CW-Rotary

News related to Christopher Ward Watches
ahavriluk
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Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:47 pm
CW-watches: 1
Location: Portland, OR, USA

Re: CW-Rotary

Post by ahavriluk »

Get people to be disgusted, and feel stupid about paying huge marketing premiums.
I think you don't get it. Low level brands can't go to high end market and start comparison advertising. It would look stupid and no one would take you seriously. If you get people feel stupid I don't think you would sell anything. Why would I buy something from a company which says that I am stupid, because I paid premium for some product before. Again, people from high end market don't buy expensive watched because they don't know anything better. Do you think they don't know about Seiko and Citizen or any other sub 1K brand? But they still pay 20K or more for Vacheron Constantine or Pattek Philippe. Do you know why?
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Oleksandr
jackpipe
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Re: CW-Rotary

Post by jackpipe »

Low level brands can't go to high end market and start comparison advertising.
My point exactly - I've only ever seen comparison advertising used by an upstart brand to try and "out value" an established one; it's a cheap technique, and doesn't work in any kind of "prestige" market, even at a low level, and probably especially inapropriate when the higher quality brand is instigating it.
But comparing CW's market to the likes of patek, vacheron, lange etc is a bit ridiculous in any case.

I would guess manypeople who buy at the CW price point often know very little about watches technically, and how the industry works, and educating them would naturally make them leery of "quality" brands that can't put up the required credentials. Whether or not it makes them feel stupid about previous purchases is somewhat irrelevent, if it makes them feel informed about the next one.
ahavriluk
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Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:47 pm
CW-watches: 1
Location: Portland, OR, USA

Re: CW-Rotary

Post by ahavriluk »

Sorry, I missed your point.
Best regards,
Oleksandr
MorrisOx
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Re: CW-Rotary

Post by MorrisOx »

I can only speak for myself, jackpipe, but my take is that a significant proportion of CWL buyers are actually pretty knowledgeable about watches.

Only CWL know the numbers, but I suspect a high number of their buyers are watch cognoscenti who found the brand because they were specifically searching for watches rather than gifts of a certain value/stature. I doubt they're high-wealth individuals, but watches are their passion, and they search for manufacturers and specialist retailers who offer particular types of watch at accessible price points.

The big-selling premium watch brands (Tag Heur, Omega etc) are generally bought by people who want the brand rather than a particular calibre or complication. Fine/prestige watch brand buyers/collectors are buy definition a pretty small group.

As for the comparison advertising - it's one of the oldest tricks in the book. CWL may well be riding on Rotary's coat tails, but I think the irritation will be genuine. Why would I pay Rotary's inflated price when, to be blunt, they're simply not as good as CWL?
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