April 08, 2008
The Air Nautique Wake Games Returns to Orlando For Its Second Consecutive Year
Orlando, FLA (April 8, 2008) - Correct Craft will once again sponsor the Air Nautique Wake Games which will officially kick off the professional wakeboard season. It will be held at the Orlando Watersports Complex from April 24-27. Correct Craft's Super Air Nautique 210 and 230 models are the exclusive towboats for this event.
The Air Nautique Wake Games is a unique experience in that pro and amateur riders alike are able to compete individually in their disciplines as well as come together to form teams that vie for a cash prize. This is especially exciting for the junior riders who are able to compete alongside the pro riders and contribute to their teams' successes.
At the 2007 Air Nautique Wake Games, Team Murray, led by Nautique pro rider Shaun Murray, won the team competition and Murray took third overall. This year, team riders J.D. Webb, Shaun Murray and Danny Harf will represent Nautique as captains during the team competition at the Wake Games. These three along with many other Nautique athletes will compete against each other along with top riders from around the world.
"We are excited to begin the 2008 wakeboard season with the Air Nautique Wake Games as one of the premier professional events of the year," stated Correct Craft's President/CEO Bill Yeargin. "The Wake Games showcases a unique blend of individual and team competition that can only be found at this event. The Nautique team is proud to be a part of such an interactive event that is fun for the entire family."
Bill Yeargin's blog entry regarding the 2008 Air Nautique Wake Games can be read in the "Nautique Insider" section of the Nautique website at www.nautiques.com.
The Nautique line of boats is produced by Correct Craft, a family-owned manufacturer celebrating 83 years of excellence in the marine industry. Correct Craft, Inc. is known for delivering superior quality product, cutting-edge technology and exceptional service experiences. To see the complete line of Nautique boats, visit www.nautiques.com.
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February 21, 2008
Correct Craft Releases New, Solid, Web Site
Following on a heavy improvement last year for the 2006-2007 transition of CorrectCraft.com, this year's iteration does not disappoint.
Last year I wrote a lengthy review of the site and I have no plans to do the same thing this year. It is a different time for me, I am not quite as interested in how solid Correct Craft's Web site is as I am now full-on enamored once again at the boats themselves. And truth be told they just aren't making any entertaining mistakes that make for a good snarky post. It is also not a moon-shot improvement from the 2007 iteration like the 2006-2007 jump was. That's not to say this new version isn't good; it certainly is. The boat builder is once again the best that the industry has to offer and I immediately put it to good use like I do every year and design my dream boat and then send it to my wife. What else can we say? It is good. I'd lose the sound effects - each and every one. Aside from that, the site looks nice.
In closing, Correct Craft corporate heavyweights, please build and send me this Super Air Nautique 230 and we'll be sound as a pound.
Sorry that I don't have much else to say on this iteration of the site. There's not much to make fun of, it is quite good, and serves its purpose. It gets an A grade. Visit the new CorrectCraft.com at your earliest convenience. Correct Craft, send me that 230 even earlier than your earliest convenience.
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December 07, 2007
Exclusive Photos of Rusty Malinoski's Pro-Model X-Star
System AVD Inc. recently announced that they are releasing a Rusty Malinoski Pro-Model design boat wrap. Apparently this wrap will be heavily promoted for use on the MasterCraft X-Star, and other designs are available for the X-Star and other MasterCraft models. Co-owner Josh Sirlin informs us that he he is the first athlete that System AVD Inc. is sponsoring and has supplied us with some exclusive photos. Click on the image for a higher-resolution version. The official press release follows the images. Camo? Check. Skulls. Check. Cool? Yup.
RUSTY MALINOSKI TEAMS WITH SYSTEM AVD INC. TO DEVELOP PRO-MODEL CUSTOMIZED DESIGN BOAT WRAP
Premium wrap design available at all MasterCraft dealers world-wide
SEATTLE (NOVEMBER 28, 2007) - System AVD Inc., a Seattle-based design company, has announced the release of the Rusty Malinoski Pro-Model design boat wrap. In addition, Rusty becomes the first athlete System AVD will sponsor.
The custom designed boat wrap, which matches the design of Malinoski's personal MasterCraft X-Star, will be available in 2008 at MasterCraft dealers world-wide, including installation services in the United States and Canada.
"We are providing top of the line boat wrap designs and there is no better athlete to represent our product than Rusty Malinoski," said Josh Sirlin, System AVD co-owner. "We're very excited to be sponsoring Rusty, not only because he's a leader in the industry, but his style aligns with our company's brand perfectly. We are looking forward to working with him for many years to come."
The boat wrap was custom-designed for Rusty by having him work with the design team at System AVD. After Rusty shared his thoughts and ideas, the design team was able to create the graphic that he was hoping for.
"I was able to explain to System AVD what I had in mind for my boat, and they created the coolest looking graphic I have seen," said Rusty Malinoski. "Josh was really easy to work with and after seeing the work they did on my boat, we decided it would be a good idea to work hand-in-hand."
A variety of System AVD's boat wraps are currently available at all MasterCraft Dealers in the world with additional designs being released throughout 2008. Consumers can visit their local MasterCraft dealer to purchase the designs. For MasterCraft dealer locations, visit www.mastercraft.com.
"The program System AVD has offered is truly unique and will help drive our business to a whole new level of creativity," said John C. Behling, director of marketing, MasterCraft Boat Company.
About System AVD Inc.: Led by Co-Owners Josh Sirlin and Ben Dixon, System AVD Inc. is a Seattle-based design company, which provides premium design for large platform printing, and boat and vehicle wraps. Their work is represented throughout the United States, Canada and South Africa, and soon in Israel and Ireland. Working in collaboration with MasterCraft, System AVD has provided boat wrap designs and installation for Body Glove, Oakley, Hyperlite, Texas Ski Ranch, and all NIKE 6.0 vehicles. To contact System AVD, call 206-883-7988 or email info@systeminconline.com.
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November 30, 2007
Zane Schwenk and MasterCraft's Viral Video Campaign, "I'm a MasterCraft"
Witty, pithy Apple videos and commercials are not a new phenomenon, going back to the "Switch" campaign that starred various unknown (and some well known) actors and actresses giving their own personal reasons for switching from the PC platform to the Mac.
Those "Switch" videos were a modestly successful marketing endeavor for Apple and evolved to become the much more impactful "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" campaign. Proving that the ''I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads truly are the spiritual successor to the "Switch" ads, the http://www.apple.com/switch url even redirects to the current campaign that we all know and love featuring Justin Long (Mac) and John Hodgman (PC).
But also not a new phenomenon: parody versions of these Apple ads.
MasterCraft has decided to get in on the action, as Zane Schwenk personally kicks off this viral marketing video set with his own YouTube account, and stars in the videos as MasterCraft. Who better? These videos are light, quick, funny and worth a watch. MasterCraft really held back on the Tige video - they could have made that considerably more... errr... acute.
MasterCraft vs. Malibu
MasterCraft vs. Tige
Funny stuff. I really like these. But I would love to see an "I'm a MasterCraft and I'm a Correct Craft". They can't take the pricing angle... or the spoiled/preppy brat angle which was the first thing that came to mind (due to similarities in pricing on their boats). They can't take the gadget angle... so where would they go with it? I want to see. I have one idea but I need to hold it back (Correct Craft likes me and I like them).
Nice work MasterCraft, and Mr. Zane Schwenk. It is fun to see this sort of pop culture stuff appear in the wakeboarding circle. Now please get to work on that "I'm a MasterCraft and I'm a Correct Craft" - I'll be brainstorming on this too. I love trying to make fun of myself in new and creative ways.
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January 28, 2007
The Ronix Frontier is a Handsome Wakeboard
If I chose my board for this year based solely on graphics, I'd be ordering a Ronix Frontier. And let's not fool ourselves... every wakeboarder or snowboarder has purchased a board based on graphics. I am guilty of having done this once.
From the description that I've read, this board doesn't suit my personal riding style. But if they came out with a version with very steep rocker, I'd have to have a Ronix Frontier. It reminds me of the K2 Woody, and when that board was first made available, I chased down with every search option that was available at the time (which was the dealer directory in the back of Wakeboarding Magazine, the telephone, and K2 themselves who claimed to have no knowledge of a wakeboard division). If anyone has any photos or *gasp* interest in selling a K2 Woody to me, please email me. I Googled it and wound up right back here - it turns out that this site is the top hit for "K2 Woody".
So far, Ronix has been responsible for some terrific viral Marketing, and in general they have done a noble job of ensuring that their products hit the ground running. When we heard about their design challenge and saw some of the efforts on various message board, we were concerned. Concerned because design challenges and the Photoshop filters that tend to power them are very 1997. Not unlike our feelings about the graphics on wake boats, we believe that the wakeboarding industry could take it down a notch or 8 when it comes to graphics, icons and branding. We've felt that Ronix has been 100% un-annoying and very good for the industry so far. They have carefully managed their brand and we were worried that offering someone named "wakecat31178" a chance to be part of Ronix's branding strategy was potentially a misstep. We're still not sure what the ultimate outcome of the design challenge was, but we expect to hear about that soon. We're assuming that the Ronix Frontier is the work of a professional - and we like it!
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January 12, 2007
To Whomever Sent Us the Water Ski Magazine Boat Buyer's Guide
Thank you. We appreciate it.
From the time we've spent with it - it seems like a very solid effort. But look, we still feel very strongly about that new Wakeboarding Magazine Boat Buyer's Guide. We have spent some time with the Water Ski Magazine guide - but we're very confused about its origin because we don't subscribe - and haven't in 10 years. In any case, we appreciate the gesture despite the weirdness factor.
We would like this to begin a trend. We'd really appreciate it if more free and unexpected items arrived at our door in the future - particularly from companies like Correct Craft, Liquid Force, JetPilot, and Hyperlite; and if someone could make a black Ford F350 Crew Cab diesel show up at my door, it would be supremely appreciated.
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January 08, 2007
Our Review of Correct Craft's New Web Site
As mentioned in a previous post, Correct Craft has updated their Web site for the 2006-2007 model year. In previous years, Correct Craft fans, prospective customers, and general enthusiasts waited with baited breath to see what color scheme they would use to re-skin their Flash brochureware Web site. That is such a snarky and cynical expectation, but one that was developed over nearly 7 years of seeing the same sort of Web presence from a company that is considered to be the one of the finest tow boat manufacturers in the world. It was just such a curious mismatch.
But they got it right this time. We're not sure if this is because Terry Dunagin and her brilliant Marketing team listened to the advice of real Web professionals, or because this is some kind of one-off experiment. Regardless, the reasons we like it are numerous - and as I sit on a plane heading for Orlando, hyper caffeinated and ready to write, yet without a Web connection - I am going to do my best to review the site right here and now, working from the 23 screenshots I took of Correct Craft's Web site last night.
This review will be broken into several categories. These are the same ones that I have criticized them, and their competitors, of getting wrong in the past. These categories are design, navigation, content, and overall user experience from the perspective of a person who is a Web Developer and Designer, Correct Craft owner and nerd.
Design
Certainly this is a more subjective category, so let's get is out of the way first.
We like the design. Simply put, it is sufficiently current and as overall compositions, each page on the site looks good, as framed within the header, footer, and left nav areas. It is proudly centered and it employs many of the design elements seen on the Web these days, such as slight color gradients, textured patterns and rounded corners. Although common, these elements work well together and Correct Craft has assembled them well and to be honest there is nothing wrong with using common elements as long as they are nuanced uniquely enough by a good designer. We like the gray and black (and points in-between) color scheme, because when the body pages are decorated by a brilliant photo of one of their boats, the focus is on the boat: and that is where it is supposed to be.
They also addressed one of the more glaring issues with the previous versions of their site: high-resolution images. Within the Air, Crossover, and Ski categories, there are striking images that provide plenty of visual detail about each boat, and there are images that show people in and around the boats - and that provides scale. For example, many manufacturers are hesitant to show people in the bow area of their boats because open-bow wake boats that are based on slalom boat hulls, these areas tend to be small and poorly apportioned. Correct Craft isn't afraid of showing off their boats in this way. And they shouldn't be.
Navigation
With sections that are named appropriately, navigating any Web site becomes a far easier endeavor. In the past, Correct Craft has made their site difficult to due to their use of confusing section labels. The site is now clearly labeled, and I had no issues locating the material I always want to find when I visit the new version of their site.
They even added footer navigation. A breadcrumb system would have been appreciated, almost as much as a site map. But the site doesn't have very deep levels of navigation and this mitigates the need for tertiary navigation elements that assist users in orienting themselves within the overall site structure.
Content
Initially the reaction in the community indicated disappointment with the breadth & depth of the actual content of the site. For a site like Correct Craft's though, we have to consider what the definition of content is. For a site like Correct Craft's, content is delivered through things like images, manuals, news. And so from that standpoint - the content is extremely solid. Most of the primary and secondary-level pages are filled with new material. Before describing it as slim, please consider the alternative. We'd rather see new content, even if it is brief, than a copy & paste from an old iteration of a page or brochure. We found the online manual to The Wakeboard Report's 2001 Super Air Nautique easily, and due to an unfortunate glass cleaner explosion last summer that took the life of our original owner's manual, we now have a handy replacement. We found it in 2 clicks from the index page.
Also we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Build a Boat feature. I have to remind this audience that may not remember that not unlike the wakeboard tower - Correct Craft did this first. Despite the potential cost of such a complex piece of Flash, the build a boat feature is an element of the site that almost certainly results in a few Web-only sales conversions per year. In other words, there are probably a few boats that are designed, configured and optioned in this application and purchased - all over the Web. Many others use it as a way to visualize the boat of their dreams. In the automotive industry, this type of customization tool has been around for almost as long as Flash itself - but Correct Craft was first to bring it to the towboat industry. They remain leaders in the delivery and implementation of this type of tool. And incase you were wondering how I want my Super Air Nautique 220 to look - well, wonder no more.
Overall User Experience
The usability quirks I encountered were minor - and primarily related to a browser compatibility issue found on a few pages where large images that are offered on the boat detail pages. The issue is that when the mouse pointer is placed over a thumbnail, the cursor changes to the pointing finger Web standard that indicates an active link in Internet Explorer only. Donning the nerd glasses for a moment - this is because there is a piece of JavaScript that they are using to produce the enlarged version of a given image. We would rather have seen a popup here. That Javascript could be fixed in about 10 minutes. Hey Correct Craft - wanna give me edit access to the domain?
We would have liked them to consider the initial rendering of the home page, or even consider the following advice: Despite being less important on body pages within a site, the home page should fit within a specific standard, and that standard is somewhat of a moving target right now so there are a few options. Web giants like CNET.com are pushing the envelope with their recent change to a 1000 pixel wide home page. Judging by the pile of small CRT monitors that I see every week at the dump, and by the analytics tool that I use to monitor The Wakeboard Report and The2001.com, it is reasonable to consider 1024x768 the average screen resolution today, not 800x600 (because 1024x768 is a common native resolution on flat-panel monitors and those things are absolutely everywhere except my desk. But the home page is too tall for either standard, and this would be best fixed by reducing the height of the Flash element on the home page. At nearly 400 pixels high, this is generous but should be reduced to allow the "Experience Our Boats" banners and the vertical featurette to the right of the banners to be seen. We're not fans of the "above the fold" argument, within any other context but the home page. It would be phenomenal to see them fix this.
We've worked with many Web agencies, and assume that Correct Craft does not have an internal large team of Web designers and developers; so we assume they used an agency for this. It appears that the agency advocated for the users of Correct Craft's Web site, rather than appeasing internal politics and the personal opinions of someone unfamiliar with the Web. Whoever it was did an incredibly competent job both in delivering the new site and in advocating for this type of approach.
Conclusion
We're so glad to see Correct Craft put out something like this. In 2007, a Web site should be considered an evolving project - not one that can be stamped out once a year and never touched thereafter. It looks like Correct Craft has adopted this philosophy, and for their part - by providing a site structure like this, they've made it easier to update, easier to add new sections, and reduced the hassle of developing upon existing sections.
We're giving this site, an A. And in terms of the distance that they have traveled - the leap that they have made in their 2007 iteration from their 2006 iteration - an A+. Speaking from experience here - it is difficult to change the mindset of all stakeholders involved to do something that is such a departure from the norm.
Posted by erik at 06:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 31, 2006
Wakeboarding Magazine's 2007 Boat Buyers Guide... it is also a Boat Buyers Guide Guide
The 2007 Boat Buyer's Guide that starts on page 108 of the February issue of Wakeboarding Magazine is probably the most honest, yet still advertiser friendly, printed wake/ski boat buyer's guide that I've ever read.
Although The Wakeboard Report does not have any true advertisers right now, apart from our affiliate connection with Boardstop.com, we do have good relationships with certain companies and we know with whom we want to remain in good terms. We're online, we're not as well known, and as a result we are able to really say whatever we feel on this Web site. And for everything we've said, we've managed to elicit only one threat in our humble existence, and it came from a boat designer who you haven't heard of, from a boat manufcturer that you definitely have heard of, who threatened to try and harm our ability to make contacts in this industry. Awww! Poor lil guy. He must know that we don't have any to harm! But I digress. Our position is obviously very different from that which the editors and ad sales people at Wakeboarding Magazine are in. Sorry to get too Carrie Bradshaw here, but how honest can a respected publication be when the successes of the products it is reviewing pretty much pay the meal ticket. Ask Wakeboarding Magazine, because I think they've figured it out.
Take a little trip with me for a moment, back to the late 80's and early 90's, when a little future wakeboard industry journalist read the Water Ski Magazine Boat Buyer's guide and believed every word of it, simply because it was printed and thus, official. It was an exciting time for me; a time before my ability to read the sublanguage known as advertorial content had developed fully. Looking back, Water Ski Magazine's old Boat Buyers guides read something like:
The 1993 Ski Nautique is the best boat ever. It is perfect.
flip to next page
The 1993 Bayliner Ski Challenger is the best boat ever made. It makes perfect itself, jealous.
flip to next page
The 1993 Malibu Skier is the best boat ever made. It is so wonderful, that I fainted upon touching the upholstery. Twice.
...and so on. For 270 pages.
Back to 2007 now. Wakeboarding Magazine's new Boat Buyers guide strikes such a careful balance between candor and applause that everyone involved should be pretty happy with the result. Anyone with finicky tastes for wake boats can read between the lines when necessary, and anyone sitting on the third floor at a big boat manufacturer's headquarters reading the same article about their newest creation will be happy as well. If you're familiar with this site, you already know that we have extremely finicky tastes for the wakes that our boats create, and we can smell the falsies from a mile out. The individual entries in this guide are carefully crafted, and whether the overall piece is considered by Wakeboarding Magazine to be an advertorial or not, it was written very accurately and manages to spin everything in a positive tone without turbo-injecting candy-coated miracle glitter up our tail pipe. I can tell what entries in which they would have rather been more colorful and negative, and those in which they mean to say that they now own said superboat.
Among the expected series of top-class wake boats, they covered The Wakeboard Report's pet boats too. I am referring to the ones we covet the most and experience moments of wanderlust toward: The Super Air Nautique 220, the Malibu 247, and the Master Craft CSX 220. They appropriately nodded to the curious redesign and reintroduction of the Super Air Nautique 210, and nailed the review itself with a laser-guided missile.
The guide spans 50 pages, which compared to other guides, is short; to its credit. These guides aren't intended to get you to call the manufacturer and order your brand new wake boat right then and there. The guides are meant to get you out to a dealership for a demo day or a pull, and to answer a few questions ahead of time before you start your real research on such a large purchase. It manages to do this very effectively in a series of pithy 1 and 2 page photo-heavy spreads, instead of 4-5 page prewritten, almost teleprompted marketing make-out sessions - and I love it.
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December 12, 2006
Supra Enhances Their Trick Room Section
Supra, a company for which we at The Wakeboard Report tend toward feelings of fondness, has enhanced the Trick Room area of their Web site. We think Flash transcoding of online video is one of the best changes to happen on the Web recently, and they've used it as their video delivery mechanism. We like that. We also like that there are breakdowns of tricks that we won't probably ever land (we sometimes talk big; ride wimpy).
We like the method in which they edited these video tutorials as well. First you are shown the move in its entirety, then it is broken down, important step by important step. If we could make a suggestion: it would be nice to have control over the video through a slider mechanism, in instances where you'd like to slowly advance through a spot of the trick sequence that still needed more examination. We also loaded the videos which accompany the Trick Room onto our Video iPod and they played very well.
In the past we have been critical of Supra's Web presence and print marketing, but we have to come off of that a little bit since this feature has improved and remains free of charge. As many of you know, attending a clinic or class with a professional wakeboarder is one of the best things you can do for your own personal progression. Supra is really trying to recreate that virtually, and extending these Trick Room videos to visitors of their Web site - no subscription or registration required. Take a look at the new Supra Trick Room today.
Official Press Release:
Maryville, Tenn. (December 11, 2006) - Supra and Moomba riders, including Ben Greenwood, Josh Sanders, Trevor Hansen, Kyle Schmidt and Emily Copeland-Durham are demonstrating proper riding techniques in the form of video tutorials; this time, through the worldwide web.Skier's Choice, Inc., manufacturer of Supra and Moomba brand boats, recently enhanced their boat sites to provide instructional assistance to riders of all levels through their pro staff. The most recent update features seven new tricks from former Alliance Magazine rider of the year, Ben Greenwood.
The Trick Room contains videos of several pro-riders busting out fresh moves that are familiar to other riders in the wakeboarding world including the Hoochie Glide and the Mexican Back Roll. "There are over 30 tricks posted on the sites," explained Michael Littman, Skiers Choice marketing director. "Tricks range from beginner to advanced levels, which creates an opportunity for anyone to gain a piece of wakeboarding knowledge." The videos also include tips on how each trick is safely maneuvered and performed with utmost success.
Ben Greenwood's featured moves are praised highly in the sport for their technical merit, yet they are anything but simple. Some of Greenwood's featured tricks on-line include the Indy Heelside Backside 180, the Switch Toeside Mute Off-Axis Frontside 720 and the Toeside Indy Poked Roll to Revert, among the seven featured.
"The Trick Room also makes the videos and tips available to download onto one's iPod," added Littman. "Not only are each of the videos a fast download, but you can take the best riders in the world to the lake with you and let them teach you how to rip. It's almost equivalent to having one's own personal wakeboard coach."
Additional trick room videos are in the works. Stay tuned for slalom tips from team skier Terry Winter, wakeskating techniques from Reed Hansen and wakeboarding moves from Austin Hair.
In addition, there are Supra and Moomba desktop wallpapers available for those wakeboarding fanatics who can't get enough of the sport.
To access these interactive features, please visit www.supraboats.com or www.moomba.com.
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December 02, 2006
Correct Craft Redesigns Web Site. Essentially Nails It.
For as long as I have known about the Web, I have looked at sites belonging to companies like Correct Craft and Land Rover for some of the more materialistic reasons to work hard and hope to someday own amazing products. So I have been visiting Correct Craft's Web site since their very first attempt at having one. Early in the days of the Web, it was expected that companies produce online "brochureware". Unfortunately some boat manufacturers held onto that method of Web marketing for far too long. With the 2006/2007 version of Correct Craft, they have crossed into the world of more updatable, more usable, more modern and simply put - smarter Web marketing.
This is absolutely just a moon-shot up from their over-Flashed prior iterations. We did encounter some issues that we would have been able to submit to them had we been asked to participate in some sort of consultative beta test program. Anyway, perhaps we take ourselves too seriously in this regard; it is what we do "in real life".
We're writing up a full site review that will be posted later this month, but please check out the new CorrectCraft.com as soon as you can.
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September 02, 2006
Another Reason We Like Supra: Rick Tinker
Rick Tinker from Skier's Choice (Supra's parent company) reads discussion forums. He participates in the open format that forums operate under, and this summer has made personal connections with people who have experienced issues with their brand new boats. We find it refreshing and tip our hats. If Rick Tinker's participation in discussion forums does not validate the medium, I am not sure what does.
On the Web, everyone has a voice. If you want to get peoples' attention, you can write in 26 point font, or author your material in the dreaded ALL CAPS annoying format... or you can be someone in the industry. When Rick Tinker stops by at Wakeboarder.com, he does so under his real name and makes a solid attempt to make things right. Rick Tinker also sent us a Supra/Moomba Press Kit this week and that makes us at The Wakeboard Report feel, well, special.
Supra's reputation for building world-class towboats goes back a long way. I remember seeing my first CompTS6m in real life and actually chasing it down so that I could see it up close; I even managed to score a run behind it. The handful of large 80's era Supra bowriders on my lake signals to me that they are built to last. They remain today one of the most important manufacturers in the industry and have a solid, attentive person at the helm. We're bullish on Supra.
Posted by erik at 02:12 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 24, 2006
Malibu Has Been Sold
There is a horribly kept but extremely credible secret which is at this point all over the Web. Malibu has been sold. It all wraps up on Friday, and can be spoken about more freely at that point. (Developing story)
Posted by erik at 07:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 13, 2006
Interview with the Designer of the Super Air Nautique 220, Correct Craft's Steve Carlton
Since the unveiling of the Super Air Nautique 220 late last summer - there have been many opinions voiced, many
praises made, and some criticisms offered; while the person who writes for this site has tried his best to keep an open mind about the boat. Presently there is growing evidence that this boat will be continued for another production year so this was not a one-off, and as a fan of the trend towards larger wake boats I think I may officially have turned my neutrally, non-pointing, once horizontal thumbs, upward. I never really disliked the Super Air Nautique 220, I just didn't fully understand it.
Since I almost always (unfortunately, perhaps) start with the aesthetics of boats - of course this is just my opinion, but the yellow and black Super Air Nautique 220 may not have been the right color combination with which to go public. I recently saw the above-right photo of a brand new Super Air Nautique 220 and fully turned the corner on the boat, from a strictly visual standpoint. I think it just looks better without the black hull - and allows it to appear more unmistakably Correct Craft, so I unmistakably am more drawn to it. The lighter color combinations and white hull in general, really go the distance in terms of making this boat look big, beautiful and Correct Craft-styled. The higher freeboard and, less the "Super Air Nautique" logo which one could peel off anyway, arguably conservative external appearance are also signature Correct Craft design elements. I love conservative in my boats! And before you say that this boat is not somewhat conservatively styled, please take into consideration the offerings from other manufacturers for the 2006-2007 model year.
So I asked myself why I was not more interested in this new offering from Correct Craft - and realized it was because I have not seen a large amount of photos of people in and about their Super Air Nautique 220's. Also, both of my boat show visits to research the boat more formally proved somewhat useless because any boat is going to seem cavernous with just me in it. Digging deeper, I realized that I don't know anything about boats; at least not as much as Correct Craft, and they are the ones that decided to ditch the proven wraparound seating and create something entirely new.
I can only assume that there are many people out there that don't understand why the boat was configured in the way that it was, and where it fits within Correct Craft's lineup. For that reason I got in contact with Correct Craft headquarters again, and asked to speak with someone involved with the design of the 220 - specifically its interior. Correct Craft not only allowed this interview to take place, but they put me in touch with their Chief Designer, Steve Carlton.
The Interview:
EJ - What boats have you designed, prior to the Super Air Nautique 220?
SC - I was responsible for the 226 and 211, but I am involved with parts of all the other boats in the lineup.
EJ - How long does the full development process take - from inception of a design, all the way through to creation of the first prototype.
SC - The initial sketches for this boat were completed about 2 years before the first 220 hit the test lake. This was a very different boat, and thus had a much longer development cycle than is normally needed. Also, there were many people and departments involved - from Engineering and Tooling, to Marketing, Sales and all the way to the dealers. Throughout the development cycle, changes were made to address the concerns that were deemed appropriate, but the final product turned out very close to the initial concepts.
EJ - Was the hull, or for that matter - any part of the 220 loosely based on any other current Correct Craft offering? I ask because the 220 is unmistakably a Correct Craft - beautiful - yet is almost entirely comprised of new-for-2006 components.
SC - We used certain portions of each successful boat, but this is truly a new hull. Its' hull shares certain distant similarities with the hulls of the 211/226 but if you take a close look, is unique. We looked at portions of every boat and hand-picked the portions that made the most sense.
EJ - Why isn't there a "family" or non-Air version of the 220?
SC - The 220 is a wakeboarding boat and a wakeboarding boat specifically - and was built as such. For example, if you look at the deck, you will see little recessed pockets where the tower is mounted. That should give you the idea that we knew that this boat would never be delivered without a tower, and didn't want there to be any confusion about it. By contrast, we can build non-air versions of other models and later convert them at the dealership when necessary.
EJ - Since you hold a high position at Correct Craft, are you an 'approver' or do really you spend time in front of CAD software and clay models?
SC - I would never claim to be responsible for every part of this process. We have an extraordinary engineering and proto group that convert dreams to reality. But I am responsible for the overall vision, and spend a lot of my time creating concepts, and then in presenting the ideas contained in these concepts. In the initial stages I spend a lot of time designing, working with clay models, and in our CAD environments. I am very hands on and spend a lot of time making sure that the boats carry that same initial vision - from concept to engineering, all the way to the first working prototype. I have 2 Assistant Designers that help me out with the design process as well.
EJ - What was wraparound seating lacking, that made you seek to design something else for the Super Air Nautique 220, and why do you believe it is better to have this configuration?
SC - In one of our first trials with a group of professional wakeboarders, we took Scott Byerly out on a 220. We had 9 people on the boat, and Scott was amazed at the fact that there was room for everyone, and with all the nooks & crannies and storage locations, there was room for all of their gear as well. Scott was impressed that people were not bumping into each other and sitting on top of one another. We paid close attention to where people's legs would be, once their butt was in a seat. This is overlooked with many boats, but is a real concern and we addressed it with the seating options in the 220.
This boat can be configured in several different ways as many people know, but there are a few "recommended" configurations which suit the boat best. There is a perception that the interior of the boat is broken up, but there is a reason for each moving element of the seating system. Occasionally the boat is displayed at a dealership or at a boat show that does not properly demonstrate the flexibility of this system.
The whole boat is very comfortable. Its seating system is designed in a way that corrects for the boats' angle when it is running at wakeboarding speed; the leanback portions of the seats are designed to allow for the perfect angle while watching the rider.
EJ - When Correct Craft opens the new factory to the public, would nerds like me be able to tour the parts of the factory - where the clay models are created and so on?
SC - Certainly there will be portions of the production end of the factory which will be made available. We are still working on what will, and what will not be, open to the public and made part of the factory tours.
And that was how it went. I put together the above series of questions and attempted to be professional and stick to the plan, but unfortunately the eager boat nerd enthusiast in me came out and I couldn't help but ask a few questions of my own that have almost nothing to do with helping people understand the Super Air Nautique 220 more completely. It was just so interesting to talk with someone who gets to design Correct Craft boats for a living. I will be visiting their new factory when it opens, and I will detail the tour on The Wakeboard Report. I had a great conversation with Steve Carlton, and I really appreciate the time he spent speaking to me and I thank Correct Craft for again allowing me to interview one of their finest.
Posted by erik at 01:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 10, 2006
Interview with Teresa "Terry" Dunagin, Correct Craft's New VP of Marketing
Last week I called Correct Craft's PR department, and identified myself. I nervously offered up my Web site's url, my personal email address, my cell phone number and soon the hard part, the cold call, was over. I sat back and hoped if important people at Correct Craft knew about my site, or were currently reading it, that they weren't upset with me. I have written about their boats in the past, in particular the recently released Super Air Nautique 220. This Web site remains one of the top results listed when one searches for the term 'Super Air Nautique 220' on Yahoo and Google search engines. And it should also be mentioned that I'm a current owner of one of their boats, and have had three of them in my family; so I am a fan and I know the product.
As the book The ClueTrain Manifesto points out, the Web is a vehicle that gives everyone a voice, and that the Web somewhat reduces the amount of control large companies have over announcements and news, but in the end everyone benefits from the larger conversations about a wider variety of topics. The book asserts that large companies are better off accepting the external forces that message boards, email lists and blogs create as part of a new era of business; an era that figures out how to deal with pesky bloggers like me. It sounds like an issue that a PR team can handle, but in reality this is part of a global editorialization risk that is always present now that so many have access to the Web and can make comments, publish them, have them indexed by Google and so on.
The PR team at Correct Craft seems to be adopting some of these concepts, because they sent my information along to Terry and she graciously agreed to an informal interview with The Wakeboard Report. So this week I am proud to present it. She has not yet started her position at Correct Craft and is finishing up tenure at another important boat manufacturer, Boston Whaler. So I very much appreciate the time she spent with me, and look forward to further conversations once she is fully ramped up at Correct Craft.
Anyone that has researched inboard family-oriented lake boats eventually comes across the Correct Craft and the Nautique brand. It has become synonymous with quality and remains at or near the top of everyone's wish list when it comes time to buy. But Correct Craft is not without problems, despite the reputation of their product line. They rely on word-of-mouth marketing far more than past leaders have been willing to admit. Some of the company's marketing practices have perplexed consumers. They have been releasing a lot of new hulls, new boats and simultaneously creating more questions than answering them. These are the exact reasons why I was very excited to hear that Correct Craft hired outside of the company, to fill a vacated Vice Presidency in the Marketing department. I am excited to see what Terry Dunagin does in the upcoming year.
The Interview:
EJ - Congratulations on assuming the Marketing VP role at Correct Craft! It is exciting to see new people assume high-ranking positions at Correct Craft. Are you aware that there are going to be a lot of people interested in speaking with you? People like me who are simply bloggers with Web sites and some slight industry affiliation.
TD - Thank you. I am extremely excited to be returning to Correct Craft. It didn't occur to me that I would be a topic of interest. It's my intention to make the brand the hot topic!
EJ - Would you consider removing boats from the current lineup? It has been suggested that there is too much coming from Correct Craft in the way of family-oriented boats.
TD - This early in my career I would never presume to know what product mix is best for the company. I am confident they are evaluating market information and consumer feedback to develop the product plan and that takes time. However, from a 44-year-old's personal perspective, I can tell you that I'd probably break a hip or something trying to round a buoy at 70 mph behind a Ski Nautique! So maybe a family style Nautique could still give me (and millions of other Baby Boomers) awesome performance without the full body cast. As long as they are still building other tournament caliber models I don't see an issue with product line expansion along the lines of family oriented boats.
EJ - Do you plan to solicit feedback from wakeboarders and water-skiers, about what they would like to see in new Correct Craft models? If so how does one go about getting on a sort of advisory board? Or forming one? Is this something in which you would be willing to participate?
TD - For years, Correct Craft has gleaned product design ideas from professional athletes, its dealer network and its promotional team members. I remember that the customer satisfaction surveys were valuable sources of information from recreational end users. I can't say what additional sources are being used but I've conducted internet surveys, owner events, media events and customer focus groups in the past that were extremely helpful. However, the key is not how much information you gather, but the quality of the information and what you do with it that really matters.
EJ - How has your experience at Boston Whaler prepared you to take over as a marketing leader at Correct Craft?
TD - Boston Whaler has been an incredible growth opportunity for me. Over the years it has evolved into a data driven organization. By monitoring market trends and applying voice of the customer data, you're taking most of the guess work out of product development.
Like Correct Craft, Boston Whaler boats appeal to a niche market so it is extremely important that your marketing and product development efforts are specifically targeted to that audience.
Another similarity in the companies is that they enjoy brand recognition much larger than the companies themselves. From a marketing perspective, that's huge. You can't buy brand equity.
EJ - Correct Craft is known for excellent word-of-mouth marketing, and a good dealer network and some sponsorships etc; but is known for sub-par Web marketing. How would you like to see this change in the upcoming year? Change to the Web site perhaps?
TD - Internet technology is constantly changing. Keeping pace with that can be challenging but it is incredibly important to ensure that the medium is providing an experience reflective of your brand. Given a finite budget and resources, I'd first ensure that an Internet site provides easy access to comprehensive information about our boats and how to get one. You have to rely on the programmers to make the site fast, easy to update and easy to navigate. It's up to the brand to ensure the information provided is what the customer is looking for. The other stuff- tips, weather, clothing- they're nice to have but not at the expense of the information piece of the equation.
EJ - Will you strengthen the reputation of the Super Air Nautique brand? Is it a priority for you at your new job? Correct Craft recently took the Super Air Nautique brand name and its strength, and applied it to the Super Air Nautique 220. This has not been very well received. The "Ski Nautique" branding seems fine while "Super Air Nautique" does not, from an external perspective.
TD - I'll need at least several months to get my feet wet before I'll have a qualified opinion on the product line up. In general, model line extensions are not unusual particularly if you have a successful base on which to build. Considering the nature of the typical Correct Craft owner- experienced boater, probably not an early adopter- it may take some time for a new model to get off the ground. The wakeboard segment is extremely important to Correct Craft so it makes sense that they would want to have additional choices for that customer.
EJ - What would you like to change, regarding the way printed Correct Craft material and the Correct Craft Web site are connected.
TD - Again, I'm not eager to change anything just for the sake of change. That being said, I think it makes sense to have a cohesive look to marketing elements so that when you see one piece it ties to another and eventually it evokes the image of the brand in the mind of the consumer. Literature, web sites, promotional pieces and point of purchase should have some continuity.
Regardless of the nature of the vehicle, above all, it must communicate clearly and effectively. I've seen some clever ads and designs that won art awards but did nothing to support or promote the brand.
There's an enormous amount of talent at Correct Craft and I look forward to working with the team and contributing to the continued success of the company. I hope you'll get back to me in a year to see how we've done.
And that was how it went. She answered all of my questions and did so in a purely professional way, and I appreciate her taking the time to talk with me. Thanks very much, Terry.
And, thanks for reading, Readers.
Posted by erik at 08:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 04, 2005
Supra Purchases Time Machine and Travels to 1997. Learns Flash. Returns to 2005 and Supplants Awesome Version of Web Site
Introduction and Disclaimer
Today I want to tell you about the recent facelift of supraboats.com. This entry is written from the perspective of a Web Developer and Designer of 7 years, who has worked in the Web team at a large company for 5 years, in a competitive displacement oriented Marketing department. And as a disclaimer which will be expanded upon later; Supra is a company I respect and regard as a fantastic boat manufacturer. On my little lake, I see a handful of Supras from the 80's still dependably cruising around year after year, giving their owners plenty of enjoyment and quality time. And that is really how I judge each company and their boats: How well the boats operate and "give back" to their owner after the note is paid off. So, that puts Supra in the top tier. They last. Period. I am fan of Supra boats and of their company in general. Ok now that the gushing is out of the way.
Inspiration? Not Anymore.
What was a site that served as an occasional design inspiration for me, took a 180 degree turn and decided to go nearly all Flash a few weeks ago while simultaneously getting a total, un-needed redesign. In doing so they ditched the intuitive and attractive hover menus, high resolution images, easy-to-find boat documentation and owners manuals, resulting in yet another overly designed Wake boat featurette. What they had was what I have argued to be the proper balance of a Flash-enabled site, in real-life meetings on a real-life projector in a room full of real-life influential business people that could probably fire me, in real life! Now all of that is gone. Now I will have to go back to saying that SonyStyle USA is my favorite site.
It is no secret that giants Master Craft and Correct Craft miss the mark when it comes to their Web presence, and depend on their disparate dealer network to provide individually stunning Web sites. Unfortunately many of these dealer sites link back to the manufacturer's site for information about new boats; while providing high-resolution images only for pre-owned boats. These big companies employ hard to update, over-Flashed sites that offer nothing but a 72 DPI, low-resolution, cut-down elements from their print marketing material. It was a common understanding that Supra stood alone as a wake/ski boat company that understood a Web audience and the browser as a platform for delivering marketing material. This version of Supraboats.com is distinctly not a step forward for the company in this regard.
Tinker's Damage Control
A topic recently came up when the Marketing machine at Supra (Skier's Choice is the parent company of Supra) began soliciting input on WakeWorld.com and WakeBoarder.com under the guise of a random person "stumbling" on the new Supraboats.com site and passing on da' props and some congratulatory remarks. While cute and admirable that they are willing to throw themselves into the snake pit that message forums can be, it was transparent and was obviously someone from Supra. On Wakeboarder.com the discussion quickly turned to questions about the over-use of Flash, the lack of images, and the general degradation of the company's Web presence. But before turning too ugly, Rick Tinker, CEO of Skier's Choice responded to people's comments and most people's proper manners quickly came back.
I found the mere fact that Tinker responded to be pretty impressive and even exchanged a few email messages with him and his design team. Taking that into consideration, I can't see how absolutely annihilating Supra here will result in anything productive, so what I would like to do is frame this feedback in a wider context.
It is Everyone's Problem
The industry needs to get out of the late 1990's and into the mid 00's. It is my belief that people are looking for the following when they are going to a Web site, and are considering the purchase of a $25,000-$65,000 (average new pricing) wake boat.
From: Prospects. To: Wake Boat Companies Re: Our Wants
1. We want images, and we want them at a very high-resolution. In the past year I sold a boat and an SUV. I found that providing hi-res images increased my interested leads and answered most of people's questions, if visually, right off the bat. I am perplexed at the following phenomenon: If I need to see a detailed image, a hi-resolution shot of of something that I am considering buying, I need to perform image searches on eBay because the chances of finding hi-res images (for purposes of this conversation, at, near, or over 1000 pixels wide) on a manufacturer's Web site are nearly zero. We want detailed images and breakdowns of drive train and running gear details for our potential boat. We want upholstery samples, shown in detail. Although we can't "feel" a high-resolution image, we can get an idea of texture from a close up image.
2. We want Specification Data Sheets, and Owners' Manuals and most importantly, PRICING. Stop making us call a dealer or troll for this information on message boards where of course someone got their boat for 2% below cost and wants to brag. Just be up-front.
3. We already have a tendency to misinterpret even the easiest methods of navigating a site. Introducing a new way to navigate not only confuses non-savvy Web users, but confuses us, the good ones. We're good at the internet! When I went to the new Supraboats.com, the first thing I did was look for a navigation menu. I saw an arrow. Then I got cranky.
4. Name site sections appropriately. My favorite example of this is "On the Rope" on Correct Craft's Web site. Wha? On the who? Huh? **not clicking**. I would link to it directly, but since Correct Craft's site is all Flash and thus appears as 1 url, I can't.
5. Stop using the term: "Coming Soon". If it isnt ready, don't bother, becasue we don't care and can't get upset about something we know nothing about to begin with. Forward-looking statements annoy us and despite common belief, does not motivate us to bookmark a site and set a reminder in Microsoft Outlook to go back and look for the new feature. The only purpose the Coming Soon statement serves is for quelling internal complaints at a given company. Outside of the organization they are meaningless. Regarding the "Trick Room" on Supra's site, nobody wants to get their trick tips from Supra and there is no way that the section can last long term anyway. My reccomendation: Ditch it. Focus on what we came to your Web site for: Information on and images of...the boats!
In Closing
For a long time, I've had some problems with the ways that wakeboarding, snowboarding and inboard boat companies market their products. The list is long and if anyone wants to pay me to write a wakeboarding industry white paper, I sure will! Heck for a small advance I'll write a book on it!
But since that won't happen anytime soon, I need to cover these things on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in researching this further, below are two links & examples of the old Supra site vs the new one, made possible due to the fact that some parts of the old Supra site are still up. This side by side comparison uses the Supra 24SSV as an example. A boat that I am quite certian I drooled on a little bit at the 2005 Boston Boat show. Whomever bought that blue & white Launch V-drive at the show, I apologize.
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| Old Version: Supra Launch 24SSV detail page | New Version: Supra Launch 24SSV detail page |
Posted by erik at 08:13 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
