AGD,Skyball and marketing blunders

[steveg]

So I went to skyball this year, Angel was there with their
40' long booth, AKA was there, Smartparts was set up at the
badlands booth, autococker was more than well represented
at all three major toronto dealers (champains,badland and
Premium). Viewloader was present.
Halo was not there, After publicly stating that they would be,
And after not publicly stating that they wouldn't be.

AND of course no AGD, 1200 players+hangers-on and an
unknown number of spectators/tradeshow deal seekers were
not exposed to AGD goodies.

Last year AGD with just a table and a flag, the booth
looked busy to me. I even bought my long nose bolt there
(should have bought the parabolic plug too but I didn't know)

All in all a great way to NOT market your product

[meanelvis]

Or, you could have just asked "Why was AGD not represented at skyball this year?"

I'm sure someone would be more than willing to explain...

[steveg]

We can't make it to Skyball because we are going to the LA NPPL with the booth and it has to get shipped there. You guys have a ball, take some pics and post them up for us!

I already have the official reason.

Another hobby of mine is woodworking(or at least collecting
the tools)
At the same time that Skyball was on there was also a
woodworking show in Toronto.

Many of the vendors at this and other trade shows make a
significant portion of their income at trade shows or at
least exhibit and demonstrate their product.

If PB dealers are doing a poor job of selling automags,
how good an idea is it to miss perhaps 1/3 the paintball
players in Canada, Detroit is only 4hrs away, Buffalo and
NY state about 3hrs

[Phil]

AGD has top notch customer service, high quality product and the worst marketing plan I have ever seen. It almost seems like they are focusing on the military aspect of their business because they are definately not focused on selling paintball products to paintball players.

[Quiet]

No wonder rumors persist that AGD is going out of business.
Thousands of paintballers get together and they are no shows. Many people entering the sport are introduced to different brands of markers at these events, they don't even get a chance to try AGD products. Saw lots of cockers there, and on the fields in the area, I don't think its coincidence. :(

[hitech]

I can't speak for the paintball industry, as I do not work in it. However, trade shows are NOT necessarily a great marketing tool. Every industry is different, but I wouldn't assume that companies are successful because they are at the trades. It's more likely that they are able to attend the trade shows because they are successful.

[Omicron]

AGD wasn't there because they were at the LA NPPL instead of skyball. I was sad that I didn't see a AGD booth too, but crap happens

[steveg]

actually its this weekend skyball was last

[Muzikman]

Think of it this way. AGD wants to be at the LA NPPL, yes the events are a week apart, but the drive is almost a week. Tom might fly between the events, but the booth does not. That would have been one hell of a trip from Toronto to LA in a week, pulling a trailer:)

[steveg]

Muzic yes TO to LA is a bit of a drive But the point is that
last year they did fine without it, just a rented table and
an AGD banner.
And you can be sure that the evil empire (angel) will be there
with their 40' booth

[Muzikman]

I bet WDP will not have as big of a booth for LA NPPL. They had such a big booth because they where a major sponsor of Skyball.

[shartley]

I bet WDP will not have as big of a booth for LA NPPL. They had such a big booth because they where a major sponsor of Skyball.
There is a big difference between a smaller presence and NO presence.

I have to agree that not being at Skyball was a mistake for AGD.


I can't speak for the paintball industry, as I do not work in it. However, trade shows are NOT necessarily a great marketing tool. Every industry is different, but I wouldn't assume that companies are successful because they are at the trades. It's more likely that they are able to attend the trade shows because they are successful.
This is a very important thought process. It is true, many times the actual shows do not net the sales. However, it is because they WERE at the show that nets future sales…. And simply because of the last sentence:

It's more likely that they are able to attend the trade shows because they are successful.

You see, it is a catch 22. You want to sell your product? Then be where those with money will see it.. at the shows. And most people want to buy successful products. It is yet another link in the marketing game, and none of them should be overlooked or thought of as “less important”.


If PB dealers are doing a poor job of selling automags,
how good an idea is it to miss perhaps 1/3 the paintball
players in Canada, Detroit is only 4hrs away, Buffalo and
NY state about 3hrs
BINGO!


No wonder rumors persist that AGD is going out of business.
Thousands of paintballers get together and they are no shows. Many people entering the sport are introduced to different brands of markers at these events, they don't even get a chance to try AGD products. Saw lots of cockers there, and on the fields in the area, I don't think its coincidence.
Valid point.

[Dragoon]

Even if a show is not directly profitable (and few are), the main issue is getting Exposure

I think this is especially true with paintball where marketing is so important.

I love AGD products for many reasons. But it took me a while to figure out that their products were built to a higher standard. As for customer service, I found out how good it was after buying a mag. I think AGD has to spend some time working out their marketing stratagies. This forum is a huge step towards doing that, but more needs to be done. It's time to start fighting it out in the trenches with some of the flashier companies out there.

Douglas.

[hitech]

Originally posted by shartley
You see, it is a catch 22. You want to sell your product? Then be where those with money will see it.. at the shows. And most people want to buy successful products. It is yet another link in the marketing game, and none of them should be overlooked or thought of as “less important”.

To go, or not to go... The company I work for struggles with that question for trade shows all the time. AGD is a company run by "techies". "Techies" usually make poor marketing types. ;)

[Dragoon]

Originally posted by hitech


"Techies" usually make poor marketing types. ;)

Bingo!!
I think it's time a marketing guru was hired/brought into AGD to give it some marketing punch. Afterall, customers don't buy the best, they buy what they are told is the best.

Douglas

[hitech]

Originally posted by Dragoon
...customers don't buy the best, they buy what they are told is the best.

Sad, but very, very true. Rarely is the best also the most popular. At the moment I can't think of any...

[Hasty8]

Originally posted by Phil
AGD has top notch customer service, high quality product and the worst marketing plan I have ever seen. It almost seems like they are focusing on the military aspect of their business because they are definately not focused on selling paintball products to paintball players.

Phil, ask any marketing executive what the best type of marketing is and they will all say the same.

Word of mouth.

I trust my firends opinion way more then I do the opinion of some no name actor who doesn't even know the product and only first heard about it at the photoshoot.

Case in point. I had been researching the electropneumatic field for moths and was torn as to which marker I wanted until Maxim published an article and named the Emag as the number one choice.

Now, while I do not know the author of that article personally I had a few drinks with him once or twice as he is a firend of a friend and even got to play paintball with him a few times too.

I knew that he knew what he was talking about and so felt secure in basing my purchase on his opinion.

I think AGD has a superb marketing record. Case in point. Last week at m local paintball shop there was a guy looking to go from his Tippmann 98 to electro and was thinking about the dark cocker or whatever its called. The guy behind the counter wasn't really helping him because he knew he was going to buy something. I stepped in and started talking to this guy about how great the emag was and their cs was fantastic and their message boards rocked. How AGD really had a community feel to it in regards to ownership. (Brings a tear to my eye man.) Long story short this guy walked uot of their with an Emag and I had never even met this guy before in my life.

Also, understand that AGD has a very small shop. I think there is waht 15 - 20 employees? That doesn't leave a lot for a marketing department since those guys (I am one) tend to eat up most of the capital.

Trust me, AGD is doing fine for a company of their size and as long as they continue to put out a solid and reliable product they will continue to do so.

[beam]

Sad to say it, but in the "real world" hype goes WAY WAY WAY further than word of mouth/performance of product/customer service.

I think the thing that drives most people crazy about the AGD situation is this:

A lot of paintball companies have mediocre to good products...but they have HYPE which makes them successful.

AGD on the other hand has products that are a cut above the rest, but they lack the HYPE. If they could start a Mag frenzy...with the solid products/service that they already have...their company would EXPLODE!!!

If companies can sell junk just by hyping it up...think of what AGD could do!!

[cphilip]

More like 11 or 12. Not sure exactly but your right is very small. People do not realize how small they are. They do so much with so little realy. It amazes me.

Every one person I know of that has a Mag was turned onto it by another Mag owner. Me too. FatMan sold me on them. Not that we can't find more in other ways mind you but it is a tight group it seems. Like no other marker seems to develop. A "phenomenon" it seems. Rather odd in a way. I can't explian it so I cannot market that group at all. This site does that.

You can however market outside that group too. I am not an expert on that part. But I think "Pretty" sells to them. I do think that. Dependability and customer service then keeps them. Those are almost certainly facts.

[skipdogg]

i feel that AGD is fine the way it is. First of all us Mag owners know what we have. A great gun. Also, im sure Tom makes enough money, otherwise he would be out of business or would do something else "for the big money". So what im saying is, if Tom's happy and were happy who cares if AGD is popular. or how many guns they sell (well, enough to stay in business obviously). Not to mention if there was a hype machine started on mags and their owner base doubled, AGD's customer service would take a dump due to volume of work.
if it aint broke why fix it??? i know it's hard to hear people bash mags, but as long as were around, and some new players buy them (which they will regardless of how "cool" mags are) who cares? This is my Opinion

[Ack]

I do think its sad when you walk into the pro shop at Skirmish and everyone looks at your Emag and says 'what IS that?'. Course.. I 'exposed' em to it .. but still scary.
Also noticed there wasn't a single mag or AGD product in the shop. (Maybe I just missed it.. but /shrug)

[tranman]

I went there to get a warp feed and the only warp feed there was at the Brass Eagle/Viewloader table showing off the evolution! Not one of the stores there had 1 warp feed!