Fairline Help

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tlee94

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Hi everybody,

I am a student from Bournemouth University and my current assignment is to devise a marketing plan for the launch of Fairline's Targa 75 GT, which is due out at the start of 2015.

Research is a big part of the project, and due to my limited knowledge of the industry, I was wondering if I could call upon any of you for some help.

I was just wondering what the general opinion of the Fairline brand is? How to they rate in comparison to their competitors?

Also, when reading about yachts in the press, what do you feel makes an article interesting?

There is also an online survey that can be filled out at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R6YGMVL

Help with any of the above questions is greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much,

Tom
 
Welcome Tom. You should get lots of response when this post is bumped up.

Fairline has a great brand, sitting alongside Princess, and possibly a bit below Sunseeker (although some folk on here might disagree). The best comparison is with Princess, both quality brands, building fantastic boats. I would say Fairline is the BMW to Princess's Mercedes. Fairlines tend to be a bit sportier than Princess's. Princess are building bigger boats than Fairline these days, as they have the advantage of a coastal factory, where Fairline's is landlocked.
I will have a go at your survey when I get the time.
 
tlee94 said:
Hi everybody,

I am a student from Bournemouth University and my current assignment is to devise a marketing plan for the launch of Fairline's Targa 75 GT, which is due out at the start of 2015.

Research is a big part of the project, and due to my limited knowledge of the industry, I was wondering if I could call upon any of you for some help.

Tom
Click to expand...

Hi Tom,
Interesting project you have bitten off here. In the current market, I doubt if anyone could design, build and sell a quality 75 foot motor boat without already having a great deal of brand awareness and history of producing quality boats.

Fairline already have that in trumps, you would get mixed responses on here from owners of Fairline, Princess and Sunseeker. All three are British and all three have a great deal of respect from most of us boaters.

I have completed your survery but would draw attention to your question 3:
"Would you ever be interested in buying a yacht?"

This is motor boat forum and as such suggests we are motor boat enthusiasts. Yachts are sailing boats and Fairline, for example don't make them. If they did, it probably wouldn't sell, even for them. But it would certainly make some great press. The press do confuse people though as they will report celebs' spending time on their yacht, when really they are on board much larger boats of well over 100 ft which then become, 'Super yachts'

The brand and reputation for introducing a 75 footer is SO important. American boats for example, do not sell well over here and they have no reputation worth talking about for anything over 30 feet.

You will find through response and research that there is no perfect boat, all are a series of compromises, personal taste often driven by budget. 'One man's meat for example.'

98% of the people on here will never be in a position to even consider owning or running a boat of the size of the Fairline in question. But then again 98% would be intersted in reading about it or being on or around one at a boat show.

I own a Fairline currently but have not owned a Princess or Sunseeker. I have friends that do though and I have spent a good amount of time on all three. I could only choose one from the other based on a particular model and what I was looking for at the time.

I am changing over to an 'Azimut' at the moment, which are better known in Europe as is also 'Ferretti'. To follow 'Rafiki's' analogy about BMW / Mercedes. These Italian builders must fall into the Maserati / Ferrari area.

'Fairline' would have to compete with those two significant major brands that already build boats of this size when selling into this larger boat market place.

Good luck with your project.

RR
 
Questionnaire completed.

As already said Fairline are one of the big three in the UK. There used to be four but unfortunately Sealine went bust recently but the brand has been taken over by Hanse, who primarily build yachts (note the distinction pointed out by RogerRat).

Your question about what people,like to read is an interesting one. Most of us like to read about the things we can't afford but we also like to read about what we can afford and there was, arguably, a bit if a gap as Motor Boat and Yachting focus more on larger motor boats and Motor Boat Monthly tend to look more at smaller but new boats. Motorboat Owner, a new online mag, recently filled this gap as a sort if Practical Boat Owner for motor boaters and seems to be gaining some traction.
 
RogerRat said:
These Italian builders must fall into the Maserati / Ferrari area.


RR
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RR, as a Snazi owner! I can vouch that mine is far better built than ever a Ferrari or Maser is. Proper electrical connectors, no brazing to be seen anywhere, interior that doesn't follow you out of the car when you exit. It certainly has a styling edge, but I would be very surprised if the build quality was particularly worse than a Fairline or Prinny. Can't quote on a Sunny, SOS I've only ever been on an older one. :)
 
rafiki_ said:
RR, as a Snazi owner! I can vouch that mine is far better built than ever a Ferrari or Maser is. Proper electrical connectors, no brazing to be seen anywhere, interior that doesn't follow you out of the car when you exit. It certainly has a styling edge, but I would be very surprised if the build quality was particularly worse than a Fairline or Prinny. Can't quote on a Sunny, SOS I've only ever been on an older one. :)
Click to expand...

Ha, point made ,but this was aimed at someone new to the scene and the brands I mentioned do have a public image to be proud of. :cool:
 
RogerRat said:
Hi Tom,
Yachts are sailing boats and Fairline, for example don't make them. If they did, it probably wouldn't sell, even for them.
RR
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Apologies in advance for Fred Drift, but weren't Sigma yachts from Marine Projects, home of Princess? And they did reasonably well I think.
 
chief1 said:
Apologies in advance for Fred Drift, but weren't Sigma yachts from Marine Projects, home of Princess? And they did reasonably well I think.
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Well there you go, Sigma, which I have raced out of Chi a couple of times, very popular and active racing scene on the south coast but is known as Sigma, not Princess. If Princess were to make a 40' sailing boat, they could probably sell it in some quantity, maybe 10-20 a year but inline with this thread, I don't think Princess could sell 60'+ yachts in competition with Swan and Oyster.:nonchalance:

RR
 
Hi, Tom and welcome.

Survey completed. By the way my daughter is at Bournemouth - Coralie Wood - standing for Union President in Feb - go on you know you want to vote!

Best of luck with the assignment.
 
RogerRat said:
Well there you go, Sigma, which I have raced out of Chi a couple of times, very popular and active racing scene on the south coast but is known as Sigma, not Princess. If Princess were to make a 40' sailing boat, they could probably sell it in some quantity, maybe 10-20 a year but inline with this thread, I don't think Princess could sell 60'+ yachts in competition with Swan and Oyster.:nonchalance:

RR
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Agree completely though interesting to note Oyster producing motor yachts.... I guess there's a market for Raggie's to change to motor when they get to a certain age but not the reverse ;-)
 
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