Marketing

[Screamer]

Hey Mark
Let me clarify a few things here: I've been a Starboard fan for years and I also prefer their boards to some others I've tried. I do believe the company is run by people really passionate about windsurfing, and I applaud them for having this forum where you can express your opinion.
Now, with explaining out of the way, as a long time *board customer, I think I'm entitled to express my opinion about things I don't like about the company I (generally) like. Is *board incapable of mistakes, do we always have to approve everything they do/say? If that makes me a "short tempered little man" that insults your intelligence, so be it. And what I wrote in the first post still stands (can you dispute those 3 points). To me the iSonic section sounds just as LAME as the latest Vanish commercial, period. It's not about the content, it's the presentation also, how you say something. You might like it though.

Let me remind you, if you look/listen carefully, this thread (which has gone on a few tangents admitedly) also contains some fine comments from Farlo:
>By the way, would we feel concerned if we didn't like the brand / its products to some extend?
and
>... even true believers in Starboard's supremacy can disagree with the references made in the iSonic section.

Fair winds

[Floyd]

Being a short bad tempered kind of bloke thought I`d better reply too. (even though I said I wouldn`t!!!)

Its difficult to express a negative point and still applaud what starboard have achieved. (more than any other single manufacturer???)

I dont like the flashy brochures/hundreds of sponsored sailors with all the associated costs ;yet when I purchase a board I still have to pay for them !!!! Perhaps those that dont like the "hype/marketing should get a £50 discount ? Wonder how many would pay ???

Boards prices are approaching £1300 ; for 7kg of material ... I would like to see a break down of that £1300. How much is marketing ???? I suspect far more than any other manufacturer ?????But it works ; which IMO says something about the consumer not the supplier. (Mark H ???)

And the info on website/brochures is not what I use to buy a board.(I bought an S type like that and learned my lesson !!!) Only real way to choose a board is to try it !!! (And even then it takes a while; 2 or 3 hours in right conditions sailing with a mate and or GPS)

My distractions
Fanatic Mega Jag . F2 Style.(260) Evo 80.Kode 94. Sailboard Start.F2 Powerglide. Mistral Syncro 124 RD.Tiga Wave.Mistral Screamer.BMW Z3m.Fireblade. Gasgas 300. and a couple of snowboards somewhere..17 Sails. (dating from 1979) Oh and a mountain bike !!! (Decathlon; but its a goodun !!! (2 GPS units ; one from 1997 !!! ????????????
And none of them are toys !!!!

Good sailing !!!

[mark h]

Hi Screamer
No probs, I fully respect your (and others) opinion. Thats the good thing about an open forum. Its a big world and people will always have different take on things or see things differently.

Unreg #40
Maybe your one of those sensitive types, the type that reads with their mouth and not there eyes (that's an insult). Clearly a LOL at the end of my initial comment and "short angery men". Yes we are living in "enlightened liberal times" and for that reason alone, most of us understand the difference between an insult and joke. Have you ever never the p*ss out of mates in the pub??? Its all part of the crack.

Hi Floyd
Ha, £1300 for 7kg, never really looked at it that way before. £185 per kilo!!

Im off for a sail now

Its "their eyes" and "angery" is spelt "angry".
Perhaps you should have paid more attention in English last week !!!

[mark h]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Its "their eyes" and "angery" is spelt "angry".
Perhaps you should have paid more attention in English last week !!!

Ha ha, I'm also falling behind in french and maths. I need to spend less time windsurfing and more time studying

[Hot Ice]

I agree completely with mark h original post and I am amazed how sensitive some people are to some of his comments.

I feel there is a double set of standards operating on this thread.

Its ok for someone to call magazines/test/advertising corrupt. Just don’t make a joke about others on the thread.

[Deja Vu]

Lots of criticism concerning Starboard's marketing. Well, what about JP's marketing in North America? Right now 2008 JP slalom boards are being sold as 2009 boards and the Slalom V is being sold as a 2010 board. Thanks but no thanks! JP seems to have a crossover period where the 2008 and 2009 slalom boards appear on their 2009 website and the 2009 and 2010 boards will appear on their 2010 website. Now that leads to a lot of confusion among consumers and I really disapprove. Starboard at least gives you what they say they're going to give you! I checked out the Slalom V and it'll be 60 days (November 2009) before they're even available in North America and that's from several sources! This is the board being used in the 2009 PWA events. Starboard's marketing looks pretty good to me after checking out JP's Slalom V boards!

Hot Ice
Any one with a grain of inteligence can see difference between criticising an organisation and calling an individual "a small angry man" .


It is prevalent on Forum. If you disagree/criticise accepted wisdom (for want of a better word ; as there`s not much around on here) things get personal. Thats out of order.

[mark h]

Unreg: Reading with your mouth again? and not your eyes)

P.S. "Inteligence" is spelt like this "intelligence"

How do you know ????
Bet you checked first !!!!