So, flipping through Kiteboarding's 2010 gear guide and of course no mention of Peter lYnn products - no surprise.

What was a surprise was the table of kite-category definitions that preceded the gear guide listed C-Kites as "usually not having bridles", Bow Kites "having bridles", Hybrid & SLE "having bridles with a few exceptions", Delta Kites "having bridles" and lastly Foil Kites...."having bridles". Blanket statement that makes no exception to our beloved bridle-less PLs.

It's like they don't even exist.

I hope this new push by Peter Lynn sponsoring riders and getting out to events as of late helps get them some notice in the kiteboarding world. The Neo's in (so was the Hydra last year if I recall).....why no talk of the Charger or Synergy? I think the readers f these magazines are missing out on a great alternative to the tubes at less cost than the Flysurfers. (To be fair the Neo is in the guide so there is an intermediately priced foil.)

Perhaps because they do not advertise there? That happens in a lot of "industry guides"

what Angus said...
I have friends that do an annual trip to Hatteras for the gear testing reviews and they only get gear from advertizers and there is a definite slant to trying to say something positive about every product. Back home you get the real review on some products. In some cases that had such bad experiences they talked to advertisers privately about things to correct and left those particular items out of the review.

Gotta pay to play. Just like the hoaxer who submitted the $250 submission fee to Wine Spectator magazine to be considered for an award. The magazine was exposed after giving an award to his bogus restaurant with a deliberately crappy wine list.

Notice that HQ has a regular Advt. for the Neo

i cant remember what kite magazine marina works for ... kiteboarding or the kiteboarder. anyways when they did the 2010 lineup Peter Lynn was listed that they would be coming out with the CH with sizes, etc etc.

there is only a handful of TR in Canada and USA. Marijn is staying long after NABX to drive around. wish i could join him on his travels.

until i can split myself in half, pass the PL will have to due for now. plus trying stuff on your own terms is better, than wanting a kite because X rider placed 1st. ride what you want, but just ride.

PL doesnt advertise, good ... keeps prices down.

Quote:

PL doesnt advertise, good ... keeps prices down.

A bit of a double edged sword there. Then again, nothing wrong with having them be "our little secret" but you'd have to assume that if they had more exposure/following they'd be able to more easily progress in R&D even more (because there'd be more $$ behind the brand).

Here's a quote; "advertising is what you do when your product's no good"

But seriously.
Angus is right, we're not in the guide because we do not (yet) advertise in US magazines.

I personally think it's a shame that there isn't a US kite magazine that features more then just kiteboarding (okay there's some snowkiting to be found in some nowadays). You guys need something like the Powerkitemag (UK) or Kite&Friends (DE).
But this aside, we are working to get more exposure, but I think that advertising alone won't do the trick because most LEI people still have all kinds of reservations towards foils and seeing an add alone isn't likely to change their mind.

Small correction on Rip's comment, it is not yet certain that I'll be staying for long after NABX.

I don't consider twinskin arcs to be foils anyway :D

Marijn is correct. An ad won't get an LEI guy to decide to switch over. I blow past all those inflato ads and they don't phase me. I'd rather see Peter Lynn go to events and offer demos. People are at least willing to try a kite if it's available. And at least here in MN, snowkiters are larger in number then any other type of kiter. I'd never heard of Peter Lynn until I saw one at an event and flew it. Did alot more for me then some picture in a magazine would have.

PL is here

PL is in my hands

PL is on the water, on the land , in the air RIGHT HERE!

EVERYDAY!

the only things "missing in action" are the marketing victims watching from shore as the PL show RAGES on.

changing minds one session at a time, and helping victims EVERYDAY!

keep looking at the media with the rest of the consumers ....and you'll miss it for sure.

LIFE is outside. the PL experience... for LIFE!

Ditto that on the ads - I ignore them for the most part. It was the lack of review that caught my eye (or didn't catch my eye?) Sad that you only get props if you pay to play. I had a good look through it last night and you're BANG ON. It seems the ads directly correlated to the gear guide.

Actually I realized that the mag is a bit of a rag. There is hardly any editorial in it of substance. I think two, maybe three articles of interest and the rest of the editorial was either filler quality OR double page photo spreads. I'm all for pretty pictures but now I feel like I'm robbing the environment of some foliage just so I can look at a bunch of ads.

I'm not naive - I know how magazines work and where the money comes from...it's not from my subscription - it's the advertising (I layout a health magazine up here). But tallying up the number of ads in KB Magazine tells me it should either be inexpensive to advertise in it OR it's a serious cash cow for the publishers (maybe why they can fly all over the world to these epic kite spots to do reviews and stuff).

Don't know that I'll renew that one.

Quote:

Originally posted by macboy I'm all for pretty pictures but now I feel like I'm robbing the environment of some foliage just so I can look at a bunch of ads.

Having just moved from Georgia, I all too well realize that those trees are a crop that are planted, grown, and harvested just for that purpose (or to make lumber). They harvest the trees in 2 waves. When the forest is clearcut, they plant seedlings in a close frequency, then do a thinning harvest in about 7 years. Every time a tree is cut down for that paper, it either allows other trees to grow larger or a dozen more to be planted. It's a healthy cycle of a completely renewable resource. Paper you enjoy looking at is not wasted. (Now off my stump and back to the zippers).

I'm all for good info and I know that advertising is a must to offset the production and distribution expenses of a magazine but for overall worth? I think publishers should strive for a better balance between editorial content and "pretty pictures". I'd LOVE to read more about the sport. In fact I'm quite sad at the end of each KB mag 'cuz they end way too soon. Just never really looked at exactly what the mag was made of - that's why I won't renew it. Good mag, don't get me wrong. Just not enough meat and too many potatoes.

Kinda like watching those tv shows of nothing but good commercials (I'm all for that - hella funny).

Okay, double edged sword because some ads are informative - especially when it comes to info on new models etc. But then again like Phree said - it's doing nothing but making marketing claims and making victims.

One sure-fire editorial gimmick that paper and web publishers love is LISTS: Best, Worse, Weirdest, etc.
People want to see where their picks are rated and I'm a sucker for it too.

It's the Information Age and people (including me) expect to get their media quick, FREE, and in bite-size amounts.

With the economic turndown, freebie newspapers, and internet alternatives, we can only expect paper media to go more and more into the splashy ad / low content direction. They're more than willing to become shilling wh@res for their biggest advertisers.

I'm surprised how magazines are even a viable proposition anymore.

There is no incentive for publications to talk up products that generate zero income for them. Ink costs money, and they are gonna spend it on the ones that give them cash. simple economics. As far as I-net alternatives , they will act the same. It still costs money for someone to write about your product. I guess they just try to ignore the ones that won't pay up so it will hurt their business to the point they feel they need advertisments. But the best ad in the world is word of mouth, it is just a little slower to take effect. But it is free!



I once recently had to cancel my suscription to the local newspaper. I e-mailed the editor at 4:15 am, this is what I told him."I would like to cancel my subscription immediatly.And I'm sure my neighbors will be happy too.Your delivery person comes down my street every morning w/ subwoofers poundin and I'm over it. You want to know why the I-net is killing printed publications. CAUSE IT DOESN'T COME THROUGH YOUR NEIBORHOOD AT 4 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING GOING BOOMDY -BOOMDY -BOOM" I'm pretty sure he got fired ,cause I haven't heard it since,and I get my news online or TV now.

at the least the buggy side of PL is growing strong ... lots of PL Euro Riders attending NABX this time.