What's up with SUP marketing?

Left-field comment.

I run a business and invest heavily in marketing and my Web site. But I am constantly amazed at how bad many of the SUP websites are. The number of times I have read something on this forum, gone back to their Website to find - nothing (or crap).

For example, there is a thread about Sunova SUPs. People raving about a "Speeed" board and someone mentioned a "Soul" and "Acid". Go to their website and it is horrible. Those boards aren't even on there!

But, in my experience this is true for Naish, Starboard and the other big names. They often have outdated information, incorrect information, and missing information. A lot of the videos you see have terrible audio and a mumbling presenter. And don't get me started on some of the retailers in Australia...

I know it takes time and money - but last I checked the Internet is getting pretty popular. All that investment in R&D (manufacturers) and stock (retailers), you would think you would spare a bit of that money and place a higher priority on your Web site.

(No, I don't offer web-development or SEO services.)

Rant over...

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E T said..
Left field response.

I think it's great that some websites are lacking.

Imho there are way too many people getting into SUP and it's turning into some sort of " look at me SUP" circus.

Like I said left field and my opinion.

ET.

You make a very good point.

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DavidJohn said..
I've been checking out the major brands websites since day one and I think these days most are pretty good and way better than they used to be..

There's still room for improvement.. but just a year or two ago they were really, really bad..

They must have been pretty bad...

You have done more for SUP (and accessory) marketing than most of the companies combined. As you know, it isn't that hard to make movies and tell people what they need to know.

Its probably a case of the products selling themselves with sups booming popularity , when sales start to decline thats when you will see the slick marketing happening.

Thanks for raising an interesting topic cantSUPenough. And yes AA, Sunova's a great example. Clearly their website is out of date, which is a shame, but you just accept it. What I really like though is the fact that Tino and Bert from Sunova spend a lot of time on Seabreeze to provide comprehensive responses to questions and comments people have about their boards. Far more than other brands and this will probably influence my next purchase; certainly much more than a glossy website.

To be honest, I spend a lot more time on Seabreeze than I do on specific company websites. These days a company can't confine its marketing efforts to a single channel, such as a wesbite. Instead social media, for example, broadens the way a company interacts with customers in a way that a website can't.

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Kami said..
Because marketing cant be as fast as the last SUP improvements, i'm glad there is some room left for the smaller brands ( locals) to live and breed creativity.

I am glad that there is room for the small brands - it is important for the progression of the sport - but I don't entirely agree that marketing can't keep up with development. A reasonable Web page can be created in less than a couple of days (if you have the right structure). Social media and forums can - and are - well utilized, but when you create interest I think your Web site tells the world a lot about your business, and about your product. I don't know why anyone would post a board review, etc., if their business was not ready for the flow-on interest.

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cantSUPenough said..

AA said..
Good point, but a reliable supply of good product and customer service always come first
Sunova for example cannot keep up with demand.
They know their website sucks but the product speaks for itself.
In my experience the websites of the bigger brands are pretty good.
The SUP industry is in a growth phase and priority is with supply, customer service and social media.
Case in point - we havent had time to put the Sunova boards on our website but they still sell.
These websites will all come good in time - especially over the quieter months.
I would be interested in a similar assessment of the retail websites.

Every company has limited cash flow, and the owners/managers have to decide where to put their money. If products are selling and you can't keep up with demand then there is no point generating additional interest - there is no point upsetting/disappointing customers. (e.g. I am not happy waiting 6 weeks for my Minion.) And if you need every cent to support manufacturing (and R&D) and other marketing activities (sponsored riders, social media, etc.) then sure, the Web site may be considered a lower priority. But when it comes to a bigger company, the same people who shape/sell/support are not the people who develop the Web sites. They are marketing people and graphic designers. They should be able to put the products on their Web sites and develop some half-decent graphics, etc.

IMO some of the retail Web sites I have visited break all the rules. But I am sure the retailers find it harder to find the time to keep their sites up-to-date, or the cash to pay someone to do a professional job. (Maybe I am just too critical.)

Hey Mate (cantSUPenough),
I really appreciate your post and especially mentioning us. We are obviously aware that the SUP pages is ridiculously outdated. Your last comment and also AA's comment explain our situation pretty good tho.

So let me do the following:
1st we apologise or at least officially acknowledge the current state of this web page. We are in fact in the process of updating it...
Bert, I and the 3rd mysterious guy run everything about us (also using our own cash) by ourselves, because we do not want to end up owing lots of loan sharks a bunch of cash that then tell us how the f*&% to make our products that make more money!!!

Our main goal (its "almost" the only one) is to make The Best products EVER. And while we all know that The Best product EVER is pretty subjective, we have a super high standard which we are being responsible EVERY single time we make anything. We seriously ask ourselves each time we design or tech something new. Hey Bert/Tino/3rd... IS THIS BETTER THAN what it competes with? If the answer is not Yes, we scrap it.
This tradition started over 20 years ago when Bert was still alone in WA and shaping his boards in a small garage. It's also one of the main reasons why it didn't work out with FireWire. Nothing against them, and we congratulate them of having Kelly with them, which we damn sure would like to (just not giving up 70% for it maybe ;-) )

Performance, Durability, Quality, Weight and Service was and is always Sunova's main reason for being. It comes before anything else like more qty, more profit, more anything. Now obviously we do run a business and that means if we do not make profit we cannot do anything. So while cashflow is an issue especially now we are super stoked that YOU GUYS are putting down your part to help evaluating and proving us right. We are convinced that what we stand for is what we MUST deliver. Shall we not do that we are happy to know it. We will live to this vision. And that will be the reason why we believe we will make it, because you will believe it too...

Ok. and since I have already extended this post more than maybe originally intended i might as well ass a few little anecdotes from Bert's time before FireWire.

Take care and thanx for being critical. (and having in there with us too....)
Tino

QUOTE BERT:
A few anecdotes from the past …
Around 10 years ago , back in Australia , before moving production to Thailand and being able to produce in higher numbers, I had a 2 year waiting list for boards … Only previous customers , were willing to wait 2 years. Anyone else wasn’t willing to wait longer than 3 or 4 months. This is because anyone who already owned one, fully understood the value of what they were waiting for… Also possibly because the other guys KNEW they wouldn't last more than 3-4 month with this board...

Another story was of 2 surfers who lived together… 1 came and ordered a Sunova, at the time 750 retail… After 3 years, the 2nd guy came in and said, he was thoroughly convinced. In that same period, he had been through 5 normal surfboards at 600 dollars a piece, while the guy who he lived with still had his board in perfect condition…

So when you average it out, they are so much cheaper..
This is obviously even more extreme in our surfboards, as in SUPs we aren't actually more expensive in the first place...
UNQUOTE BERT:

Hi Tino,

Thanks for taking the time to explain - and I apologize for taking up your time. I think we all appreciate your posts here and in the other thread.

I also believe it is beneficial to be able to personalize your business philosophy - although I am intrigued about the mystery 3rd partner...

The Sunova products look excellent from what I have read - but this post was not about Sunova in particular.

Any business that essentially has a sold-out status, a loyal following, with new sales coming from word-of-mouth recommendations and social marketing does not need to focus on a Web site. It is just one more way to take resources away from other activities.

Having said that, and these are now general comments as I am not presumptuous enough to offer you advice, one only has to look at the Naish site to see how easy it is to provide some pictures, stats, and simple navigation (even they could do more to "set the hook"). A retail store is more complicated, yet possibly more important.

As Coastie said, many of us, in our spare moments trying to escape reality, browse the forum and the SUP websites looking for the next SUP and for handy accessories. Many of us are "mature age" and may have some spare $ to spend on our passion. So naturally you would think that Websites would be set up accordingly - indulge us, inform us, entertain us, and sell us cool stuff.

(But they should all have a panic button to make the page look like a spreadsheet when you hear foots steps from behind )

Oh no cantSUPenough, sorry to elude that.

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TalkToMe said..

All you guys are familiar with what nonsense goes on around here on the breeze right? Regarding multiple nicknames etc. Pretty dodgy but laughable stuff.

It sticks out like dog's $%&# if you are familiar with questionable social media tactics. I have a social media background so I can't help but notice it.

I guess the administrators of this site have their hands full and not be able to do anything about it all. It's a shame as Seabreeze doesn't have much credibility with folks on the Goldy.

It's all part and parcel with a boom of some sorts, no matter what the product/service.

spot on! and can be pimping or anti-pimping.

It does make me laugh what seems to be important to SUP'rs, internet folk and society in general. Seems we as a whole have lost sight somewhat. We want more "things", we want them NOW! we want the best, we want to be able to try out as many options as possible, at our lessure and at someone elses cost, and we want all this for a cheap online price.....oh and then we want retailers to bend over backwards for us after we have given them the run around.

wow, a 6 week wait for a custom SUP.....give me a break.

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TalkToMe said..


I guess the administrators of this site have their hands full and not be able to do anything about it all. It's a shame as Seabreeze doesn't have much credibility with folks on the Goldy.

I'm not sure why Seabreeze's shortcomings are a part of a discussion on commercial marketing but it has always occurred to me that any problems on Seabreeze are more often than not an extension of Currumbin turf wars, so it seems a bit disingenuous to blame Seabreeze's credibility among Gold Coast folk for anything. If you really are involved with social media professionally, you would know the strength of any social media platform depends on the willingness of contributors to engage. That a number of Gold Coast people have decided to take their bat and ball and go home does not automatically reflect on Seabreeze's credibility, but rather on individual tendency to blame rather than take responsibility.

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Vandals said..
I'm surprised you've mentioned Sunova here. I'm probably biased because I ride a Sunova Magic but I've never had a problem with their website. Just checked it again and it works fine! Sure it might be a little outdated but then so am I! As for Sunova quality, I have one of Bert's shortboards which I've dragged all over Indo, Mauritius and WA over the last 10 years and it still looks like new. My SUP seems to be equally bullet-proof, not to mention light, fast and manoeuvrable. Definitely a keeper.

My comments were not related to the quality or design of the boards. I was reading in another thread about the Speeed, Soul and Acid and none of them are on their Web site. There are other issues with their site as well.

The Marketing battle will be between the big brands:
- Starboard
- Fanatic (Boards & More also known as North, ION)
- Naish
- JP Australia (Neil Pryde)
- F-One
(- RRD maybe too in the game)
These companies have the financial means and experience since many years in water sports marketing.

And BIC SUP will have a market slice due to it's competitive pricing.
Same for GONG SUP on pricing as they are able to sell out before the production has started.

As you rightly point out, there are lots of ways to market your product, and all of the companies should explore all opportunities. And it is often the less obvious forms of marketing (e.g. education and forums) that can be the most effective. Fortunately there are some good examples out there, like Gong (except for all the typos on the Web site - or is that French ).

I'm with Sands. Who benefits from the current exponential growth of SUP? The overwhelming benefit is to those who profit from SUP.

Whle we all benefit from advances in board design and gear technology, some of which can be attributed to growth and increased sales funding R&D, the end result is always more crowds which has a negative impact on everyone's experience in the water.

the easter weekend down here is a circus at the best of times, and numbers are through the roof on every craft imaginable. Of course, this provides the spectators with a few thrills and spills, but there was a noticeable increase in sup numbers, particularly beginners. I heard about collisions at a popular spot for SUPs, which is rare with the regulars. I saw SUP riders I've never seen before at one particular break which gets pretty crowded, with scant regard for etiquette or safety.

I've never been able to reconcile how those with a fiancial interest in something are able to diminish the experience for others. So I reckon the is a duty of care that all SUP business people have to the future enjoyment and safety of SUP, and that is to provide some sort of education to the learner. Most of the learners seem to be middle aged blokes used to occupying the top of the tree, and who struggle to appreciate their deficiencies in the required skill sets. How you educate them is beyond me, but if we keep seeing the current level of growth with the finite number of breaks it is all going to end in tears.

Im all for people making a living, but is there really a need to promote it?

This issue was recognised way back in the very beginning of the sport. This article was first published back in 2009 by Blane Chambers of Paddlesurf Hawaii. We have re-published on our website since and it is also here on Seabreeze.
Get it out there!

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Stand%20Up%20Paddle/Kook-or-Kool--Your-first-go-in-the-surf_2965007.aspx

KOOK or KOOL

HOW ARE YOU REPRESENTING STAND UP PADDLE SURFING? ARE YOU DANGEROUS TO OTHERS? ARE YOU A WAVE HOG?
With the explosion in popularity of SUP has come conflict in our already crowded line ups.
In an effort to help our customers keep the peace, we have the come up with the following guidelines:

1. Don’t be a KOOK by learning how to SUP in a crowded lineup. SUP takes time to learn and to gain the skills necessary to control your board for your own safety and that of others. Be safe and KOOL by practicing in a calm area away from others.

2. A KOOK doesn’t use a leash while surfing an SUP or learning how to SUP in a crowded area.

3. It’s KOOL to take your time and approach surf lineups cautiously and with respect for others who are enjoying the waves.

4. A KOOK gets a little comfortable on their SUP and then charges into a lineup without regard to the safety and presence of others. AGAIN, take your time and learn away from others. It is KOOL to learn on the inside, catching the small waves or reforms. You will gain respect from others in the lineup by doing that for sure.

5. A KOOK shows up at a new break with his SUP and paddles out to the top of the line up outside of everyone else. DON’T do the that. Instead, be KOOL and learn to watch for awhile and start surfing from the inside out. Catch the small stuff on the inside and work your way out. It’s KOOL to take your time. You may not get beyond the inside, but you will make more friends that way.

6. As you get better at SUP you discover that you can catch a lot of waves at every break you surf. KOOK! Learn to share and spread some aloha in the line up. Use your elevated sight line to let others know that the sets are coming and encourage them to catch the waves. It’s KOOL to share the stoke with others and share the waves.

7. If you have the choice between a crowded lineup with good waves and one farther off with average waves, it’s KOOL to make the paddle to the farther off lineup. SUP is about more than surfing, it is also about exploring and fitness. The great thing about SUP is that it opens up completely new breaks that traditional surfing has over looked. Take advantage of this when you can and be KOOL.

8. KOOK equals too many SUP at a break. Don’t join the crowd if there are already several SUP in a crowded lineup. Be KOOL and find somewhere less crowded where you can enjoy yourself.

9. Most of all remember the stoke of having fun. It’s KOOL to enjoy some ocean therapy on an SUP. Don’t act like a KOOK and ruin it for everyone else.


[i] Blane Chambers: Paddlesurf Hawaii - a pioneer in every respect.


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