Hornby announcement 8th May

[Andy Hayter]

I fully accept the comments about my post that Twitter, Facebook et al. are not real a solution to Hornby's communication issues.  There is a wealth of other organisations using such systems and they may be able to show positive benefit.

 

However I would remind posters here that RMWeb represents perhaps 10% at best  of the model railway fraternity if the numbers are to be believed.  Certainly part of the other 90% will be getting their info direct from Hornby.com, twitter and facebook.  We often see however posts when polls come up that criticises the accuracy with comments like our club has x members and only y bother with the internet (x is always a very small percentage of y - perhaps representing our 10% presence).  I think there is a real black-hole of modellers not being reached by such tactics.  This is why I am sceptical as to how much it is delivering - which is not the same as saying it is a waste of time and Hornby should stop - far from it.

 

I say this as one who relies - indeed has to rely - on the internet for just about everything concerning railway modelling.  My nearest model railway shop is a mere 300km round trip.  My nearest stockist of UK model railways would be more like 1600km round trip with a return ferry crossing.

 

Despite that I question whether a focus of the most modern forms of social media will achieve results against the current market composed of the relatively wealthily retired as a significant portion of the market.  Just because other firms in other or similar market segments use it does not mean it is a real success.  I do however take most seriously Widnes Model Centre's comments that it works for them, so what I am most certainly not saying is that Hornby should stop.

 

Twitter, Facebook et al. only become a problem when firms dismiss other forms of communication in favour of these social media means.   We could perhaps see these being used by Hornby in favour of the Engine Shed and quite possibly in favour of paper advertisements as well.  There is I believe a real danger of jumping 100% on the new technology and leaving a substantial portion of the market behind.

[jjb1970]

I must admit that the likes of Twitter and Facebook completely bypass me as I don't use either, but that's just my preference (even though my employer likes us to use Twitter for some reason, I leave it to others). My wife uses Facebook all the time and I can see the attraction for her as it allows her to communicate with an extended family and friends who are scattered around the world easily but I'm really not sure she notices the adverts and from what I can see she never uses corporate Facebook pages. However, if a company see's it as a good channel to promote their business then fair play, I suspect I am increasingly the one out of step on this.

[Legend]

Companies have marketing and advertising budgets. The cost of their social media presence will just be accepted as a cost of doing business provided they are confident that it is reaching their intended audience and generating interest and sales. If it isn't then the money would be spent on other forms of marketing such as traditional advertising, sponsoring events, promotional activities etc.

I would have thought it’s a necessity to have a social media presence these days

[adb968008]

The internet “widens” the neighbourhood.

Back in the 90’s I lived in the US and getting UK model railways out there relied on old fashioned hard work.

Whilst there was an ebay, any model railways on it were inconsequential, as no one bidded everyone got a bargain, so no one sold.

UK swap meets and old fashioned shops were the only way!during pilgrimages to the UK.

 

Today on here a good proportion of modellers are overseas, and the internet makes the hobby possible and viable, they don’t have to wait for a 30 day old railway modeller taking 6 weeks by surface to arrive only to tell you last months limited edition has been and gone by the time you made the international phone call to order one.

 

Social media is a change of promotion, non-digital magazines for instance may be challenged to justify advertising spend in the future..

 

Paul Isles tweet of the DLR cost nothing, generated 40 pages of discussion that was viewed all around the world, in just a weekend with 63455 page views (as of now). No magazine advert, poster, flyer etc can compete with that.

 

Remember in the pre-internet everything was done in years, because communication took years, emails were typed and sent in the mail, cheques were sent, and took upto 10 days to be cashed... that’s why we needed annual catalogs... it took that long.

It was a 6 week lead time to place an ad in a mag, that took 2-3 months to plan the ad, which took 2-3 months after the mag, which had a 30 day circulation..

Now it’s possible to rock up with a limited edition on Friday, sell it via social media by word of mouth (well keyboard), and be fully sold out and shipping by Monday.

Edited May 10, 2018 by adb968008

[Chamby]

I would have thought it’s a necessity to have a social media presence these days

That depends where your target audience is. Model railways is a niche hobby these days, the big spenders are a predominantly older demographic, less savvy with social media. Look at the sales of printed magazines rather than their digital versions..

[jjb1970]

I wouldn't underestimate the take up of social media by older people. I know plenty of retired people who are avid Facebook users. My mother-in-law being one (despite her being totally non tech savvy) and my mother when she was alive.

[Mallard60022]

I wouldn't underestimate the take up of social media by older people. I know plenty of retired people who are avid Facebook users. My mother-in-law being one (despite her being totally non tech savvy) and my mother when she was alive.

I'm reliably informed by my 21 year old Grandson that Farcebook is for older folk. Snapchat is the thing the young use apparently.

P

[jjb1970]

I'm reliably informed by my 21 year old Grandson that Farcebook is for older folk. Snapchat is the thing the young use apparently.

P

 

It all passes me by I'm afraid. I joined LinkedIn a few years ago because my institute decided they'd use it to communicate with members (although the only communications they send me seem to be the annual letter telling me that next years membership fees have gone up again) but can't really figure out what it's about other than getting endless friend requests.

[Oldddudders]

I'm reliably informed by my 21 year old Grandson that Farcebook is for older folk. Snapchat is the thing the young use apparently.

P

 

He may well be right - but which of those groups has oodles of disposable income? Probably not the young. 

[Legend]

He may well be right - but which of those groups has oodles of disposable income? Probably not the young.

 

I think he was pointing out that us old folks are on facebook, the yoof of today having moved to snapchat

[Mike Storey]

He may well be right - but which of those groups has oodles of disposable income? Probably not the young. 

 

So true, but then the fashionable system to use by our yoof, has changed several times, according to my daughter, but she is now perhaps not as yoof-ful as she imagines.....she has persisted with FB and Instagram, through thick and thin. And she never has any money, so your hypothesis is, in that respect, quite correct.

 

However, her son (and soon her new daughter) have benefited, and will benefit, from the largesse of the selfish, post-war that are us. And they will not be skimped on their exposure to model railways, whether they like it or not.

[Hroth]

It all passes me by I'm afraid. I joined LinkedIn a few years ago because my institute decided they'd use it to communicate with members (although the only communications they send me seem to be the annual letter telling me that next years membership fees have gone up again) but can't really figure out what it's about other than getting endless friend requests.

Social media "friend" requests always put me in mind of that nice Labrador from the drugs squad nestling up against your leg.....

 

No good will ever come of it!

[robmcg]

What Hornby haven't announced is whether any of the original 2018 planned products are delayed or shelved, which has been an issue over the last few years for them. Already one has been identified today, but not announced by Hornby. The Class 87 in Virgin livery is now showing as a July 2019 release (confirmed via the Hornby website), delayed by a year. This is presumably to stagger the 87 releases, with the two 2017 items now not expected before July this year. Could be understandable, however Hornby have just announced more Virgin livery Mark 3 coaches for this year, but now, no new loco for them until mid way through next year.

 

I found this quite surprising, and then realised that no, it isn't.

 

Hornby's new management style of reduced capital input, longer shelf-life product, and reduced costs overall cannot easily be equated to such as '29 exiting new announcements', when some of these are likely to match Bachmann for delays, or are in fact old-tooling fences and scenery items.

 

That said, Hornby produce fantastic models. 

[Coryton]

How does this differ from any other form of advertising? I mean, I'm sure as heck not going to pay Hornby to tell me about the stuff they want me to spend my money on.

 

Plenty of people do...by buying the Hornby catalogue.

[Huw Griffiths]

Paul Isles tweet of the DLR cost nothing, generated 40 pages of discussion that was viewed all around the world, in just a weekend with 63455 page views (as of now). No magazine advert, poster, flyer etc can compete with that.

 

Meanwhile, some cynics might suggest an alternative reason for any cryptic "underground, overground" reference - well, certainly cynics in their late 40s or early 50s.

 

That's right - the first 2 words of the theme from "The Wombles". And what were they best known for? That's right - recycling.

 

Interesting concept, that - nothing new here - and nothing for me, either.

 

What a shame - some people on this site could have been interested in a model "light rail vehicle" at a sensible price.

 

 

Huw.

[Edwardian]

 

What a shame - some people on this site could have been interested in a model "light rail vehicle" at a sensible price.

 

 

 

For sure!

 

Edited May 11, 2018 by Edwardian

[Huw Griffiths]

What a shame - some people on this site could have been interested in a model "light rail vehicle" at a sensible price.

 

  

For sure!

 

Mmmmm … please don't tempt me … oh, OK then … !

 

Seriously though, I'm sure lots of people here have heard the expression: "There's many a true word spoken in jest." Well, it's certainly true here - for me, anyway.

 

Although I've never made any secret of me liking trams - especially of the articulated "LRV" variety - I also happen to be rather keen on multiple units, railbuses and the like (just how keen, I've been struggling to keep "under wraps" recently - but I have my reasons).

 

Some people might know that, a number of years back, I saw "Rivendell" at a show in Cardiff. Well, I say "saw" - perhaps I should say "found it difficult to tear my eyes away from", as a model of a similar railbus seemed to have that effect on me.

 

Although I haven't built a similar model, it's something I wouldn't mind building some time. Right now, the idea's filed along with a "boxcab", a LRV, various overhead powered EMUs various versions of the GWR "razor edge" railcar - and one or more of those experimental petrol railbuses the NER / LNER tried about a century ago.

 

You never know - I might even get round to building one of these things - especially if RTR manufacturers insist on goading us with drawings for models they appear to have no intention of producing.

 

 

I guess somebody might just have to suggest a similarly themed challenge to Andy. No - I don't mean a "Wombles" challenge - what I'd really like is "build a railcar" (preferably with rules loose enough to allow LRVs) - or how about a rolling "motive power" challenge?

 

Will this ever happen? Don't ask me - it's not for me to say - and I don't call the shots - but, "If I Can Dream" … .

 

 

Huw.

[HonestTom]

The way I see it, we live in a world where you can buy rolling stock for the Nocton Estates Light Railway and there are two manufacturers doing a 1361, so why not a Ford Model T railcar set?

(Hey Hornby, if you want something really exciting to announce...)

[Vistisen]

For sure!

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

 

 

Well that's a big improvement on the Pacer !

 

 

.

[Ron Ron Ron]

 

 

 

[adb968008]

 

 

 

Gosh the warnings from History are right there, yet still we asked a bus company to make a train in the 1980’s.

 

I suppose as everything gets smaller, and pacers start to fade into history, someone somewhere will ask a taxi company to make a train.

[Coryton]

Gosh the warnings from History are right there, yet still we asked a bus company to make a train in the 1980’s.

 

Pacers get me to work and back very reliably...and when the alternative is a 153 for a rush hour service a Pacer seems very attractive.

[dibber25]

The way I see it, we live in a world where you can buy rolling stock for the Nocton Estates Light Railway and there are two manufacturers doing a 1361, so why not a Ford Model T railcar set?

(Hey Hornby, if you want something really exciting to announce...)

 

What a great idea! Would open up a whole wealth of possibilities for small light railway layouts with "P' and 'Terrier' tank locos. Would just need a few decrepit pre-Grouping coaches. Excuse me, I must pop to the WC&P. (CJL)

[Chuffed 1]

The way I see it, we live in a world where you can buy rolling stock for the Nocton Estates Light Railway and there are two manufacturers doing a 1361, so why not a Ford Model T railcar set?

(Hey Hornby, if you want something really exciting to announce...)

 

Yes, that would be exciting but very unlikely.  The way I see it, there's a battle going on for future strategy at Hornby, niche products (which nevertheless sell well) like the H class, versus 'popular' locos like the Coronation.

It seemed a year or two back that Hornby were going for the specific type/high quality approach on new items, but now it's the 'old stager in new liveries' that Bachmann's been going with for the last three or four years.

Who knows which faction wins out?  One thing for sure though someone who understands customer relations has left Hornby, to be replaced by ?

 

I can't see a Billington mogul appearing in the near future, let alone a pioneer railcar....!