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If you can't stand on your laurels, reduce yourself to guerilla marketing.


The funny thing is, SVS makes a worthwhile product. If they made crap, I could understand behavior like this, but they don't make crap.


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Just sick how the most balanced discussion happens on a manufacturer's site, where you'd expect the most fanboyism.


WOW! What an interesting observation. I hadn't thought about it 'til you mentioned it, but I think you're right.

A thread similar to this one was begun over at the AVS forum, and moderator David Bott closed it with the following comments which I found interesting.

"This is like beating a dead house [sic] and I am an animal lover.

We have been down this road before, even here on AVS we have had to clamp down on the SVS threads from being made left and right. This is not a new thing at all, just same same old issue that has been made before but on another site. Other companies that are internet sales based have had similar issues here and elsewhere.

This is why you see that thread stuck at the top of the section that was made way back in 11/04... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=471854

Issues like this are made when a company chooses to use forums such as this to drive sales from within posts. And they may not even do it directly, but from the users of their products. Companies like this actually own their existence to sites like this. SVS was started by forum members who were helping the do-it-yourself person. They have done quite well.

I myself have used SVS subs, owned and loved the Twin Ultras and was even published saying so in Audio Video Interiors Magazine. I have even helped defend SVS defend from other members just looking to attack them. Ron was even at the 2006 AVS Forum party at CEDIA. (See attached, he is the one in the white shirt. No, not the one on the far right in white, but the one with the big smile.)

Companies in general should not expect to use sites like this to drive sales directly via employees or by asking it's consumers to help. This site and others are only able to operate for it's members based on the ad sales on the site. Thus we have RULES about not allowing direct marketing posts to be made. We have been told outright 'why should I buy ads when I can just ask our customers to promote me?'. NOTE: We were NOT told this by SVS. But it does go to show how an issue can, and does, get made.

All in all we will now close this thread so move on and go enjoy some music or movies. In other words, take it elsewhere please. For at this point SVS has not been an issue as of late here but does know where we stand as a support site. I personally have no reason to not think that it is part of their marketing plan to use forum sites to market directly within posts. I also have no reason to discount this was told to the guys at Audiholics by someone at SVS. (If you think companies do not already do this or consider doing it, you would be sadly mistaken for it is a new age of sales. (Note to self...find a way to make $$$ on that.)

Please note...AVS will continue to remove posts or members that we feel are here for one reason. (This goes for any company in any forum section as a lot of you already know.)

Thank you."

I can understand overzealous fanboys hyping "their" product, but a manufacturer who resorts to this type of tactic is a loser in my book. YMMV.

Jack

"People generally quarrel because they cannot argue." - G. K. Chesterton