Please help with my dissertation... simple yes/no poll!

[Pierre]

Do you view the BK forums as marketing/PR gesture, or have you always thought of them as an online community?

I'm doing my dissertation on whether the Internet can replace most, if not all, forms of direct marketing.
One potentially huge aspect of this are Internet forums. For instance, companies used to send in inserts in magazines in order to target specific consumers. Forums allow them to do the same exact thing, for a lot cheaper.

A company may also setup a forum, which is seen as a PR gesture or even not thought of in marketing terms by its viewers/participants. But nonetheless, this forum is part of a marketing strategy.

The simple question I am asking all of you guys is the following:

When you signed up, did you do so with the thought that BK were trying to gain you as a consumer? (option yes)
When you signed up, did you view the BK forums solely as an opportunity to learn more about guitars, ask questions about their pickups, without feeling obliged to do anything else? (option no)

Most of us joined in order to ask specific question about a pickup... but I will ask you to put this tiny thought aside and try to see the angle at which I'm aproaching this. In other words, have you ever thought BK used this website to fish for customers (though not put so negativelly, y'all know I love you all :D)

Thanks! The results will be published anonymously in my dissertation, though I will nonetheless PM Tim for permission to use them.

[MDV]

Wheres both?

It is a community, and it is a marketing tool.

Lots of BK users in one place, often talking about BKs, helping new BK customers out, posting up BK clips = marketing. Or at least another way for potential customers to get information from a wide range of experiences and styles (and it takes some of the load off the torrent of emails and phone calls Tim et al get).

But most of the posts on here are not BK related and were a tight knit group that shoot the shite on all sorts of things.

Its gotta be added that its a very open and honest marketing system - letting users say what they want and record what they want and fly the flag uncoerced and unfettered. It shows tremendous confidence in the product. That attitude, this forums very nature in and of itself is a form of advert

[MDV]

But...do I view it as a marketting device. No. I dont  log on here thinking "Yeah, lets sell some BKs!", and I doubt that was the entirety of the reason for its existance either - its a discussion forum. I come here to talk about gear, music, random nothings with cool people, and occasionally help out a guy thats looking for BKs and needs help choosing. Its for exchange of information. If you have faith in the strength of your product (as Tim rightly does) then that ends up as a marketting device.

Can you imagine if BKs sucked and the boards were full of loathsome and abusive posts warning people away from them :lol: Hmmmm....dialectics; hegel, you have a lot to answer for!!!

[Pierre]

Ok, let's try it this way... Did you feel you were 'encouraged' to buy upon signing on?
Did you sign on with the knowledge that you would be encouraged to buy?
Did you sign on with the full knowledge, and understanding/comprehension, that this was a company website, or did you view it as another online community for people with similar tastes?

I know my question can be a little ambiguous... There is no 'both' answer just because of this. It may prove a mistake, we'll see...But so far I'd like to keep it this way :)

Sorry if any of this can come out as negative. It is entirely not the case. I love this place, and BK people have been nothing but very curteous, knowledgeable and helpful to me and countless other people. It's just that my marketing jargon may come out in this way in some instances, though not meant as such :)

Thanks for the replies so far!

[Will]

Its like a patrons club, that isn't very strict about who they let in.
Does that mean I vote yes or no? I think its a bit of fun.
I don't think Noodle, Hamfist, or (one with bird as image) have BKPs and they have contributed a lot.

[MDV]

I bought long before I signed on.

I signed on because this forum has lots of expertise about ALL things guitar related between its members. I rarely make threads about BKs - when I know I want them, I know I want them, and I call Tim and have a chat about the options. If I dont, I dont, I just get something else.

Of course I signed on knowing that this is a company website :lol: its in the name! How can you not know!??!

I think its (nearly) implicit that if youre asking "what BK" on the bk boards then youre going to get answers that are are all bks - the asker is assumed to already want BKs and the answerers are assumed to recommend BKs. This is just common sense. There have been a couple of exceptions to this in the past, but thats the general rule. Its not an enforced rule (I dont think - DnM is that an actual rule type rule?) but more of an emergent behaviour.

In that sense the advertising has already been done and its a matter of selection.

[MDV]

On reflection, I'm going with no. While the praise and superb demonstrations of BKs that can be found in here can be seen as a marketing device, its in the wording - do I view it as one. Thats different to do I know it is one, and the answer to it is no. In addition, like I said - you have to already know that BK exist and have heard good things to come to the BK forums and read comments and listen to clips, so its less a marketing device and more a selection device anyway. People that come here have probably already "bought into" the name and are looking for more detailed information.

[AndyR]

EDIT: AGH, a bunch of other posts happened while I was typing thinking... only MDV had responded his first two posts when I started this... I'll let it stand and then read the rest...


It's alright MDV - I balanced you out  - 1 all at the moment I hit the button :lol:

I'm with you, I think it's a both.

It might or might not have been at the outset, but it's obvious that as well as hosting one of the friendliest communities I've ever found on the web, it must be having a positive effective on the sales, and BKP will be aware of it.

For example, I for one would not have bought anything other than ITs and Riff Raffs but for this forum - they were my first purchase after only "watching". I maybe even bought them because of the happy punters on here - the threads I read gave me confidence in the product.

When I got those first ones, I was very happy and would have gone away content and might have come back say a bit later next time my wife bought me a guitar or something. However, I immediately joined the forum to thank you lot and to add my "they do what they say on the tin". I've stuck around for "community" and ended up buying a bunch guitars and more BKPs mainly because I've been hanging around here and got all fired up about getting the guitars/sounds I want (and because I could afford them).

I think it's actually called PR though isn't it? Someone explained to me once: "Marketing is where you blow your own trumpet or pay someone to blow your trumpet for you, PR is where you pay someone to get other people to blow their trumpets for you, and you know you're on to a good thing when people blow their trumpets for free, or even pay you to do it..."

I'm very happy with this situation - they got a fine product, they care about their customers, and as long as I get whatever pleasure it is out of coming here, I'll keep coming here and will happily blow my trumpet for them! :lol:

[AndyR]

I think you might be confusing the question Pierre :lol:

Ok, let's try it this way... Did you feel you were 'encouraged' to buy upon signing on? Nope
Did you sign on with the knowledge that you would be encouraged to buy? Nope
Did you sign on with the full knowledge, and understanding/comprehension, that this was a company website, or did you view it as another online community for people with similar tastes? Both

I'll stick with my original vote (given that I think it's PR not marketing) - I do view the forum as a very successful "marketing device", but I accept that happily (and congratulate BKP mightily) and come here for the community side of things :D

[ailean]

I bought a BK before I joined up. The forum seemed a good place to get general guitar knowledge.

I don't view it as a marketing tool. It was probably started as one, but now I think it has an identity of it's own.

[Will]

I thought I may add that I waited 5 or 6 months before buying my first. I watched and tried to learn, asked a few questions about replacing current ones in different guitars etc.
I wasn't encouraged, I really wanted to get my teeth into them. They are great, but my main guitar is still stock (but want to upgrade)

[dave_mc]

Wheres both?

It is a community, and it is a marketing tool.

Lots of BK users in one place, often talking about BKs, helping new BK customers out, posting up BK clips = marketing. Or at least another way for potential customers to get information from a wide range of experiences and styles (and it takes some of the load off the torrent of emails and phone calls Tim et al get).

But most of the posts on here are not BK related and were a tight knit group that shoot the shitee on all sorts of things.

Its gotta be added that its a very open and honest marketing system - letting users say what they want and record what they want and fly the flag uncoerced and unfettered. It shows tremendous confidence in the product. That attitude, this forums very nature in and of itself is a form of advert

agreed. i didn't vote, because for me it's "both".

[WezV]

i brought one after guitarist mentioned them and started having the ads. i liked it a lot, so when i was after more i signed up to the forum to learn more... because lets face it, the website itself is pretty pants now