinking exactly the same. Who knows?
I think the new shop is a cracking idea, and creating the opportunity to sell other select artisan products can only be a good thing.
Stringer ( is this you or your mate?) you just have to be in marketing / advertising because thats a load of marketing bull poo IMO of course. And in a friendly way too.
The people on this forum dont buy a brand - they buy a piece of engineering. They dont buy into an image - they buy a car. And the problem with the lifestyle bit, apart from it appealing to the vacuous of this world, is that doing it diverts management focus away from the product itself. Thats one reason why Harleys are such crap motorcycles - they have long ago sacrificed engineering in favour of image. Buy a Harley, customise from our 1000 pages of extras, get your cut off and scowl like a patch club rider as you look at your self passing shop windows. Be a tough dood even if you are a lady's hairdresser and your teeth have vibrated loose. !
Heaven forbid that Morgan go that way and end up producing cars so that their customers can buy all the tat that makes up the "brand". Particularly when , as many point out on here, the quality of the car need a lot of management attention.
Is this really any different from any other Manufacturer?
I know for a fact that Mercedes have a catalogue full of MB branded stuff, mountains of the stuff and have done for years
Some very interesting and intelligent points made. As ever.
I've frequently moaned about fragrance, cuff links and other MMC lifestyle sh1te…. I can see why they need to sell it though.
Perhaps the new boss has an actual plan for the future of the company rather than the more 'informal' (but successful) way it's been run for the last century, hence the new tat emporium.
I have bought new Morgans in the past, but I won't again. I don't think they're worth it any more.
With all the other ways for middle aged men (and some women) to blow their kids inheritance/pension lump sum, MMC need to keep the money coming in.
'Brand' and 'image' are generally regarded as being inextricably linked. Whether you buy a Rolex, a Ferrari or a Morgan - you've bought into the 'brand'. If you buy a pencil, then you may not have bought a brand - but once you're into discretionary purchases, branding is a key driver.
For Morgan the brand architecture is British, hand made, authentic. It's not engineering excellence (anyone buying a new Skoda will see that the Skoda is far better built).
Everyone here talks about pedestrians giving a cheery wave, small boys smiling, traffic letting you out... it's all connected to brand image.
Most people refuse to accept that they've bought into a brand - it's seen as being a bit weak to have succumbed to such a thing. 'I'm an individual'...
Whether the Morgan shop is on message for the brand is another matter.
The 'Lifestyle' tat thing is sound business sense. Extends the brand, makes a profit and highlights the products. Harley has been mentioned, who support fully the HOG thing. The Harley Owners Group is a factory sponsored enthusiast club that is the biggest in the world, and it costs almost £70 a year.
Triumph motorcycles do the same with clothing and products, plus the Riders Association of Triumph (RAT) and it works!
I love the fact that tours to the factory contain 99% of people that may never own a Morgan, but they want the brand and appreciate the ethos behind a British company. Allowing them to take home 'something' that acts as a memory and brand extension is a great way of being positive as a manufacturer.
And yes, it would be great to see tuning products sold from the same place or attached for those of us who own the cars but they may be thinking exactly the same. Who knows?
I think the new shop is a cracking idea, and creating the opportunity to sell other select artisan products can only be a good thing.
Have to agree with you there, on a visit today to see my car in build I think I was the only member of the group who had/has a Morgan the rest certainly spent a lot in the new shop especially my next door neighbour who went to town with her credit card.
because thats a load of marketing bull poo IMO of course. And in a friendly way too.
!
