Marines Airsoft and Crosman...they want feedback

[ThumpMaster6]

http://arniesairsoft.co.uk/news2/33513

 

i'll be pointing Laura Evans from Crosman directly to this thread. Especially important to US AND European airsofters, as Crosman just announced a new Euro marketing effort, too...and their new people will have eyes on this thread, also.

 

Thumpy

[howitzer]

Would prefer coast guard branded gear.

[ThumpMaster6]

Lolz! Nice.

[pkm200901]

we need to have gear branded with department of transportation logos.

 

seriously, crossman, what were you thinking? i get the whole "let's make them feel like badasses!" but really? as soon as people get in trouble with these 'marine' branded airsoft guns, the marines will look bad for the simple fact that they're linked to irresponsible idiots. crossman, please stop slapping stupid logos on everything in an attempt to get a buy-in on market share.

[aznriptide859]

Marine logos will not help you sell crappy guns.

[frogfish]

Airsoft is already on shaky ground with the military community as a safe heaven for posers and wannabes, why would you give them more fuel for their fire, and potentially alienate both communities at the same time. Improve the quality of your current items and market things under you're own name, you have a reputation within the pellet gun community, stop only selling cheap airsoft junk, and give yourselves a good name in airsoft too.

[WTF?Shane]

Oh, my... Kill it with fire!

[Danke]

I am going to wait for a Budwiser or possibly a Dodge version. Those won't be much worse I'm sure.

[vorpalbunnie]

hmmm, they also have a new international sales person, which means maybe Asia. And to that i agree with Thumpy, step up the quality crosman, or you stand no chance in Asia.

Also, quality doesnt mean full metal and high fps as most people think. It means go to the drawing board and create some damn fine guns, inside and out.

My first gun was a crosman pulse something, but thats all it is to me, a beginners gun, for 10 year old boys.

[hitmanNo2]

Stick to air rifles and air pistol stuff guys. Your re branded ###### is not needed or wanted. Should you wish to enter the airsoft scene with proper, original products you have R&Dd yourself, that is another matter.

[ED-SKaR]

Crossman has, so far, done nothing but give airsoft a bad name.

 

The guns they sell are poor replicas. They are also poor quality, making them inefficient and unreliable.

 

In my opinion they are not "Airsoft" guns, regardless of whether they shoot 6mm pellets or not. The majority of people buying crossman guns seem to be the, often irresponsible, under aged who play the "backyard wars" or worse, shoot in the streets publicly. You can see that on youtube all the time.

For me the word "Airsoft" is specific to the sport, rather than the technology, and the technology of crossman guns is far inferior to even the Chinese clones that beginner Airsofters end up buying.

[mimesis]

Crosman has the distribution network, based on their other products. That's how they get their airsoft stuff into *rickroll*'s, Wally World et al. Which is how this sub-par stuff falls into the hands of the casual and often irresponsible buyer.

[WhiteHawksan]

if you MUST re-brand, re-brand nice expensive guns like TM or WFC/LCT etc. If you want to make money and earn a market share that will grow, research, build guns that are Crossman, make them good, quality products. No-ones expecting you to not make a TM Clone M4, but maybe branching out into a few wanted but not made pistols based on a GBB mechanism will do you a whole world of good. If it's good, people will buy it.

[MegaMan3k]

Crossman,

 

I'm going to make a crazy analogy here. The most successful comic book movies find a way to please both the hardcore fans and the casual movie going audience that knows nothing about the backstory. Movies that sway one way or the other often suffer from a niche market or hype that is killed by the (very) vocal minority.

 

The problem with so much of what I have seen Crossman do is that they do not care about the support of actual Airsoft players. Rather, every business move Crossman does seems poised to introduce new players to the sport. This is what upsets the mass of airsoft players already involved in the industry. The solution isn't cheaper and flashier - because that's the moves that start putting shadows over the sport and the public opinion of it. The solution is to gain the approval of players and then work with the industry to slowly introduce new players into the world of airsoft.

 

Basically - Hire an experienced player or team as a consultant.

[thartwig]

Crossman,

 

I'm going to make a crazy analogy here. The most successful comic book movies find a way to please both the hardcore fans and the casual movie going audience that knows nothing about the backstory. Movies that sway one way or the other often suffer from a niche market or hype that is killed by the (very) vocal minority.

 

The problem with so much of what I have seen Crossman do is that they do not care about the support of actual Airsoft players. Rather, every business move Crossman does seems poised to introduce new players to the sport. This is what upsets the mass of airsoft players already involved in the industry. The solution isn't cheaper and flashier - because that's the moves that start putting shadows over the sport and the public opinion of it. The solution is to gain the approval of players and then work with the industry to slowly introduce new players into the world of airsoft.

 

Basically - Hire an experienced player or team as a consultant.

 

I would say no to hiring a team or a player as a consultant, as they wouldn't necessarily have any business sense.

 

However if you worked with Airsoft specific field owners i think you can get a more desired affect. By doing so you could sponsor the field use it as advertisement, you could survey players who attend the field and even introduce new products at fields so players know what you're trying to bring to Airsoft. However if you tried that with your current products i think you'd most likely fall flat on your faces. So perhaps work on you products first then with fields. You're welcome!

[Grindstone]

Maybe take some hints from the other, more sucessful airsoft manufacturers such as PolarStar. Stop making ###### and try to actually bring something useful to the market instead of just "trademarks".

[league 4]

Stick to air rifles and air pistol stuff guys. Your re branded ###### is not needed or wanted. Should you wish to enter the airsoft scene with proper, original products you have R&Dd yourself, that is another matter.

 

This summed it up pretty well.

[ThumpMaster6]

Official reply coming soon.

[hitmanNo2]

I am reminded of a line from The Dark Knight. "If you're good at something. Never do it for free" Here we are telling them how to fix a new aspect of their business people normally pay thousands for from business consultants I want a cut of the profits or at least some free gear ha ha

[vorpalbunnie]

I am reminded of a line from The Dark Knight. "If you're good at something. Never do it for free" Here we are telling them how to fix a new aspect of their business people normally pay thousands for from business consultants I want a cut of the profits or at least some free gear ha ha

 

I second that. My name on every gun in gold would be acceptable though.

[ThumpMaster6]

Though you guys would be interested to see that Crosman Airsoft is at least responsive and willing to discuss their plans for MARINES AIRSOFT products. Today's new comes from e-mail exchanges with Laura Evans at Crosman, and the link to the latest posts at the 3-D House of Airsoft have the whole story, to catch everyone up:

 

http://thumpmaster6.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/crosmans-official-word-on-thumpys-marines-airsoft-comments-and-your-comments-too/

 

Have a Great Weekend...and shoot some friends for me!

 

THUMPY...OVER

[thartwig]

It doesnt seem like they listened at all... Rather that they have a plan and are going to stick to that plan. They may ask for our opinions, however as I'm sure they know, we are not their normal target audience. Our opinions generally don't matter, however if their plan is to release replicas that will appeal to all types of players (as it seems to be) they really should.

 

At this point what I want to know is where they plan on sourcing they future inventory from. If they're going to pull an Echo1 and start rebranding China AEGs as their lower tier replicas and then for their higher tier, source replicas from Taiwan based manufacturers, I don't seem them doing all that well trades or no trades.

 

To conclude, this whole deal doesn't sound like anything too interesting. Despite the social politics of the whole thing, I honestly don't think this is going to blow up in their faces either, in terms of kids running amok with USMC airsoft guns. In terms of business they'll probably do OK, but never spectacular as they may hope.

[Krilliad]

Airsoft ref here, I've seen a few of these on the fiels. These guns are neither effective nor sound. They are shoddy at best. Effective range of 20 feet at very low FPS, a gun that jams often and will never make you competitive in the airsoft market. I suggest the drawing board be revisited.

[Frontiers]

Though you guys would be interested to see that Crosman Airsoft is at least responsive and willing to discuss their plans for MARINES AIRSOFT products. Today's new comes from e-mail exchanges with Laura Evans at Crosman, and the link to the latest posts at the 3-D House of Airsoft have the whole story, to catch everyone up:

 

http://thumpmaster6.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/crosmans-official-word-on-thumpys-marines-airsoft-comments-and-your-comments-too/

 

Have a Great Weekend...and shoot some friends for me!

 

THUMPY...OVER

Any chance of you talking about in here? as there is some of us that cannot see those fancy blogs of yours, and you kind opened the topic of talking they want feedback so i guess the replies would be nice to see in here also where we speak of it, than instead going elsewhere to read for replies...Cheers

[ThumpMaster6]

Any chance of you talking about in here? as there is some of us that cannot see those fancy blogs of yours, and you kind opened the topic of talking they want feedback so i guess the replies would be nice to see in here also where we speak of it, than instead going elsewhere to read for replies...Cheers

 

Done deal!

 

 

OK, our “insider” contact with Crosman has been in touch about THIS prior week’s comments (LINK HERE) on the launch of MARINES AIRSOFT, the official “marketing” arm of Crosman and the USMC. In the interests of full disclosure, we’ve redacted part of Laura’s e-gram at her request.

 

We’ll leave it up to Crosman and/or the Marines to clarify their choices….

 

 

“Hello Alan,

 

Thank you for sharing the sentiments of yourself and your audience. We value your opinion.

 

We do, however have a plan in place. Since entering into the agreement with the USMC, we have planned to roll it out in phases: opening price point, better/best, and possibly collector grade. As this has been our plan since day one, we ask that the airsoft community be patient with us.

 

(REDACTED INFORMATION HERE: Withheld at Laura’s Request)

 

We appreciate your candor. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience.

 

Regards,

 

Laura Evans”

-

AND, again for disclosure, here was THUMPY’S Letter that prompted the response above:

 

Laura;

 

You asked for comments, and airsofters are talking. Here are some of the links to comment threads and articles on Marines Airsoft. Obviously your market for the Marines Airsoft brand is not targeted towards mainstream airsofter game players; perhaps some further conversations with the American and world airsoft community might be beneficial. I know from our prior discussions that more is on-the-way, and at a different level of productions (we all hope) that will reflect positively on your efforts. I am always available to assist where ever I can. As an American Airsofter, former newsman/news director and businessman, a supporter of the Marine Corps here in my “hometown of the Marines,” where I routinely play airsoft with Marines and Wounded Warrors, and as a concerned parent of 3 boys who is deeply worried about the direction of the airsoft business, I want to help facilitate conversations and real change in the sport.

 

I believe your company is uniquely positioned in the USA to make change happen. Do you?

 

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/200152-marines-airsoft-and-crosmanthey-want-feedback/

 

http://www.popularairsoft.com/thumpys-feedback-crosman-corporations-marines-airsoft-brand

 

http://thumpmaster6.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/marines-airsoft-website-is-open-epic-fail-for-crosman/

 

Please feel free to contact me for any followups.

 

“Thumpy”

 

Thumpy’s 3-D House of Airsoft