[TheForge] Re: Pure Iron Truck Specials.

Mon Aug 26 15:53:01 2002

Well, I hear all these people saying how much they would like to see PI =
remain, but I've not seen a whole bunch of solutions proposed.

How's about this:  local organizations make some substantial order and =
stock it for their members.

Help spread the word to pros.  I will bet this has not been done =
anywhere near to the degree to which it could be.  The blacksmithing =
community, if they are REALLY interested in helping this business stay =
afloat, could do a lot to help make it happen, but it would require some =
work and a little bit of placing money where the mouths are.

Be crerative, be willing to spend a little if you can afford it.  PI is =
expensive compared to other things, but it isn't THAT costly and it is a =
great material to work with.  IF you're selling pieces, play on the =
whole PI thing.  THis is what I did in the Mesa shop and it worked.  I =
used PI in some elements and while visually the customer couldn't tell =
the difference, they knew that the work was closer to "Traditional" and =
were pleased enough.

In a sense, helping Mike is an act of helping ourselves.  I'm not big on =
corporate welfare, and in fact despise it, but this is a case of pure =
self interest.  I feel there is market here, but it's being stubborn. :)

-----Original Message-----
From: Phlip [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 7:03 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: Pure Iron Truck Specials.

Mike, I'm assuming your computer belched ;-)

I/we, really do wish you well, and I think we'd all like to see PI stay
around. I think we all need to brainstorm, see what we can do to help.

For a start, what industries are eating up the PI in France? And, has =
there
been successful marketing of the product beyond the borders? If so, to =
who?
Gotta get you out of the box.....

Phlip

----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 9:50 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: Pure Iron Truck Specials.

> In a message dated 8/21/2002 10:25:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> [email protected] writes:
>
>
> > Mike, I was discussing this at Pennsic, with other smiths, and I =
think
there
> > is a consensus that the marketing was not optimal. I think you hoped =
for
> > too
> > much, with too little effective effort (notice I'm not saying you =
didn't
> > put
> > a lot of effort into it, it's just that I think it was not =
necessarily
> > directed as effectively as it might have been).
> >
> >     Mike, I think Phlip makes a very good point here.  Marketing =
will
often
> >     determine success or failure.  If you guys are not born- or =
trained
and
> >     experienced marketeers, you may well have expended a whole lot =
of
time
> >     and energy for nothing in terms of results.  A large company =
would
do a
> >     thorough market analysis before going into an endeavor such as =
this,
> > but
> >     you're already there.  An analysis might not be a bad idea at =
this
> > point.
> >     You have a lot of sweat devoted to this and to simply drop it
without
> >     full konwledge of the potential would be a shame.  It could be =
that
an
> >     analysis will reveal that there just isn't a market strong =
enough to
> >     support this sort of thing.  Or it may say there is a very good
> > potential
> >     market if the product is properly promoted.  If that be the =
case,
then
> > it
> >     would behoove you, assuming the interest and desire remain, to =
hire
a
> >     marketing firm that would build and launch a campaign.  This =
would
take
> >     money, but as the old saying goes (and it's not universally true =
in
my
> >     experience) "you have to spend money to make money".  In this =
case I
> >     feel the addage is accurate.
> >
> >     This is a material intensive business and stuff on the shelf is
eating
> >     into profits.  You want to move product as quickly as possible.
Your
> >     pricing may be wrong, or you may not be getting your message to =
the
> > real
> >     professional in a manner that will generate the sales you're =
looking
> > for.
> >     For example, you cannot rely on the blacksmiths to  carry the
business.
> >     We all know what a stingy bunch many of us can be.  Until I got =
poor
as
> >     a sewer rat, I was atypical in that I was not afraid to spend =
money
on
> >     materials and machinery, but that is uncommon amongst us.  I =
suspect
> > you
> >     need to have at least one prong of a good marketing campaign =
aimed
> > squarely
> >     at the architects and designers.  Such a campaign needs to play =
on
them
> > at
> >     many levels, such as purity, exclusivity, durability, beauty, =
etc
and
> > so on.
> >     Hammer at them the virtues of PI and why it is to their =
advantage to
> > demand
> >     this material be used in their decorative ironwork.  The smiths =
have
no
> >     choice but to comply.  The price is added into the job, but the
labor
> > may
> >     be a bit less, or possibly even a lot less and it is the labor =
that
> > costs.
> >     Cost of material is usually trivial in comparison to labor, but =
many
> > smiths
> >     cannot see past what they perceive as high material cost.  It's =
a
> > myopic
> >     view and so you have to take the decision out of their hands and
place
> > it
> >     into those that carry the cash.
> >
> >     The way these tings work out, is once they get used to the =
pricing
and
> > become
> >     more familiar with the properties... when they realize that an
errant
> > hammer
> >     blow at the last minute is far less likely to wreck a piece, =
causing
> > further
> >     loss of time and material, the price issue should go away, but =
you
have
> > to
> >     get the trend going first.
> >
> >     The other prong of the marketing attack should go right to the
consumer
> > and
> >     it should go in nice glossy magazines with the right photos and =
ad
copy
> > that
> >     explains to the end consumer precisely why pure iron is what =
they
want.
> >  Play
> >     on the mystique, beauty, durability... get some ass kicking =
photos
that
> > show
> >     the warm, smooth textures of PI... you have to have the wallets
> > creaming in
> >     their jeans for something made of this, whether it be a railing,
> > furniture or
> >     a fine art piece.  Show mixed media pieces, perhaps something =
that
has
> > been
> >     enameled.  Maybe some of the guys could do a few high art pieces
that
> > you could
> >     have photo access to in exchange for some material.  One hand =
washes
> > the other
> >     and all that. You basically have to wag the dog, and it can most
> > certainly
> >     be done, but it takes cashola.
> >
> >     It seems to me that you have put entirely too much effort into =
this
> >     endeavor just to walk away.  Your marketing, while noble in =
terms of
> >     enthusiam, heart, and effort, may not possess the polished power
that
> >     it probably needs in order to make PI a household name.  That =
would
> >     require non-trivial capital, but if there is indeed an untapped
market
> >     of sufficient mass, and if you still love this product and the =
whole
> > idea
> >     behind it, then I think you'd all be acting prematurely in =
walking
away
> >     without at least looking into a professional marketing effort.
> >
> >     If you have such an analysis done and put together a good =
business
> > plan,
> >     you can get some pretty serious funding in the way of small =
business
> > loans
> >     and all that.  Most markets are don't exist until someone =
creates
it.
> >     The job of the marketeer is to let the buying public know what =
they
are
> >     missing and just how badly they need what you have to offer.  =
This
is
> >     the way it's done in the serious world of business and if you =
decide
> > you
> >     are also determined, I'd bet you could do it too, all other =
things
> > being
> >     equal.
> >
> >     These are just my random thoughts on the topic.  Whatever you
decide, I
> >     wish you all the best.  You certainly made a very good faith =
effort
and
> >     I like PI a whole lot and will be sorry to see it go.
> >
> > I think you need to look beyond your intended usages, essentially =
for
the
> > home smith, and think how this might be of interest for other
applications.
> > The magnetic thing was a start, but who else might use it?
> >
> >     You are right on the money.
>
> Oh!
>
>
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