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Monette's Marketing



 
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CJceltics33
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 03, 2019 6:15 pm    Post subject: Monette's Marketing Reply with quote

I am very interested to look at how businesses market their products, and its fun to see that in the trumpet world. I love how Monette markets. And its not just the marketing, the products are quality too; I have been enjoying my Monette for over a year!

They strive to be a unique brand, different from "conventional" mouthpieces/horns, and they even LOOK quite different. Monette posts video after video of great players loving their equipment, and the beauty of the craftsmanship as they make the products. Gold and fancy finger buttons are default. They target both orchestral and commercial players. Theres the "STC" which is good, but then there's the Prana which is better, but get the STC first. Then years later there is the "resonance" which is yet another step up. Now the image has flipped and Monette aims for the people that like to stick to what they know with the "Monette Tradition PLUS" line. Its all genius !!

Curious what everyone else has to say about Monette or marketing strategy.
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LittleRusty
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 03, 2019 6:43 pm    Post subject: Re: Monette's Marketing Reply with quote

CJceltics33 wrote:
I am very interested to look at how businesses market their products, and its fun to see that in the trumpet world. I love how Monette markets. And its not just the marketing, the products are quality too; I have been enjoying my Monette for over a year!

They strive to be a unique brand, different from "conventional" mouthpieces/horns, and they even LOOK quite different. Monette posts video after video of great players loving their equipment, and the beauty of the craftsmanship as they make the products. Gold and fancy finger buttons are default. They target both orchestral and commercial players. Theres the "STC" which is good, but then there's the Prana which is better, but get the STC first. Then years later there is the "resonance" which is yet another step up. Now the image has flipped and Monette aims for the people that like to stick to what they know with the "Monette Tradition PLUS" line. Its all genius !!

Curious what everyone else has to say about Monette or marketing strategy.

Hmm. I can’t say that I have ever seen or heard any marketing by Monette. Since I am a casual musician at the peak of my earning power with possibly the most disposable income in my life I see their marketing strategy a sad failure.
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trumpetchops
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 4:23 am    Post subject: Re: Monette's Marketing Reply with quote

CJceltics33 wrote:
I am very interested to look at how businesses market their products, and its fun to see that in the trumpet world. I love how Monette markets. And its not just the marketing, the products are quality too; I have been enjoying my Monette for over a year!

They strive to be a unique brand, different from "conventional" mouthpieces/horns, and they even LOOK quite different. Monette posts video after video of great players loving their equipment, and the beauty of the craftsmanship as they make the products. Gold and fancy finger buttons are default. They target both orchestral and commercial players. Theres the "STC" which is good, but then there's the Prana which is better, but get the STC first. Then years later there is the "resonance" which is yet another step up. Now the image has flipped and Monette aims for the people that like to stick to what they know with the "Monette Tradition PLUS" line. Its all genius !!

Curious what everyone else has to say about Monette or marketing strategy.


I think the "marketing" is a result of history. He made a trumpet to be better than the others. It took a long time to make so he charged for his time. Some players wanted the trumpet so he made more. He came up with ways to make the trumpet play better based on feedback from the players that had one. A better trumpet. There you have it.
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TKSop
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 4:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it's great marketing.

Some of the ideas themselves (open the throat up and shorten shank to compensate) are far from new...
Where Monette has hit it out of the park is to shift the focus onto to player and make it about technique - instead of becoming just another stop on an endless safari, by making players believe it's their fault the cycle of cursing gear that doesn't work is halted and the player takes a look at themselves (of course, not wanting to write off such huge cost is probably part of it too!).

There's some blunt logical design decisions (wanting to make larger backbore tapers and shifting the shank size to make room for it - simple logic, but a step outside the traditional box) - you have to say that's innovative, even if it's not for you.

I think sometimes marketing goes a bit too far in its disrespect for mainstream designs (I'm a firm believer that different things work for different people) but there's no denying it's quality gear, developed with care and evolving over time.
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Brad361
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 10:12 am    Post subject: Re: Monette's Marketing Reply with quote

LittleRusty wrote:
CJceltics33 wrote:
I am very interested to look at how businesses market their products, and its fun to see that in the trumpet world. I love how Monette markets. And its not just the marketing, the products are quality too; I have been enjoying my Monette for over a year!

They strive to be a unique brand, different from "conventional" mouthpieces/horns, and they even LOOK quite different. Monette posts video after video of great players loving their equipment, and the beauty of the craftsmanship as they make the products. Gold and fancy finger buttons are default. They target both orchestral and commercial players. Theres the "STC" which is good, but then there's the Prana which is better, but get the STC first. Then years later there is the "resonance" which is yet another step up. Now the image has flipped and Monette aims for the people that like to stick to what they know with the "Monette Tradition PLUS" line. Its all genius !!

Curious what everyone else has to say about Monette or marketing strategy.

Hmm. I can’t say that I have ever seen or heard any marketing by Monette. Since I am a casual musician at the peak of my earning power with possibly the most disposable income in my life I see their marketing strategy a sad failure.


I guess it depends in part on how we define “marketing”, but other than Monette’s website, I can’t recall seeing much...actually, NO marketing to speak of. I guess I’m in the same camp as LittleRusty on this.

Brad
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delano
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The marketing of the Monette company is discussed on this form in a really interesting and fundamental way but is completely deleted by the censors (go to a business forum/ there were complaints[?]) so I don't see any reason to start this again.
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LittleRusty
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 12:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Monette's Marketing Reply with quote

An interesting point was made about defining marketing. After reviewing my career in electronics working for many industry leading/defining companies I have to admit that marketing does play a part in defining a company’s product lineup.
CJceltics33 wrote:
I am very interested to look at how businesses market their products, and its fun to see that in the trumpet world. I love how Monette markets. And its not just the marketing, the products are quality too; I have been enjoying my Monette for over a year!

I agree that Monette has a reputation for quality. My comments are in no way meant imply that they aren’t quality instruments, but since I have never owned one I cannot attest first hand.

As I understand it their marketing strategy is dependent on a continued top quality product, as is Schilke, Yamaha, Getzen, and many of the custom or boutique builders.

CJceltics33 wrote:
They strive to be a unique brand, different from "conventional" mouthpieces/horns, and they even LOOK quite different.

This is a two edged sword. If one is interested in different from conventional this can be a positive. However, many are not, which makes this a negative for them.

The trick is determining if the pool of those interested is large enough collection of potential customers with enough money to sustain the business.

So far it appears to be working so, yes, this would be good marketing.

CJceltics33 wrote:
Monette posts video after video of great players loving their equipment, and the beauty of the craftsmanship as they make the products. Gold and fancy finger buttons are default. They target both orchestral and commercial players.

This is a time proven strategy which most instrument manufacturers use, as well as the general business world.
CJceltics33 wrote:
Theres the "STC" which is good, but then there's the Prana which is better, but get the STC first. Then years later there is the "resonance" which is yet another step up.

This is another time proven strategy that many manufacturers use. Think of the student/intermediate/pro lines that instrument manufacturers have used forever. Those in the know don’t get sucked into these sometimes artificial classifications.
CJceltics33 wrote:
Now the image has flipped and Monette aims for the people that like to stick to what they know with the "Monette Tradition PLUS" line. Its all genius !!

So the company has discovered the pool of uninterested potential buyers that prefer the conventional instrument is significant.

Was ignoring this pool for years before deciding to add something to interest them genius? My personal opinion is probably not, but some might think so.

However if focusing on the unconventional pool paid the bills and then some, that was wise. And if they now have the capacity to produce conventional instruments without impacting their quality and margins, adding conventional to their product line is smart, if not a little obvious.
CJceltics33 wrote:
Curious what everyone else has to say about Monette or marketing strategy.

However, I do stand by my statement that for me their marketing is non-existent since I don’t really care what others play, nor am I an enthusiastic supporter of Monette, so unless they reach out to me I will never know nor understand their product lineup.
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Brad361
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe I should clarify what I said earlier. I happen to believe, based on my experience with their mouthpieces and their customer service, that they make a high quality product. I have not been fortunate enough to try one of their horns, but I would guess that they play very well.....depending on exactly how one defines “well.” That being said, I’m not willing to invest that much in a horn, but that’s just me, maybe my opinion would change if I played one.

But I really see no “marketing”, other than their very well done website. Maybe they don’t need anything else, if you have a company that builds products people are willing to wait a year for, I suspect you’re doing something right.

Brad
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LittleRusty
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brad361 wrote:
Maybe I should clarify what I said earlier. I happen to believe, based on my experience with their mouthpieces and their customer service, that they make a high quality product. I have not been fortunate enough to try one of their horns, but I would guess that they play very well.....depending on exactly how one defines “well.” That being said, I’m not willing to invest that much in a horn, but that’s just me, maybe my opinion would change if I played one.

But I really see no “marketing”, other than their very well done website. Maybe they don’t need anything else, if you have a company that builds products people are willing to wait a year for, I suspect you’re doing something right.

Brad

Even more important than having customers that are willing to wait, is whether the profit made on the instruments sold can sustain your business. Another well known custom builder, best left unnamed due to the flame wars that seem to follow discussions about his business, has had customers willing to wait, but has struggled to deliver and appeared to have cash flow problems on occasion.

Since Monette has been around for years and shows no signs of failing I am willing to state they have a winning business model. No mean feat in today’s world.
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khedger
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Monette's Marketing Reply with quote

CJceltics33 wrote:
I am very interested to look at how businesses market their products, and its fun to see that in the trumpet world. I love how Monette markets. And its not just the marketing, the products are quality too; I have been enjoying my Monette for over a year!

They strive to be a unique brand, different from "conventional" mouthpieces/horns, and they even LOOK quite different. Monette posts video after video of great players loving their equipment, and the beauty of the craftsmanship as they make the products. Gold and fancy finger buttons are default. They target both orchestral and commercial players. Theres the "STC" which is good, but then there's the Prana which is better, but get the STC first. Then years later there is the "resonance" which is yet another step up. Now the image has flipped and Monette aims for the people that like to stick to what they know with the "Monette Tradition PLUS" line. Its all genius !!

Curious what everyone else has to say about Monette or marketing strategy.


I've never been sure whether Monette's horns would work for me. They look like they must be heavy instruments, which don't generally work well for me. I remember I was looking into checking out there horns once and it became clear to me very quickly that these are for very affluent people. Not only are the horns VERY expensive (I'm not saying they're not worth it, not stepping on toes....) AND one has to make at least two trips to the Pacific Northwest (I can't remember exactly where they are Seattle? Portland?) to get fittings for the integrated mouthpiece. Wow. Even if I COULD afford one of the horns, I wouldn't pay and take the time to fly all the way to the west coast to do mouthpiece fittings because they've designed them to be integrated into the horn....
I dunno, maybe I'm just missing something....

keith
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Brad361
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don’t know about Monette horns being only for the very affluent. Yes, in comparison to other great trumpets available they are expensive, but compared to other instruments (violins, double reeds, even saxes) I’m not sure if they are far out of line regarding cost.
I also believe that not all of their horns use an integrated mouthpiece.

Brad
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kehaulani
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 12:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brad361 wrote:
Yes, in comparison to other great trumpets available they are expensive, but compared to other instruments (violins, double reeds, even saxes) I’m not sure if they are far out of line regarding cost.



Let's not forget that these non-Monette instruments are more complex than a trumpet, though.
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bjcord
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 4:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Monette's Marketing Reply with quote

khedger wrote:
CJceltics33 wrote:
I am very interested to look at how businesses market their products, and its fun to see that in the trumpet world. I love how Monette markets. And its not just the marketing, the products are quality too; I have been enjoying my Monette for over a year!

They strive to be a unique brand, different from "conventional" mouthpieces/horns, and they even LOOK quite different. Monette posts video after video of great players loving their equipment, and the beauty of the craftsmanship as they make the products. Gold and fancy finger buttons are default. They target both orchestral and commercial players. Theres the "STC" which is good, but then there's the Prana which is better, but get the STC first. Then years later there is the "resonance" which is yet another step up. Now the image has flipped and Monette aims for the people that like to stick to what they know with the "Monette Tradition PLUS" line. Its all genius !!

Curious what everyone else has to say about Monette or marketing strategy.


I've never been sure whether Monette's horns would work for me. They look like they must be heavy instruments, which don't generally work well for me. I remember I was looking into checking out there horns once and it became clear to me very quickly that these are for very affluent people. Not only are the horns VERY expensive (I'm not saying they're not worth it, not stepping on toes....) AND one has to make at least two trips to the Pacific Northwest (I can't remember exactly where they are Seattle? Portland?) to get fittings for the integrated mouthpiece. Wow. Even if I COULD afford one of the horns, I wouldn't pay and take the time to fly all the way to the west coast to do mouthpiece fittings because they've designed them to be integrated into the horn....
I dunno, maybe I'm just missing something....

keith


Hi Keith! I work at Monette, so I thought I'd jump in here to clear up a few things that you mentioned:

"They look like they must be heavy instruments,"

This is a common misconception, because we DO make some heavy instruments. But we also make very lightweight instruments, and everything in between.

"AND one has to make at least two trips to the Pacific Northwest... to get fittings for the integrated mouthpiece."

MANY people order their horn without visiting the shop. I think that there are certainly many benefits to visiting the shop, trying horns and mouthpieces, and working with us in person, but it is not totally necessary.

When someone wants to start the process of ordering a horn, unless they are already settled into specific Monette mouthpiece size(s) and already know exactly what they want, we send them sample mouthpieces - at no charge - so that they can try them out and figure out what will work best for them.

Also, only about half of the horns we make have integrated mouthpieces. And these days they are threaded, which means that they can be removed and changed if someone needs something different.

I hope this clears a few things up!
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LittleRusty
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well now. IMHO, this ^^^^^ is good marketing.

Welcome.

Btw, if you are already selling as many horns as you can make marketing is not as important.
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