Well said Peter. P.S. What is the Triumph RAT model?
In a nutshell, you have a company funded by the brand who's intention is to engage and retain customers to the brand by creating a feeling of belonging. This may be owner specific events, branded merchandise or unique discounts.
I've long espoused such a scheme to Morgan as Peter knows, but there is no will to change the norm sadly.
I can't understand the negativity surrounding this marketing for Morgan. It's simply engaging people by branding, it's not rocket science..!
Well said Peter. P.S. What is the Triumph RAT model?
In a nutshell, you have a company funded by the brand who's intention is to engage and retain customers to the brand by creating a feeling of belonging. This may be owner specific events, branded merchandise or unique discounts.
I've long espoused such a scheme to Morgan as Peter knows, but there is no will to change the norm sadly.
I can't understand the negativity surrounding this marketing for Morgan. It's simply engaging people by branding, it's not rocket science..!
Absolutely... 6 Simple steps for the factory.....
1. Set up The MOG (Morgan Owners Group), Membership £40.00 per year, FOC for 2 years to new Morgan Owners. 2. Pick the 10 best dealers and "vigorously incentivise" them to organise monthly or more meetings and events...with a "MOG MAN" to run the events. This would be someone like Adrian, or me, or Jays, or.....don't all volunteer... 3. Produce a Magazine - Oh, they already have that, MOG Mag - and MOG area on the Website 4. Arrange an annual meeting; - Oh, they already do that, Thrill on the Hill and "The Homecoming" 5. Enhance the brand through merchandise, products and discounts. 6. Invite members to visit the factory & shop, with a "MOG Room" separate from the main visitor reception.
It doesn't need a bunch of clever consultants to do it... actually we are a load of clever consultants!
Peter, 66, 2016 Porsche Boxster S No longer driving Tarka, the 2014 Plus 8...
Well said Peter. P.S. What is the Triumph RAT model?
In a nutshell, you have a company funded by the brand who's intention is to engage and retain customers to the brand by creating a feeling of belonging. This may be owner specific events, branded merchandise or unique discounts.
I've long espoused such a scheme to Morgan as Peter knows, but there is no will to change the norm sadly.
I can't understand the negativity surrounding this marketing for Morgan. It's simply engaging people by branding, it's not rocket science..!
Absolutely... 6 Simple steps for the factory.....
1. Set up The MOG (Morgan Owners Group), Membership £40.00 per year, FOC for 2 years to new Morgan Owners. 2. Pick the 10 best dealers and "vigorously incentivise" them to organise monthly or more meetings and events...with a "MOG MAN" to run the events. This would be someone like Adrian, or me, or Jays, or.....don't all volunteer... 3. Produce a Magazine - Oh, they already have that, MOG Mag - and MOG area on the Website 4. Arrange an annual meeting; - Oh, they already do that, Thrill on the Hill and "The Homecoming" 5. Enhance the brand through merchandise, products and discounts. 6. Invite members to visit the factory & shop, with a "MOG Room" separate from the main visitor reception.
It doesn't need a bunch of clever consultants to do it... actually we are a load of clever consultants!
Would the MOG Room be for watching special films like "The Lion Kingpin" for instance?
It was good.Very much linked to Triumph Dealerships.
There were ( and still are some ) RAT Groups.
Ride outs, Meets etc very much the norm.There was a magazine and a Triumph Factory Guy who coordinated the whole shebang. Including UK and Euro Tours.
There were strong and weaker "groups" ( a bit like MSCC).
BUT it worked and worked well.
It created showroom footfall and loyalty to a Dealer.
Bear in mind that many Bikers are very model conscious - and driven by the makers new models would change bikes very frequently.So creating Brand loyalty was and still is very important.
RAT fell away for a number of reasons - not the least was a £cut back phase from Hinkley.
SO...I do support PeterJ's idea of a MOG group like structure.
BUT - very very difficult to carry MSCC with it IMO.
MMC are very different from Triumph - and there the RAT model would fall down.
BUT a more formal structure of the MOG idea could work.
In a range of English public school colours with Morgan Wings....just the thing I would have thought.
Matching (or at the very least colour coordinated) Dressing Gown and/or Smoking Jacket? Single frogged for the trads and double frogged for the Aero owners. Something similar but waterproof for the M3W owners.
What about slippers? Colour coordinated to match your car's bodywork and interior colours. Just the ticket.....
A couple of good ideas have been put forward here. I am in favour of the brand expansion route. If done properly it is a good enhancement. Please....NO TAT! Nothing wrong with items with the Morgan name/logo on them. I have some because they look good, perform a function, fell within my price liking. Getting the cars themselves seen to be quality items is a must. A premium priced less than high quality product will do more harm to Morgan and the brand than anything. Closer links to owners? Yes please! They are the unpaid ambassadors , publicists, promotion people for the company. Also a good source of feedback, market research. An owners lounge/visitors room in the factory? Not a bad idea, another way for MMC to speak to owners. Remember Hamlet cigars? I worked for Gallaher making them. The image of the brand was what created sales. The cigar was (gulp) average as a smoke, based on market research, yet the market leader! People liked the recognisable tv ads and the name Hamlet became known, similar to Hoover being the term for a vacuum cleaner. There is a clear history of brand/product image creating success with other products/companies. Don't underestimate it!
This all sounds very encouraging. I understand and accept all that has been said positively about brand loyalty and marketing.
Some of it seems rather frothy and full of aspirational nebulosity, but I can't fault the aim, and MogMag provides the perfect all-encompassing marketing and coffee-table wrap-around.
Alongside this, there is still much I read about the quality of MMC output, which still has some way to go. The company may be into continuous improvement (I forget the modern phrase), but we do not hear much about it. And I think we all have an interest in making it happen, where we can.
So, about that MOG (Morgan Owners Group) with the 'free' magazine. Is TM part of the solution, given the opportunity?
They are a car factory, so maybe they ought to sell cars and car bits. God Forbid that they try to do a Harley and start selling life style tat
Howard, I do jest, but you still haven't been persuaded over to the dark side to buy the car yet!
I am pretty sure that I will eventually do so but I am hoping that MMC will bow to the inevitable and give the Trad some decent underpinnings like the Aero
And if I do so it will in part be because of the Morgan community which offers the same sort of social interaction that I guess would come from HOG or RAT. But I dont see that as anything to do with an MMC shop selling embossed slippers
