Sea Ray Living Magazine

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Having printed copies is nice but our boat club is considering going to PDF copies of our newsletter starting next year. For us, we are a non-profit, volunteer based organization so finding the right person to create the printed copies is very difficult. Printed copies and postage costs us around $6K a year so we must keep as many advertisers as possible to make the publishing equal out. If we had the advertiser income to have the "Quiet Hailer" professionally done that would be nice but is not in the cards. To me, there are worse things than having to read the "magazine" in PDF form. It also allows the advertisers to create a link directly from the page.


Ken

You guys are not a multi-million dollar subsidiary of a multi-billion dollar corporation...who spends that $6k in travel and talent on a photo shoot for a 19-foot boat. I understand your thoughts, but, think it is a bit different.
 
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Guys – I get it. I really do; from a distance, several of you are certain that you would to a better job running marketing for Sea Ray than I am. I understand that. Some of you might even be right…there’s no good way for me to judge.

For what it’s worth, I spent nine years working for Brunswick with the constant aim and hope of working for Sea Ray. Every time I got a new promotion or a new project, I would call up the ad agency, the photographer, whoever was working on the project, and I would say “You know, if just do this well enough….if we’re good stewards of this assignment, maybe one day they’ll let us work on Sea Ray.” In the last three years working on other Brunswick brands, my office was actually in Sea Ray world headquarters. I reported to Rob Parmentier while he ran Sea Ray and Rick Stone before that. Sea Ray was close enough to taste it.

Finally, nearly 10 years after joining Brunswick, I got that opportunity to work on Sea Ray. But it was a different Sea Ray that I was joining than the one I’d dreamt about for so long. The soul was still there, but the atmosphere was quite different. Sales of our flagship product, Sundancers – practically synonymous with the Sea Ray name – were down about 90%. Overall sales – and income – were down 2/3 in just 4 years. Sea Ray had not run a magazine ad in years. Not a single product video had been shot in more than 12 months. Pictures of new boats that had taken several hundred thousands dollars to develop were taken out back in brown water by amateur photographers. No internet ads had been run in two years that weren’t about discounts. There was constant news of plants shutting and people leaving.

And all this was for a brand that was still #1 in every category we compete in except large runabouts. Often with twice as many sales as the next closest competitor. I can’t fathom how some of the smaller guys fared. It’s true that it was not what I expected, but I still had the opportunity to work on the brand I’d so long admired. That was almost exactly a year ago.

I was faced with the ironic reality that while my marketing budgets were getting smaller and smaller, the Sea Ray audience was getting bigger and bigger. Each year we add thousands of new members to the existing Sea Ray family. So, with the smallest budget in a decade, I had to figure out how to raise the bar on our base materials (photos, videos and text), resume advertising after a several year hiatus and improve the execution of our events like Ft. Lauderdale, Yacht Expo and a return the Collins Avenue display for the Miami show. These three alone meant I needed to find $1M.

Listen, I know that I haven’t done a perfect job entering the ClubSeaRay community. I know I’ve underwhelmed Rick and Gary and Frank. While I haven’t really connected with Jim yet, we’ve at least tried to be good supporters ($). I enjoyed getting to know Scott as CSR’s rep on our photo shoot and I’m looking forward to meeting several more of CSR’s most famous members at the Miami Boat Show. I’ve been able to reach out to several folks behind the scenes; in fact, about 90% of my involvement on the CSR site has been via PM, as posts seem to cause too many waves.

I know that cutting back the distribution of Sea Ray Living may not make sense from where you’re sitting. Here’s a simple truth that helped guide some difficult decisions this year – the better job we do selling Sea Rays this year, the better job we can do reaching out to all who’ve purchased in previous years. You might not even like some of the products we’re bringing to market (I know the 350 SLX wasn’t popular on CSR but it’s Sea Ray’s best-selling intro in several, several years), but if we sell a lot of them, it makes us better, stronger partners for existing Sea Ray owners. The economics of ads and distribution and all that just don’t add up the way some folks think they do. Limiting the print edition of SRL to the last 10 years of cruiser buyers and 5 years of sport boat buyers meant that we could have a booth on Collins this year. And I know that change is hard and that many of you have given real money to Sea Ray in the past and that it feels ungrateful to receive any change in services. I hate that and I wish that I could change it. It’s in part why I offered the opportunity for any CSR member to shoot me an email and I would personally make sure you NEVER miss a print issue of SRL again. It’s not meant to be a power play. It was more of a concession and recognition of a crappy situation. I didn’t want some of our most ardent supporters to be left out. I’m sorry that wasn’t well received by some.

Listen, I could write on this all night, but here’s the bottom line. I’m here on CSR, nearly every day and often several times a day. I’m not perfect and we won’t always see eye to eye about all things Sea Ray. But I’m listening and I’m humbled to be here. I’ll keep working to make Sea Ray as strong as it can possibly be and I’m open to ideas along the way. I appreciate those of you who’ve made space for me to be part of your community.

Sincerely,

Matt Guilford
VP Marketing


PS – I’d me remiss without giving a giant shoutout to Captain Rusty who’s been a rock for ClubSeaRay, representing Sea Ray extremely capably even as I find my sea legs with this particular community.
 
I just don't get the whole concept of ignoring the secondary market. If a company pays attention to the used boat buyer, it reinforces brand loyalty and it opens up an opportunity for someone at the top of the food chain to then buy a NEW boat. It's a system that John Deere has employed for years, very successfully. In light of their close relationship with Marine Max, you'd think they'd want a guy to trade in his used 260 for a used 390, which waa traded in for a new 450.

Let's trace the life of a very famous 410DA. Sea Gull buys it new, trades it in at Marine Max for a new 580. OSD9 trades in his 380DA for the 410DA that Seagull traded in. It is something like the 5th or 6th SR that ODS9 has owned. carterchapman buys the 410DA after Dom passed away, then sells his 2005 340DA. See how this works? And all these guys are very active members here on CSR and its predecessor.

Clearly a philosophy that Sea Ray is aware of but has decided, for reasons they feel have merit, to not embrace.

disclaimer: I HOPE I got the progression of OSD9 right. Even if I didn't, you get the picture.
 
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Matt,

Thank you very much for taking the time to post. I've read it thoroughly. I for one, understand that your responsibilities reach much further than the magazine & it's recipients. For the record I don't think "several here think we can do a better job of running marketing for Sea Ray". I think we just see , what we have selfishly seen as a flawed system, that has an easy fix. Yet we struggle to see how such a simple issue can't be fixed in short order.
 
Okay, I'll jump in here. I've been boating for 25-30 years. I have had 8 boats in that time. I am but a mere public servant trying to make a living. I have always lusted after SeaRays. I never dreamed I would be able to afford one or even now own one. I am the envy of my marina. I will never be able to buy a new SeaRay. I admit that and would have no problem telling the salesman at the boat such. It doesn't mean that I am less of a boater than the owner of a new one. I understand the economics of trying to save money in this economy, SeaRay isn't alone in this. I am now a proud owner of an 18 y/o Searay. If SeaRay has a way to recognize us, either through a magazine subscription or an online mag for owners, it would be a small token to make us feel appreciated. Every new owner of a used boat opens the door for a person to buy a new one. PAY IT FORWARD. It's unfortunate that well intended people get caught in the crossfire. Matt keep your chin up. Without good marketing there won't be new boat sale therefore no used boats for us to buy!
 
I think Ron raises a great point. Keeping the "old timers," i.e. those with older Sea Rays (of whom there are more than new boat buyers) loyal will only make the brand more valuable in the long run, which will ultimately support the whole "trade up" business model. You've got to support the entire pyramid. Not just the top of it.
 
Great post Matt. I really enjoyed reading your post as well as my recently delivered copy of Sea Ray Living. I'm looking forward to seeing you and Rusty (and the 650 FLY) Saturday on Collins Ave.
 
9pm and I just returned in a rental from Miami, where my buddy Tommy D. and I docked the BRAND NEW 510 and 650 FLY's on Collins Ave this afternoon.

The boats are there and we will be too. Brian, on behalf of Mr. Tim Scheik, Matt and myself, we really do hope all of you can come see us. Get the true sense of a VP telling you times are tough and competition is cheaply trying to attack our base? Sea Ray Boats is not the three people above, it is YOU and always has been. Even in my time when this company was sold to the Brunswick Corporation, the boats still belonged to Mr. Connie Ray and you the customer, no middle man. When you guys identify one of us SR soldiers, you feel free to offer your opinion to us and that is even better but...how many members here? and how many opinions does that make?

True answer- it only makes one.....yours. Mr. Scheik will make sure that I build your boat and Matt tells you about it, but make no mistake who all three of us work for and we're listening hard. We will continue to succeed simply because our extremely loyal customer brand base will demand it, yep you again!

In support of Marketing and an invitation to me from the VP of that department, I want to also personally invite you to our Show on Collins Avenue in South Beach Miami, but mine comes with an asterk*

*- No negativity on Capt. Rusty's deck. I drive the fun boat brand for a darn good reason and you know that statement is true better than I...You live it!

Please come see Matt and I, and allow me to do the talking while walking our fantastic display. I'd love to show you the gorgeous new FLY's !!!


Capt. Rusty Higgins
Sea Ray Boats
 
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Matt
This is not about you. You are just in the crossfire.

This is about the company. And the changes occurring inside the company. You are a foot soldier in the war and you take orders from those above you. We understand that.

Several of us have worked in corporations large and small in years past. And several of us have decided that we were better suited than the people running those corporations to be making decisions. Since we were too outspoken, too knowledgeable, had a better mousetrap, invented a new product, or for whatever reason decided we did not fit the corporate mold, we started our own businesses and appointed ourselves chief decision-maker. That comes with long hours, financial risks, interrupted relationships, all work-no play, and whatever else goes along with being the “captain” of your own ship and being in control of your own destiny. Some days it also puts a fair amount of jingle in ones pocket for the purchase of luxury items.

My point is this: this is not the first rodeo for several of us. We have seen corporate America screw up some really good companies. Harley Davidson is the first one that comes to mind.

If I go into the office in the morning and decide to quit sending my monthly newsletter to everyone who has not purchased a Windows Server in the past year, then there won’t be anyone left to send a newsletter to. Here’s the deal: I don’t give a crap what it costs to send a newsletter. I don’t give a crap what it costs to hold a seminar on Disaster Recovery at a local hotel where I feed the attendees. I don’t give a crap what it costs to send a trinket in the mail with my firm’s name on it. Why? Because it is substantially cheaper to do this with my existing customers than acquiring a NEW customer. The easiest market to sell into is your existing customer base. And your employer is ignoring that basic tenet of marketing by not making this group feel “special” even if it is for the purpose of upselling a bunch of us.

Your employer is ignoring the fact that we are “customers” who have purchased your products. Maybe those products were new. Maybe they were used. Maybe they were old. Maybe they were purchased years ago. Some of us will buy new boats in the future. Some of us will buy used boats in the future. That really should not matter. We are customers and we are here to support Sea Ray, right up until the point where Sea Ray stops supporting us.

Ron's example of Jeff’s 410DA creating a host of chained opportunities- one for Sea Ray to sell Jeff the new 580DB, the Sea Ray dealer network to sell all the boats that riffled after that, and Tim’s example of supporting the whole pyramid, probably said it better than any of us in the preceding posts.

That’s it. No hidden agenda. No big secrets. I think all we want is some recognition for the common man, whose purchase, new or used, helped Sea Ray become and stay the world's #1 production boat builder.

We certainly do not want you to stop selling new boats in order to come and play with us. I think what we want is recognition that CSR members and used Sea Ray boat owners do play an important role in supporting your business, and maybe that our loyalty is recognized in some small way. FYI, I have owned three Sea Rays. 2 were new, the last one used. So, at one time I fit your demographic and now I do not.

I feel that we all understand that a big portion of your work and your company’s work is to sell new boats. After all, you are a boat manufacturer. But, you cannot snub your customers who purchase, own, and operate used products that you have manufactured.

Off my soap box now.
 
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9pm and I just returned in a rental from Miami, where my buddy Tommy D. and I docked the BRAND NEW 510 and 650 FLY's on Collins Ave this afternoon.

The boats are there and we will be too. Brian, on behalf of Mr. Tim Scheik, Matt and myself, we really do hope all of you can come see us. Get the true sense of a VP telling you times are tough and competition is cheaply trying to attack our base? Sea Ray Boats is not the three people above, it is YOU and always has been. Even in my time when this company was sold to the Brunswick Corporation, the boats still belonged to Mr. Connie Ray and you the customer, no middle man. When you guys identify one of us SR soldiers, you feel free to offer your opinion to us and that is even better but...how many members here? and how many opinions does that make?

True answer- it only makes one.....yours. Mr. Scheik will make sure that I build your boat and Matt tells you about it, but make no mistake who all three of us work for and we're listening hard. We will continue to succeed simply because our extremely loyal customer brand base will demand it, yep you again!

In support of Marketing and an invitation to me from the VP of that department, I want to also personally invite you to our Show on Collins Avenue in South Beach Miami, but mine comes with an asterk*

*- No negativity on Capt. Rusty's deck. I drive the fun boat for a darn good reason and you know that statement is true better than I...You live it!

Please come see Matt and I, and allow me to do the talking while walking our fantastic display. I'd love to show you the gorgeous new FLY's !!!


Capt. Rusty Higgins
Sea Ray Boats

Nicely said, can't wait!
 
Matt
This is not about you. You are just in the crossfire.

This is about the company. And the changes occurring inside the company. You are a foot soldier in the war and you take orders from those above you. We understand that.

Several of us have worked in corporations large and small in years past. And several of us have decided that we were better suited than the people running those corporations to be making decisions. Since we were too outspoken, too knowledgeable, had a better mousetrap, invented a new product, or for whatever reason decided we did not fit the corporate mold, we started our own businesses and appointed ourselves chief decision-maker. That comes with long hours, financial risks, interrupted relationships, all work-no play, and whatever else goes along with being the “captain” of your own ship and being in control of your own destiny. Some days it also puts a fair amount of jingle in ones pocket for the purchase of luxury items.

My point is this: this is not the first rodeo for several of us. We have seen corporate America screw up some really good companies. Harley Davidson if the first one that comes to mind.

If I go into the office in the morning and decide to quit sending my monthly newsletter to everyone who has not purchased a Windows Server in the past year, then there won’t be anyone left to send a newsletter to. Here’s the deal: I don’t give a crap what it costs to send a newsletter. I don’t give a crap what it costs to hold a seminar on Disaster Recovery at a local hotel where I feed the attendees. I don’t give a crap what it costs to send a trinket in the mail with my firm’s name on it. Why? Because it is substantially cheaper to do this with my existing customers than acquiring a NEW customer. The easiest market to sell into is your existing customer base. And your employer is ignoring that basic tenet of marketing by not making this group feel “special” even if it is for the purpose of upselling a bunch of us.

Your employer is ignoring the fact that we are “customers” who have purchased your products. Maybe those products were new. Maybe they were used. Maybe they were old. Maybe they were purchased years ago. Some of us will buy new boats in the future. Some of us will buy used boats in the future. That really should not matter. We are customers and we are here to support Sea Ray, right up until the point where Sea Ray stops supporting us; a point which appears to be rapidly approaching.

Ron's example of Jeff’s 410DA creating a host of chained opportunities- one for Sea Ray to sell Jeff the new 580DB, the Sea Ray dealer network to sell all the boats that riffled after that, and Tim’s example of supporting the whole pyramid, probably said it better than any of us in the preceding posts.

That’s it. No hidden agenda. No big secrets. I think all we want is some recognition for the common man, whose purchase, new or used, helped Sea Ray become and stay the world's #1 production boat builder.

We certainly do not want you to stop selling new boats in order to come and play with us. I think what we want is recognition that CSR members and used Sea Ray boat owners do play an important role in supporting your business, and maybe that our loyalty is recognized in some small way. FYI, I have owned three Sea Rays. 2 were new, the last one used. So, at one time I fit your demographic and now I do not.

I feel that we all understand that a big portion of your work and your company’s work is to sell new boats. After all, you are a boat manufacturer. But, you cannot snub your customers who purchase, own, and operate used products that you have manufactured.

Off my soap box now.

Holy cow Rick! Alot of respect points for you. Well said.
 
If I may step in here for a moment and be serious. I know I am NOT in any promotional crosshairs. Meaning money spent on me or people such as myself to get me to buy a new boat would be an absolute waste. At least for now. I mean really. The boat I am trying to get going was built when Nixon was in office. But that being said I would make a few suggestions.
Ron has valid points and all to often companies push their new products so hard and forget current owners. We all know ow in the automotive world about Planned Obsellance. Car dealers don't want to be bothered with you once you have a car more than a few years old. One of our members is getting rolled by Ford to put a class III hitch on an explorer for over $1k. I'm not saying Sea Ray does that, but more attention should be taken to owners of current and older model boats to maintain brand loyalty.
Just a handful of times have I ever seen a truck commercial on TV showing older models still running. I always thought a great commercial for Ford trucks would be something like my 75 Ford towing a 6,500 lb camper. "Built Ford tough then and still going. Built Ford tough now for the next 40 years."
I'm no marketing genius but if there was more recognition to stuff that has been around for some time, wouldn't that show the products quality and also to a high level of service and support from the dealers and manufacturers.
Like I said, I have no dog in this one. I run stuff that most concider antiques. Just a few ideas from one or CSR'S knucle draggers.
 
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I thought he meant "bring your own bird". Buy a big enough boat, no shortgage of "birds", no need to bring one:)
 
Matt

And your employer is ignoring that basic tenet of marketing by not making this group feel “special” even if it is for the purpose of upselling a bunch of us.

Your employer is ignoring the fact that we are “customers” who have purchased your products. We are customers and we are here to support Sea Ray, right up until the point where Sea Ray stops supporting us.

I think all we want is some recognition for the common man, whose purchase, new or used, helped Sea Ray become and stay the world's #1 production boat builder.

I think what we want is recognition that CSR members and used Sea Ray boat owners do play an important role in supporting your business, and maybe that our loyalty is recognized in some small way.

But, you cannot snub your customers who purchase, own, and operate used products that you have manufactured.

Off my soap box now.

Rick,

We've met twice -- once when you were our guest at Yacht Expo and once at the Georgia VIP event. I understand that you don't care for me personally, in part because my head was spinning at Yacht Expo -- it was my second week on the job with Sea Ray running our largest event of the year-- and I probably didn't take the time to speak with you I should have. As you know, I've apologized for that when I saw you at the Georgia VIP event. However, I think your perspective on me has severely colored your perception of what's going on at Sea Ray. I'm the Vice President of Marketing at Sea Ray. There are two executives with more seniority at Sea Ray. I don't point that out to elevate myself, but to make this point: I'm on here at CSR, interacting with Sea Ray customers of all stripes, nearly every day. I could have my marketing manager do it. Or my marketing coordinator. Or my marketing admin. Or I could pay a company to monitor it for me. But I'm on here, of my own volition. And in the last six months:


  • I asked what you would prefer to see in an Owners Club to shape our future plans (because frankly, I thought the existing model was more of a buyers club than an owners club)
  • I leaked the 510 Fly here before anywhere else
  • I invited CSR to pick their own representative to join us on our photoshoot of the new 2014 models, all expenses paid
  • I posted the first photos of the 650 Fly here
  • And I gave an exclusive invitation to CSR members to come to the Georgia VIP event
  • I posted the new Augmented Reality technology here months before it was public
  • Become a top tier financial supporter and advertiser of the site
  • Offered to personally ensure a perpetual subscription to SRL to anyone who wants it

The truth is that the SRL circulation has been cut a few times over the last several years. The primary difference is that this time is that I was here to level with you about it. And because I did, you think that Sea Ray now values older boat owners less than previous executives did?

A member of the senior management team at Sea Ray is now a regular member of CSR, for the first time in history. But your post says you "don't feel special", you're "being ignored", you're "not being supported", and you'd like some "recognition."

I'm trying, Rick. I really am trying.

Matt


Also, since this is a popular thread, I'll take this opportunity to point out our Sea Ray Launchpad monthly email newsletter (and web site) we started last March. The circulation is already twice that of the printed edition of SRL (and that was before any cuts). We've profiled several owners over there, especially in the Sport and Lifestyle section and the Destinations section. You can sign up for automatic monthly delivery here: Launchpad signup.
 
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