Athearn asking for suggestions on Facebook

[ljudice]

By what criteria is success being measured? (I'm not being facetious or argumentative; I'm genuinely interested.)

These have been mostly in the "outliers" of my business as the core clients are not consumer or product oriented.  So the sample and community sizes are small ie. 200-400 people.  In the case of a retailer, there is direct feedback they came in to buy something because of the "push" notifications - and in the case of two non-profits you can track FB to new memberships and in one case to an active community/discussion that supports their mission.

Personally I would not RELY on FB (as some suggest) - but build a "symbiotic" web presence /  FB presence that feed off of  or  support each other.  Trying to do this now for that retailer on Phase II of their website.

I also agree that FB is not going to capture your average MRR - but it may be a way to bring a disproportion number of MRR FB users into your orbit...

- Lou

[DKS]

Thanks, Lou.

[up1950s]

It's kind of amazing that Athearn is being pilloried for using what is widely considered a smart approach to market research and reaching a broad - and probably somewhat younger skewed population - which is exactly what everyone seems to agree is the way to save this hobby.

- Lou

Atlas also uses Faccialibro . If it was requested , suggested , posted that they were having a poll my answer would have been the same . To ask to comment on facebook is to ask to lessen my security I had before the post to it . For what gain .... I bet it is not a true poll to result , but a poll to qualify or bolster what they are already going to do anyway .

[wcfn100]

True, if we're in 2007 still.

I found numbers through 2010.

While that might be Facebook's largest demographic, I doubt many 21 year old females have "liked" the Athearn page and are being polled. 

And I doubt most of the people responding to Athearns' poll even wanted a Facebook account in the first place, and probably none signed up for model railroad reasons.

For better or worse, forums are at least made up of members who's reason for being there is model trains.

Lets take poll here of non facebook users and you can tell me if excluding those people is a good idea as it pertains to possible product development.

Facebook is by far the largest driver of traffic to the site.  And it's an easy way for people to subscribe to our content. 

Facebook is perfect for information going out.  That's what it's intended for. Using it to make business decisions is a joke and a cop out. 

Jason

[Robbman]

I'm going to get my girlfriend to tell them to let BLMA take over their N scale stuff 

[sirenwerks]

Facebook leaves out feedback a significant share of Athearn's market - the many ludite modelers I run into regularly when working for a book seller at Timonium shows, who refuse to buy or do anything online, or even over the phone, for fear someone will learn their identity (really? who cares?). 

And it's about as scientific a survey as my left foot's bunion.  It simply forwards the one-sided marketing use of social media; it's not used for the speak and listen quality everyone promotes social media for, it's used as just another forum to talk at their markets.  Athearn will get to say they asked the market what they want but will likely make what it wants.

[Sokramiketes]

And I doubt most of the people responding to Athearns' poll even wanted a Facebook account in the first place,

LOL, In Russia, Facebook signs you up!  C'mon Jason...

and probably none signed up for model railroad reasons.
Jason

Signing up to keep in touch with their kids, or out of town friends, or whatever is one thing.  But once on Facebook, how could "liking" Athearn's page be for any other reason than a model railroad reason?

It sounds like you're assuming that this is the only market research that Athearn is doing. Really it's just a dumb poll to start a conversation on Facebook and perhaps pick up a few more followers.  I wouldn't worry about it for much else.  But it has sparked a Facebook conversation here, and I just wanted to address the fact that Facebook has a huge presence and it doesn't make sense for manufacturer's to ignore it. 

[ljudice]

>>>>  LOL, In Russia, Facebook signs you up!  C'mon Jason...

Ivan plunks down his 12 years of savings at Official State Car Dealership in Soviet Union.
The dealers says, "Congratulations, Ivan, your new car will be delivered in 5 years and two days".
Ivan says "morning or afternoon?" .  The dealer does not understand.
"Morning or afternoon?  When will my car be ready?"

The dealer says "Ivan, your car will not be ready for five years and two days. What difference is it to you
whether it is the morning or afternoon?"

Ivan replies  "Because I have a plumber appointment that morning"

[wcfn100]

Signing up to keep in touch with their kids, or out of town friends, or whatever is one thing.  But once on Facebook, how could "liking" Athearn's page be for any other reason than a model railroad reason?

We're talking about clicking a button right?  They probably 'liked' a picture of a cool car next and then 'liked' the new Hooters' calender cover picture.  It just doesn't carry any meaning to me.

It sounds like you're assuming that this is the only market research that Athearn is doing.

Actually I think it's all just a goof.

Athearn doesn't need to hear from anyone about what their market wants, they have all the numbers to make road name decisions on current tooling.  And we all know it's not about what people want anyway, it's about how much profit can be made from any particular item.


Jason

[Denver Road Doug]

Huh.

I'm just.....huh.


This thread is an enigma.

 

[Scottl]

Athearn wants to be friends with you 

[Denver Road Doug]

Actually I think it's all just a goof.

I often have similar thoughts about things, so I certainly cannot seriously argue your point and maintain a normal level of hypocrisy in my life.   

But, a couple of points...

1. Athearn posted a followup that they were going to review the items and confirm the review by "Liking" the comments.  It certainly appears they are working their way down the list and checking them off slowly/methodically  versus some bulk "speed-Like" session just to make the masses feel like they have a hand in things while completely ignoring everything.   I would say they do have numbers that give them a good direction to go with what to produce versus what sits on the shelf....I would *BET* that this exercise here would be trying to eliminate something that might be a tweener....maybe it sold out, but barely/slower than others.   I recall a presentation by Intermountain whereby they said the worst thing that happens is something selling out and you think "jackpot" and do another big run only to find out that your market was perfectly saturated that last run.   So I would guess that's what they're fishing for....the "vanishing oasis" so to speak.

2. Over the years, I have made suggestions to manufacturers via e-mail, FB, etc. and on more than one occasion I've received communications back for more info, photos, etc.    Once was actually from Athearn, and it is pretty obvious from their release a couple of years later that my research was at least partially used. (mostly, road numbers was the biggest clue, notwithstanding it being a pretty serious bout of coincidence.  Now, unfortunately for me the jackholes only did the scheme in HO  despite knowing full well I was in N, but I digress...)    Point being, I do think they utilize feedback from us "rounding errors"  at SOME level.

[SkipGear]

There are a lot of people on here that really don't understand how to control their security on Facebook or a computer for that matter. My wife is very concious of personal information security after having her identity stolen just before we were married. She makes a habit of debunking erroneous security information her friends post on facebook. You can lock down Facebook, it just takes a lot of work.

Facebook is important enough to many of the hobby companies that it seems to be the place to debut new products. I must say the news travels faster on facebook than any forum or other media source I have seen yet.

[up1950s]

 I must say the news travels faster on facebook than any forum or other media source I have seen yet.

Why , and is it just nosy people ?

[SkipGear]

Facebook is on many peoples smart phones. They get updates the minute it is posted. They see the post and if it is something that interests them or somebody they know, it gets reposted to circles outside of the original announcement. I can walk into work and some of the other employees (and customers) are already asking for info about a product which was just announced on facebook that moring. So much for waiting for the next months magazine to come out to see what is new.