[Niall McAllister]

AAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD
don't use my logo, or I will go ionics on you, and I will send you a  VERY sternly worded email.
so be warned

[matt]

A perfect illustration of branding. Ionics spend a fortune advertising that their system is the best, very difficult to convince us when they build their systems from readily available parts.
I have made the comparison with Rolex before, and I do it again, A Rolex is not a better time piece, my Casio digital keeps better time than my sons Rolex Oyster, and that's a fact. The success of Rolex was proportionate to their glossy mags advertisements, people fall for these advertisements hook line and sinker, if you can afford the advertising, you can persuade enough people that they are buying a status symbol, and that my friends is exactly what Ionics are attempting to do.

Some window cleaners that have paid well over the odds for their systems resent their own gullibility, when they realise that someone with a system costing half as much is doing just as good a job.
Of course Ionics are expensive, the cost of their advertising is built into the price.

My son recently sold his Rolex, why? Because there are so many fakes coming in from the far east nobody believed his was real. No status in wearing £3000 on your wrist when they think it's a fake.


This is what Ionics fear most, they are afraid [and so they should be] that window cleaners won't buy their systems if every Tom Dick And Harry can have their logo on the side of their van.
Ionics are trying to convince us that they are the market leaders, and that their logo is the key to business success.
I would have a picture taken of myself using the pole, and have a large silhouette made from it to put on my van, then they could go and whistle Dixie.

bang on, just about sums it up

BUT

i await the abuse you i will get for the post agreeing with your post 

[NWH]

A perfect illustration of branding. Ionics spend a fortune advertising that their system is the best, very difficult to convince us when they build their systems from readily available parts.
I have made the comparison with Rolex before, and I do it again, A Rolex is not a better time piece, my Casio digital keeps better time than my sons Rolex Oyster, and that's a fact. The success of Rolex was proportionate to their glossy mags advertisements, people fall for these advertisements hook line and sinker, if you can afford the advertising, you can persuade enough people that they are buying a status symbol, and that my friends is exactly what Ionics are attempting to do.

Some window cleaners that have paid well over the odds for their systems resent their own gullibility, when they realise that someone with a system costing half as much is doing just as good a job.
Of course Ionics are expensive, the cost of their advertising is built into the price.

My son recently sold his Rolex, why? Because there are so many fakes coming in from the far east nobody believed his was real. No status in wearing £3000 on your wrist when they think it's a fake.


This is what Ionics fear most, they are afraid [and so they should be] that window cleaners won't buy their systems if every Tom Dick And Harry can have their logo on the side of their van.
Ionics are trying to convince us that they are the market leaders, and that their logo is the key to business success.
I would have a picture taken of myself using the pole, and have a large silhouette made from it to put on my van, then they could go and whistle Dixie.

Talking of watches a fake Rolex cannot be compared to a genuine 1,there are subtle differences only someone that owns 1 would know.The best fake Rolex i`ve seen was from the far east but even then you could tell,if anyone was trying to impress the local chavs they`d get away with it but not the trained eye they wouldn`t.

[jouk45]

this is mines keep your hands of it 

[Oakley Windows]

What programme did you make that in Jouk?

[jouk45]

this one matt, takes a little getting use to, but it does mostly everything
www.online-image-editor.com

[jsm]

I predict Ionics will be the 'woolworths' of the window cleaning world in 2009

bet the credit crunch is hitting them if they are moaning 

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

I predict Ionics will be the 'woolworths' of the window cleaning world in 2009

bet the credit crunch is hitting them if they are moaning 

In actual fact they probably stand to do fairly well.  Lots of people get made redundant and start to do a bit of window cleaning.  What wfp system will they spend there redundancy money on, the one that is the most advertised to be honest.  It's only on brill places like here you get to see how to save a tonne of money and learn about cheaper better suppliers.

Simon.

[Niall McAllister]

the thing with ionics is that they mean nothing to people in the real world. as long as the side of your van says window cleaner and you charge a fair price then no one really cares behond that.
I know when i started i was given a couple of forum sites and I've taken it from there.
ionics, brodex, DIY system, whoever else. in this time all that matters is that you can keep low margins, and happy customers. that goes for the suppliers as well as the window cleaner.

this thread started because ionics want to protect their logo, if you ask anyone in the street they would say nice logo, but they could not tell you what company was being ripped off.
the best way to protect their logo is to make people want their product.

I think they dropped the ball with this one ( or perhaps it's more" it's my ball and I'm going home" : )

I wonder if they are thinking all publicity is good publicity.

[Nathanael Jones]

the best way to protect their logo is to make people want their product.

Well said,... they're failing miserably on this count at the moment.

[Ambient Services]

I predict Ionics will be the 'woolworths' of the window cleaning world in 2009

bet the credit crunch is hitting them if they are moaning 

Too right! one of the owners companies already going under, a big pulling in of the reins

[Count Phil]

Sherwood, is that a metric tonne of money or an imperial ton?

[East coast window cleaning Services]

I predict Ionics will be the 'woolworths' of the window cleaning world in 2009

bet the credit crunch is hitting them if they are moaning 

Too right! one of the owners companies already going under, a big pulling in of the reins

I said this in another post about 4 weeks ago. Ive got a feeling they wont be around the watefed market will become come so competitive next year and ionics wont wanna drop there prices to the level of other makers

[Paul Coleman]

I predict Ionics will be the 'woolworths' of the window cleaning world in 2009

bet the credit crunch is hitting them if they are moaning 

Too right! one of the owners companies already going under, a big pulling in of the reins

I said this in another post about 4 weeks ago. Ive got a feeling they wont be around the watefed market will become come so competitive next year and ionics wont wanna drop there prices to the level of other makers

Pitching the price highish and marketing on quality are valid selling tactics.  So far, the market has been able to bear that.  I have reservations as to whether the market in the next few years will be able to though.  If price becomes a bigger issue for a greater number of W/Cs then dropping price and (possibly) reducing margins becomes essential (not just for Ionics either).  The alternative is to risk going out of business.  Everyone is subject to that basic economic fact.  Maybe smaller W/C businesses can duck and dive around that for longer than most businesses because, for the most part, we are not selling a big ticket item, and also because we have the flexibility to increase working hours to maintain income if push really came to shove.  I know I would be trying to reduce my equipment costs before increasing my working week too much.  At the moment, I am only buying equipment if it's essential or if I think it's a good deal (e.g. bought a nearly new SL-X pole a while back for about £100 or so less than new price).  Basically I probably have all the tools I need for a couple of years at least.  Just the odd pre-filters, maybe a lightweight brush or three, perhaps one or two 100 metre minibores, and a bag of resin are likely to be my only outlays for a couple of years.  Of course a spare pump for the van mount might be a good idea too and maybe the Merlin membranes will give up the ghost in that time but hopefully I can muddle along without spending too much.

[David Slater]

I predict Ionics will be the 'woolworths' of the window cleaning world in 2009

bet the credit crunch is hitting them if they are moaning 

Too right! one of the owners companies already going under, a big pulling in of the reins

I said this in another post about 4 weeks ago. Ive got a feeling they wont be around the watefed market will become come so competitive next year and ionics wont wanna drop there prices to the level of other makers

Pitching the price highish and marketing on quality are valid selling tactics.  So far, the market has been able to bear that.  I have reservations as to whether the market in the next few years will be able to though.  If price becomes a bigger issue for a greater number of W/Cs then dropping price and (possibly) reducing margins becomes essential (not just for Ionics either).  The alternative is to risk going out of business.  Everyone is subject to that basic economic fact.  Maybe smaller W/C businesses can duck and dive around that for longer than most businesses because, for the most part, we are not selling a big ticket item, and also because we have the flexibility to increase working hours to maintain income if push really came to shove.  I know I would be trying to reduce my equipment costs before increasing my working week too much.  At the moment, I am only buying equipment if it's essential or if I think it's a good deal (e.g. bought a nearly new SL-X pole a while back for about £100 or so less than new price).  Basically I probably have all the tools I need for a couple of years at least.  Just the odd pre-filters, maybe a lightweight brush or three, perhaps one or two 100 metre minibores, and a bag of resin are likely to be my only outlays for a couple of years.  Of course a spare pump for the van mount might be a good idea too and maybe the Merlin membranes will give up the ghost in that time but hopefully I can muddle along without spending too much.

Purely speculation on my part -

I feel their business model has a lot to do with with financing. Are they the only manufacturer who offers a 'financing package' for equipment/vehicles?

Most firms legitatmily recive a commission each time they sign somebody up to a finance agreement for products. So not only do they make money on the sale, they aslo make on the commssion of the finance.

Selling items via finance has been as easy as falling off a log....until earlier this year! when all funding stopped dead in its tracks.

I read in a magazine they have recently introduced a package involving second hand vehicles as an alternative to the brand new vans. Is this maybe a sign that people were finding it tough to get financing on the new vehicles (and the higher prices) ?

If they can survive on 'cash buyers' then they'll be fine.
If their market relies on people without cash (who signed up to finance packages) then its going to be an interesting year! 

If customers have 'cash' in their pockets is it likely they'll research other suppliers just a little bit more before deciding on a purchase?