Segway subject of positioning article

[cstull]

Like it or not, the author is most likely correct in his analysis.

http://marketingprofs.com/3/fischler12.asp

[pt]

um, like it or not, a lot of the points are just wrong :-]

>>The Segway's main success to date has been the corporate marketplace.

they've sold more to consumers than to the corporate marketplace.

>>Why, then, does Segway’s visible positioning—primarily its Web site—focus almost entirely on the individual consumer?

because that's who they're selling the most to. in fact, the goal is (and i suspect will always be) to sell to individuals. so far they've sold a lot to them with the hts only shipping since march of 2003.

>>Do you agree? Look around. How many have you seen on the city streets? My answer is: none.

depends, the usa is a big country. i've seen them in every city i've visited in the usa. some people see them, some don't. at the la upgrade center, i heard there are over 500 in the area. we know there are at least 6,000 out now...i see a segway in seattle each week.

>>When I go from here to, let’s say, the store, or to pick up my kids at school, or to take my dog to the vet or to just about anywhere… I’m covering as much ground, being as productive and moving just as intelligently as I need to. I don’t need to drop $5,000 to improve any of those.

the segway isn't for him. there isn't a picture of a segway with a kid, a dog and a mom all piled on. it's not the best solution for everyone. that said, i bet more than 50% of his trips are alone in some type of suv, for trips less than 10 miles away, just like most people.

>>But if I were the United States Postal Service, or GM, or the division of the police department that writes parking citations, I most certainly would need that kind of improvement.

i actually don't want the parking people to have segways, i do need to drive in a lot, with no parking i always get a ticket. i'd like them to be slower, less productive ;-]

all that said, yah- segway could target a specific group of people in this stage. techy, smart, thoughtful people who are embracing change, the future, want to make a difference and have $5,000.

...oh wait, they do that :-]

i do think segway can focus on one segment, and they did (early adopters, all of us)...they've sold 6,000 x $5,000 in 6 months (shipping since march) that's $30m. nothing to sneeze at, and they've just started. wait until they release the new model, and start selling to other countries that are so "car obsessed" as the USA.

we all know the p series is coming, we all know international sales are coming...

that's when i would market hard, imagine if there were 600,000 segways out today. the software update, regualtions, etc..would be very different.

marathon glide, not a sprint ;-]

cheers,
pt

[jgassor]

$30 million dollars worth of neat equipment sold, and very little advertising! You cant beat that!

Jim

Live life to the full, get Tivo and get a Segway! http://segway.gassor.com

[statmed]

quote:Originally posted by jgassor

$30 million dollars worth of neat equipment sold, and very little advertising! You cant beat that!

Actually, there has been NO advertising. Not one penny has been spent on advertising so far.

There has been much media attention, but that's all.

H.M. Stern
statmed@optonline.net

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together (Hannibal Smith)

[albaby]

quote:we all know the p series is coming, we all know international sales are coming...

that's when i would market hard, imagine if there were 600,000 segways out today. the software update, regualtions, etc..would be very different.
I agree. The p series appears to be the model specifically designed for the consumer. Any broad marketing effort will probably focus on the p-series. Sure, the others will be featured....but you would rather advertise the Seg starting at $3,999 (or whatever) than $4,950.

However, I think LLC also needs a broader distribution system. They probably ought to get that expanded a little more before massive advertising. Virtually every product that has mass consumer acceptance is available "off the shelf" - even vehicles, with auto dealerships throughout the country. Before you do mass-market advertising in a given media market, you probably want to make sure there's a showroom in that market.

Albaby

[IndyFIRSTengineer]

quote:Originally posted by pt
...imagine if there were 600,000 segways out today. the software update, regualtions, etc..would be very different...


You make some great points Phillip. I would also say that the recall/upgrade issue has enlightened me to a possible strategic marketing decision on Segway LLC's part (with regard to my snipet of your previous post). With the secrecy surrounding the HT through most of its development there was little or no oppoprtunity for thorough "field" testing prior to release of the product. WE are doing the field testing for LLC and that may be a much smarter way to manage the distribution and growth of such a technologically new and complicated machine. Imagine what the cost of this recent safety "enhancement" would be if there were 60k or 600k units affected ...

Stuart Bloom - Rolls-Royce Corporation
FIRST Team 1018 - Pike High School "RoboDevils"

“Who goes out and says, ‘You have a better probability of winning the state lottery than making a nickel in professional sports. And by the way, last year two million exciting technical jobs went unfilled in this country because you weren't there to take that job. And it pays you 10 times as much as flipping burgers, and it's fun and it's exciting and you get to create things and build things and help make the world a better place and help make yourself a better living.’ Who tells them this?”
Dean Kamen, founder - FIRST Robotics

[jgassor]

quote:Originally posted by statmed

quote:Originally posted by jgassor

$30 million dollars worth of neat equipment sold, and very little advertising! You cant beat that!

Actually, there has been NO advertising. Not one penny has been spent on advertising so far.

There has been much media attention, but that's all.

H.M. Stern
statmed@optonline.net

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together (Hannibal Smith)


I wasnt sure I could make that statement, I guess I should have said 'paid advertising'. Segway appearances have been made on shows such as Jay Leno's, I didnt want to discount those as a form of advertising!

Jim

Live life to the full, get Tivo and get a Segway! http://segway.gassor.com

[Mr_Laurenzano]

We had world wide advertising this past weekend, I even called the media department, I think its just a voice mailbox. Not one comercial or ad anywhere. It would be like NASA advertizing for the space shuttle.
Again another small box dweller with nothing better to do is hacking on something he really doesent understand

peace is a oneway street, with no crossroads and no deadends