I have not had a recent, like last few weeks, conversation with anybody on this topic. BUT, the question of redundant brand lineups, a lot of overlap in skis, some absolute "twin" products, and the ever present question of the best way to more effectively distribute product, with the best results and margins is clearly part of the Tecnica Group in the USA. And particularly with respect to "race product".
When a ski company decides to bring race skis to the American market, they have a number of decisions to make. Many are driven by what the skis and boots are, and what market they serve. Are we selling junior race skis and boots? How young/small? Or, are we primarily focused on say U14 and older kids? Or even older. Are we going to bring skis in that will be used by anybody on the USST? Are we joining the USST Pool and paying the fees. Do we have any USST skiers under contract, or will we? Do we plan to get tight with the top ski academies and race programs, and do we plan to "comp", to give, skis and boots to the best? How many, how visible, how fast?
Or, do we want to sell "race skis", largely through a retail channel, through ski shops. Even virtual ski shops, all online. Or Hybrids. depending on your plans and strategy, your distribution and sales team can look very different. OK, we're only going to deal directly with the top 20 ski programs, and NCAA colleges, in the country. We're going to have a US Race Director who manages all of those relationships, and works closely with those programs to get the coaches to buy-in to the quality of product and recommend to the athletes. This is not give my retail reps a couple of more skis or boots to talk up.
Maybe that Race Director also works with a dozen or so top end shops that they then establish as "Race Centers", shops that have a serious race feel and reputation. Some are more prevalent in their parts of the country than others. In that case your "race rep" also deals with the few retailers. In some parts of the country, the retail shops are THE source of race gear. very knowledgable staff, great service, huge value. And maybe your good guy retail rep is the defect race guy.
Then, you could have a group of reps, either your own employees, OR an independent rep network, or if you really want to confuse it, BOTH. Heck, you could have independent reps who sell competing products, IF they have convinced you that they "own" all of the relationships on their geographic territory. Or, you could hire some guy as an area rep....which I have my own views on.
So it gets real confusing. Even in the planning stages.
Then you have boots versus skis. The Nordica Dobermann is the absolute franchise of real race boots. Virtually every boot raced on the WC has the Dobie in it's DNA. Back in the 1980's the Nordica Grand Prix {not the one that was sold to the public years later} was a super hot boot on the WC. Obviously there are other boots, and a company like Lange has a huge share. Different boots also work for different ages, genders, sizes and feet. However, if you were a guy and HAD to buy your race boots, or could pick themyou might well end up in a Dobie. Tecnica, to be honest, really had very little race presence. Yeah Bode skied in them, until he tried a Dobie as they were rolling them out in 1998.
So you temper the attractiveness and demand of your boots versus your skis. Nordica is building some GREAT race skis, at the upper level. The new WC stock GS skis {like REALLY USED at the level} are apparently tremendous. Fast. Last years, not so much. Great SL skis. Now, as you move down the age ranks, do you see a LOT of top young domestic FIS skiers and U16's, U14's on the skis? I would say, some. Could, maybe should be more.
Blizzard has had a hard time getting a lot of traction with their race products in this country. Some good traction, but not great, and the Tecnica group has been competing with themselves. To people in the business, at a high level, people who are CMO's in other businesses, consultants, it looked odd. OK. why on earth are you both fighting for share, and competing with OURSELVES, with a completely redundant group pf people dedicated to the race niche. Are we gaining anything?
You go to a big rep weekend, say the biggest ones, like Ski Club Vail, or Aspen, and you see a Blizzard van, a Nordica van, and tents, tables, product displayed, boot clogs to try on, and swag from BOTH. Reps for both. Why? "Well that's how we do it!" OK. Are you on the same team or competing?
There is so much "Well, we always have done it this way, " and so much inertia based on how it has always been done in this business that it spins your head. It can also get people very upset, and torqued off as they insist that they and their friends really do make a difference. Ohhh.... "my rep."
Tecnica may be getting smart with this. If we can't sell as much Blizzard race product as we want, and we thing it's cannibalizing our Nordica sales, and preventing us fromm being one of the biggest, let's take the race skis out of this USA market. Gone. Let's still sell the orange version of the Dobermann line of boots{the Firebird GP} in retail shops. A bunch of expert skiers will want that performance, and they look pretty cool. Let's cut down the team to sell and service it.
Meanwhile we put all of the race energy into the Nordica lineup, and grow it. Get some economies of scale, eliminate the redundancy. Figure where to sell it, comp it, and be visible. And maybe even give up some geography where it's been like pulling teeth to get some traction. Nordica has a lot more visibility, with a guy like Paris on the WC.
That's my strong hunch.
As far as history, yeah, I know the Press Release goes there. You can research the race history of almost ANY company and it, along with ownership, has bounced all over the map over the years. Few of these companies are what they once were, many have morphed a great deal. Head?
Nordica really caught fire with the Dobermann boot in 1999. To the point where a lot are skied on the WC, in a variety of colors, with a variety of buckles and cosmetics, today. And once they started building their best race skis in Italy, and later in Mittersill in the Blizzard factory race room, they became a lot better. Abut 10 years ago we had a few top American racers in a Technica boot. It was actually a boot molded in the Nordica factory using a goldfish and black color combo. 100% Dobermann. Timmy Kelley was in the boot.
Does history and legacy mean a thing to anybody but some of us on PS? When it comes to race skis? I don't think so. Take Augment. That is a GREAT ski. With zero legacy before a handful of Blizz and Nordica guys started CROC. When Head re-emerged, they had a very short race history in the mis 60's.
Seems like a non issue. Nordica tries to sell Aamodt as their history on skis. Fact is that he pretty much won every one of his WC and Olympic victories on Dynastar skis, and at the end of his racing days, signed with Nordica. He was in a Nordica boot for his entire career.
Don't think eliminating Blizz race skis will have much effect. Below the top levels.....like skis built of the best, they're almost identical. Certainly the junior skis.
We'll see......
