RIB International

[Alan]

Originally posted by Keith Hart
So, does this chap HMS (?) read Ribnet?

The results of the poll (which is small, but amongst his target readership) should make the publishers think a bit.

What happens now JK?

Keith (?) Hart

He did after RB4 'cos he posted in a huff about those that knocked it. And those that went on it and knocked it after the event.

Not sure he's bothered about what we think at all IMHO. He has a nice little earner with no competition so why worry?!

[Alan Priddy]

If I was him, I would worry knowing what I know! Alan P

[Charles]

Weeeeelllllllll, what do you know, Mr Prids?
Ve haff the means to make you talk!!

[John Kennett]

Originally posted by Keith Hart
What happens now JK?

No idea! All I do is run a little ole web site

John

[GraemeCooper]

John

I also keep getting the session invalid message. Have tried logging off and on, but no luck so far.

[Jono Garton]

Hi Chaps

After chatting with the Honda stand at the boat show, they quoted.

"That Hugo Montgomery-Swim chap - You always seem to get a good write up if you advertise with him"

[Alan]

Originally posted by JAHNO
Hi Chaps

After chatting with the Honda stand at the boat show, they quoted.

"That Hugo Montgomery-Swim chap - You always seem to get a good write up if you advertise with him"

Yeah and also if you lend him a car for the Round Ireland shore team support!!

[jace]

Hi All

Must strongly disagree with the above, I have followed Rib International for many years now and have never found Hugo’s Boat reviews to be hugely inaccurate. If you actually read his reviews, between the lines you can decipher his genuine opinion. If you ever read the Dash round up after he used it for a season a couple of years ago you would have to agree.
There are other magazines out there that only write nice things for their advertisers and pretty much offer this if you advertise with them. I can say Rib International is not one of them.

Jace (Not posted for a while) P

[John Kennett]

Graeme (and others)

I've looked into the voting problem and it turns out to be to do with how the AOL browser handles cookies. This will be sorted when I upgrade the forum software, but I don't intend to do that any time soon.

If you want to vote, either use a proper ISP or email me your vote and I'll add it manually!


Jace

As Ribcraft is arguably the RIB manufacturer closest allied to RIB International, a more cynical person than me might think you are just being nice to them. Obviously I wouldn't suggest that for a moment . . .


John

[jace]

John

Well I suppose you could think that if you were really cynical. Long and short of it, I don’t think you can buy a good review from HMS with an advert as suggested above.

I’m sure the Rib Int team will be reading this thread, so why don’t people come forward with constructive criticism and suggestions?

Jace

P.S. Must post more often, John will you be bringing out an official Rib.Net handbag?

[John Kennett]

Originally posted by jace
I’m sure the Rib Int team will be reading this thread, so why don’t people come forward with constructive criticism and suggestions?

There's been quite a lot of discussion on this thread.

I don't know if anyone from RIB International reads these forums regularly. To the best of my knowledge they have only contributed one post out of nearly 9,000 -- I'd have thought they had more to offer than that between them!

There are lots of people here who would like to see a better RIB Magazine and would be happy to make constructive suggestions and discuss the various issues. Hugo, or anyone else from the magazine, is very welcome to join in the debate whenever they feel like it.

P.S. Must post more often, John will you be bringing out an official Rib.Net handbag?

No, but I thought a RIBnet milk saucer might be cool!

John

[jace]

Originally posted by John Kennett
There are lots of people here who would like to see a better RIB Magazine and would be happy to make constructive suggestions and discuss the various issues.

John

Couldn't agree more.

Jace

[toby.budd]

I must agree that RIB Int is by no means perfect and I can list a number of points that I beleive make it so.

I dont know much about business and less about publishing But here is how I see it.

Lets say for example you decide to start up a, and lets say for arguments sake, a water taxi, now I dont know whos idea it was to start the taxi but it happened. Now you decide to do this in a harbour that, as yet does not have such a service. You have decided to do this because you beleive that there is a gap in the market for a water taxi, and it has the ability to make money and be financially sustainable.

Now, you start up and people use you. Why, because you provide a service that they need. They are undoubtably better off as they now have a choice, they can choose you, or they can choose their tender. Now word gets around, and more people visit this harbour and the harbour is undoubtable better off for it.

Now the taxi driver is busy all the time. He has secured his place in the market and has his business is making money.

After a couple off years the taxi is still running, the taxi driver has put up his prices, stoped running on Sundays, and only runs untill 9pm, and instead of getting a new boat has kept on with the old one.

Now why has he done this. Because he can, he can reduce his overheads, he can reduce the quality of his service but he still makes as much money. But now he gets to spend more time with his kids, gets to bed earlier at night and has enough money to go on holiday once a year.

Now understandibly people are starting to complain. But why should the taxi man change. He has a comfortable life style.

I hate to say it but service and demand. The demand has now grown greater than the service available. Now, the taxi driver thinks. Should I invest in a new boat and another driver so I can improve my service? Otherwise someone else is going to start up another water taxi. But if I do that it means no hloiday this year, I will have to re morgage the house and sell my bike. Is it really necessary. Well, theres only 100 boats in the harbour, Im sure some of them are loyal to me, and its such a small market would any one else think that it was worth it to set up against me. He decides no. And has his holiday and keeps his bike.

Now, each year ten new moorings are put on the river. The taxi driver knows in the back of his head that sooner or later there is going to be enough business to support two water taxis. But he will worry about that when that day comes. After all he is the market leader. Why should he improve his service if he doesnt need to. After all his bank treats him like s##t, he just got screwed by the tax man, his ex wife took his old house, the holiday company wouldnt give him his money back when he was sent to a hotel next to a building site and the garage he just got his bike from wont honour the waranty. So sod it. people still use his taxi and give him money so what the hell. He probably plans to retire in a couple of years any way.

He knows nothing is going to change untill some one somewhere decides that they can provide a better service than him, doesnt mind working on sundays and is willing to work late into the night.

But like I say I dont know much about publishing. I agree the magazine is not perfect and their are a number of things about it that frustrate me. But, I still buy it. Because I choose to, its better than nothing. And for me its as simple as that.

However I have no doubt that severall of you will disagree.

[Jono Garton]

When you look at it that way???

The Water taxi driver should think about a business partner with a boat!!!

[wavelength]

'ow did you manage to write a reply that long??? my reply thingy wont let me send more that much!

[toby.budd]

Jahno, do the names andy topham, jim verity and keep on smiling mean any thing to you. Probably a shot in the dark. But I know pwehelli and soch are a small place.

Suprised myself, once im off typing in my own little world i can keep on typing for hours. Im not very good with putting my point across and this is the best way I know how. Any way it was either that of some trash on Sat night TV.

Off to the Scillys on Tuesday. Myself and two mates are taking a hobie 18 and my gemini GSX. Great boat. Not a RIB mind but an inflatable. Bit woried about this low comming in. An ex tropical storm I think.

[Mike Garside]

Nice parable, Toby. You've thought that through.

I'll add only this. In my experience the most sure-fire way of starting up a successful business is to find one that already operates in a market in which I might be interested. If that business is doing what it does badly enough to make it vulnerable to better competition, the time is ripe to open up next door.

Classic example I once witnessed was in a town full of retired oldies (Frinton-on-Sea, actually) where there was just one book shop to meet their reading needs.

The old guy who ran it sat at his counter in a filthy old jacket, smoking a foul smelling pipe. Next to him, asleep on the floor was a very old dog, that smelled even worse.

As a travelling salesman, I used to deliver books to this shop and it was dreary call.

One day, I called in to Frinton and found the shop closed down. It had gone out of business.

On the opposite side of the road was a brand new bookshop. I called in with my wares. It smelled of freshly brewed coffee and there was bright young couple in there hard at work, serving customers. There were even a couple of young mums whose kids were playing happily with a pile of toys in a kiddy-book corner.

My business philosophy has always been a rather cryptic one - "Do the job as badly as you can get away with." The old man and his dog had done it too badly and they hadn't got away with it. The new kids on the block were doing the job successfully, not better than it needed to be, but well enough to make money - in my book, the whole aim of the game.

[Tiger]

I have read nearly every copy since the early days and IMHO since the days when RIBEX was in Weymouth its gone downhill.
(Weymouth was small, but a great site 2 mins from the real sea!)

I have to susspect that money has been the major part in this, as with most exhibitions, RIBEX must create reasonable income, but 2-3 years ago the mag did have a good content level in each edition.

Though I can see the 4x4 section has appeal to some I consider it a waste of space. Read a car mag!

In a rib mag I want to know about hull + engine design reviews on the water in all types of craft from basic 4m satety boats to 10m twin jetdrive wheelhouse.

I also want to read information that educates people on all levels, basic seamanship to mad weather conditions and passage planning.

Yes its all in other books, but i want to hear from people that use the boats and not just bast from a-b and back on a sunny day.

Overall, this is the better forum for discussion of who uses RIBs and what for.

Perhaps I have grown out of the simple RIB mag?

[Keith Hart]

from basic 4m satety boats to 10m twin jetdrive wheelhouse.

4m! 4m! . What's the matter with reading about smaller RIBs and SIBs?

Keith (don't leave me out) Hart

[Keith Hart]

Okay. My thoughts on this matter.

RIBEX and RI are very much a part of the same game plan. If you are running an exhibition for a niche market (which is what RIBS are in the boating world), then you need to advertise the exhibition.

Right. Start a magazine. Now you can SELL the magazine to all your potential exhibition visitors. That way THEY pay for your advertising!

Now you go to potential exhibitors and promise THEM huge coverage in your magazine. You now SELL them exhibition space AND advertising in the magazine.

Good plan.

It gets better. Your magazine has no competition. Many people will buy it just because there is nothing else in your niche market (see comments in the two threads). You can save money on editorial content by using any of the thousands of FREE press releases that you can link to RIBs no matter how thin the link is.

You have your exhibition. You give it massive coverage in your magazine. Your advertisers/exhibitors are happy.

So that's it. Use your own magazine to promote your own exhibition to promote your own magazine to promote your own exhibition to promote your own magazine..........

Not a bad plan if you own the magazine and the exhibition. Not so good if you are a mere customer or reader.

Anyway I must say again that I heve never even seen RI, nevermind read it. These are just my ideas on the business side of things. But what the heck do I know?

Keith () blooming bracket slipped Hart