New Megs Products

Paco you bring up a few good points. I really think in the near future MEGs will discontinue a few products. I really don't know for sure.
 
It seems to me to they are trying to re-invent themselves (as much as a wax/polish company can) and either they don't have:



1. A strong clear mission statement

2. Clear direction

3. Or are facing multiple agenda's



It almost seems like they are trying to due too much too quickly.



Personally, the NXT line launch for some reason has left me with a bitter taste and looking to other companies for products.



Strange .. but true. It seems as though others might be feeling the same way.
 
paco said:
It seems to me to they are trying to re-invent themselves (as much as a wax/polish company can) and either they don't have:



1. A strong clear mission statement

2. Clear direction

3. Or are facing multiple agenda's



It almost seems like they are trying to due too much too quickly.



Personally, the NXT line launch for some reason has left me with a bitter taste and looking to other companies for products.



Strange .. but true. It seems as though others might be feeling the same way.
Click to expand...



I agree with you and do feel the same way.



In part because of their representatives and in part because of their tactics.
 
Mike Phillips,



I know it may sound like I'm coming down hard on Meguiars but I appreciate your feedback and the helpfulness in teaching users on how to use Meguiar's products. You've provided a lot of very useful information and I look forward to what else you may have up your sleeve with tips etc.



I guess being the No. 1 manufacturer in the country for detailing products, there's a certain level of expectation that comes with it.



Paco
 
By the same token we can we think of GM as lacking;

"1. A strong clear mission statement

2. Clear direction

3. Or are facing multiple agenda's"

because Saturn, Cadillac, Chevy, Saab, and GMC all have new products that are launched with great fanfare and entirely different marketing angles.



Meg's may not a big company but they are a big player in the polish&wax world. They service all segments of the polish&wax market so it's not surprising that they have multiple products that basically do the same thing but are either formulated or packaged differently for different customers' needs.



Think of Meg's many customers:

John Q. Public

Ernie Enthusiast

Detailer Dan

Painter Pete

Commercial Carwash Kate

Body Shop Bob

Olivia OEM



All want to make cars (not to mention boats, planes and trains) look shiny but each has different requirements and purchases in different volumes through different channels.





PC.
 
the other pc said:
By the same token we can we think of GM as lacking;

"1. A strong clear mission statement

2. Clear direction

3. Or are facing multiple agenda's"

because Saturn, Cadillac, Chevy, Saab, and GMC all have new products that are launched with great fanfare and entirely different marketing angles.
Click to expand...

As I think I said earlier in this thread...the closure of the Oldmobile and Plymouth divisions, and rumors about Mercury are proof that the big three are rethinking their "all things to all people" strategy. I'm a GM guy, and I would accuse GM of the things you mention (at various times in history)...so I don't think this is the best argument to call us hypocrites in regard to Meguiar's (I'm a Meg's guy too).
 
Meguiar's makes a lot of good products. So how is that bad for us? I much rather have more choices than less any day of the week.



Sometimes I like #16, others I reach for #26. Frequently I use NXT. Occasionally I want a cleaner wax for my trailer, or something for the boat.



Sometimes #9 is fine and others I like #82 or #83. # 81 and #7 are fine too.



Sometimes I use consumer products, sometimes professional products and others I grab something from the detailer line.



More is better.
 
jfelbab said:
Meguiar's makes a lot of good products. So how is that bad for us? I much rather have more choices than less any day of the week.



Sometimes I like #16, others I reach for #26. Frequently I use NXT. Occasionally I want a cleaner wax for my trailer, or something for the boat.



Sometimes #9 is fine and others I like #82 or #83. # 81 and #7 are fine too.



Sometimes I use consumer products, sometimes professional products and others I grab something from the detailer line.



More is better.
Click to expand...
OK, it's time for me to jump in here. I now know the difference between #16 and #26, can't say for the rest of the stuff, but when I first started, even now for that matter, I couldn't figure out what the difference was between Quick Detailer, Final Inspection, Final Detail, ad infinitum. Therein lies the problem. If they want to produce ALL these products for ALL aspects, then they need to do a better job of explaining what those differences are and why. Their oh so brief descriptions just lead to the impression that they're probably all the same, but with different labels for different strokes.
 
jfelbab said:
Meguiar's makes a lot of good products. So how is that bad for us? I much rather have more choices than less any day of the week. ... Sometimes I use consumer products, sometimes professional products and others I grab something from the detailer line. ... More is better.
Click to expand...



Normally speaking, I would revel in more products, in the figuring out the nuances between products...that somehow is part of the mastery, in a different way than the tactile mastery of using the products. Specifying products is part of my job, so I'm into it, you know? But it gets tiring when you can't really figure out what the differences are...as SteveOst said, Meg's doesn't give you enough info/explanation to really understand the differences, forcing you to guess, experiment, or endlessly search posts on MOL. While I'm at it, Poorboy's isn't any better...when do you use Professional Polish instead of SSR1? But at least with Poorboy's there's only one alternate, instead of 8.



So, there's nothing wrong with it, it's just the older I get the more I want to simplify my life.
 
Its what's would you like a lot of products doing just about the same thing or less products, that's just about what it comes down to.To me it just gets to confusing.
 
the other pc said:
By the same token we can we think of GM as lacking;

"1. A strong clear mission statement

2. Clear direction

3. Or are facing multiple agenda's"

because Saturn, Cadillac, Chevy, Saab, and GMC all have new products that are launched with great fanfare and entirely different marketing angles.
Click to expand...



Actually, that proves my point exactly rather disapproving it! :D



With the expection of a few products that have stood the test of time (Corvette for one), products that GM were manufacturing 10 years back have all been replaced. The most recent that comes to mind is Cavalier --> Cobalt. :up



Can you imagine how confusing it would be to a customer if they walk into a showroom and had to choose between a 4-door Cavalier and a 4-door cobalt :nono In the end, it would probably come down only to the look of the vehicle (packaging) - nothing more.



Rather than supporting 2 compacts that are going after the same market, they've drop the old one and replaced it with a newer update. They are both still priced the same, it's simply improving upon what they had and keeping the company fresh.



Now, that's good marketing!



They also have an issue in that the Sunfire and Cavalier were basically the same J-body vehicle with just a different look. :nixweiss



Why is Toyota so strong these days .. .simple. No duplication for the most part. Keep their low end as Toyota. Maintain a high end with Lexus. Very very little cross of vehicles so either you buy a Corolla/Camry or you buy a IS300/LS400 etc. Honda/Acura .. Nissan/Infinity. SIMPLE! :bow



BMW/Mercedes go about it in a slightly different way buy have 3 or 4 target groups and clearly defining what the differences are within a class or between the class i.e. 3 vs 5 vs 6 vs 7 (soon to include a 4). Within the series, you go 318, 325, 330 etc. As you increase the number, you increase the performance of the vehicle. SIMPLE!



Look at GM; too much diversification and it water's down your efficiency's were true profit can be gained. Why manufacture 3 vechiles where they are all basically going after the same customer (which probably buy any of the 3 if they didnb't have the choices).



Chrysler was/is in the same boat but are moving to minimize the excess of the late 80's and early 90's.



Chrysler/Eagle/Dodge... Eagle's gone. However, like GM. They still have some unneeded duplication i.e. Seabring and the Stratus.



I don't see many K-cars :cool: being sold these days even though the car basically saved Chrysler. They didn't keep Avenger going even though it's a basically a 2-dr Stratus... they've been replaced with a better vehicle or been dropped as being obsolete.



Should they replace the Viper ... absolutely not. :eek:



Why? It's proven. Everyone knows it's performance. There's no ambiguity. :xyxthumbs Just pure raw torque and horsepower.



Should I get a Corvette or Viper or F355 etc. That's like comparing Zaino vs. Klasse vs. FMJ etc. They all perform well if you know how to drive them. Is one better than the other, depends on your tastes and what tickles your fancy.



Now; what's the deal with No.9, SFP, Scratch X, Body Scrub etc. YOU GOT ME :down



Who would have thought Meguiars launching a few brushes and some additional NXT items would have generated such a good discussion regarding their product line and the confusion it's been causing it's customers :cool:



Paco
 
I have a feeling once Meguiars rolls out the new products, they will take a hard look at what sells and what doesn't and adjust their product line to reflect those trends.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
...so I don't think this is the best argument to call us hypocrites in regard to Meguiar's (I'm a Meg's guy too).
Click to expand...

I didn't call anybody a hypocrite. I only pointed out that Meg's is not alone in serving multiple customers with (sometimes subtlety, sometimes significantly) different needs.



It's efficient to utilize the same technology for different customers if you can still meet each one's individual needs and Meg's certainly does that.



Yes, one can argue whether GM was right or wrong in closing Olds but they still have Buick and Chevy for traditional cars, Saturn for "alternative" cars, Saab for import cars, Cadillac for luxury cars and GMC for trucks. Different customers, different product lines but a lot of shared technology and supply chain.



As Autopians we actually have a different view than Meg's other customers and it's not surprising that we get the most confusing glimpse of their products. We're the ones that actually go hunting for all the products. We track down as many as we can to know what the deal is with each one so we can decide which we would prefer. Their other customers don't.



John Q. Public only sees what's on the shelf at Target and Wal-Mart like GC, QD and NXT. He has no idea that there's a #00, #34, #20, #16, #6, #26, etc.



Ernie Enthusiast only sees that and what's at Pep Boys and Autozone. He might add the #16, #7 and #9 to his list but he won't see products like DACP, #80, etc.



Detailer Dan will probably see the Pro and Detailer lines but not the Consumer.



Painter Pete, and Body Shop Bob will probably see just the Pro line but Pete won't concern himself with cleaners for old paint or waxes, just stuff for new paint like Diamond Cut and Speed Glaze.



Commercial Carwash Kate will likely only see the Detailer line because she's probably dealing with a sales rep and needs the bulk packaging.



Olivia OEM, like Painter Pete, is only concerned about new paint processes but will be dealing with a factory rep that will only present products she can use in bulk.



So there really isn't a too-many-products-to-choose-from situation for normal people, just the seriously compulsive like us.





PC.
 
Nothing in their past suggest that they'll do that. NXT is only the latest launch they've had.



Honestly, it has more to do with them being not having clear information available for their products.



It wasn't that long ago we went through that exercise about rating their products abrasiveness from 1 - 10. What a chore that was, and for the most part, we probably still don't have it right! That was only a single factor of product performance that for the most part, should be very very very easy to distinguish.



No. 5 and No. 7 are a classic example.



New car glaze vs. Show Car Glaze. Same product line (Pro series).



What the hell is the difference? There is no way in reading the bottles that anyone can really tell if you should use No. 5 on an older vehicle. Being here and Mike providing some information, I think the difference is that one product works better in higher humidity climates but I'm really reaching on that one. This come from a avid Meguiar's user who for the most part, endorses their product!!! If it is in fact specific to climates etc., that should be clearly labelled.



Also, it should be easy to understand what the difference is between the Pro Line and Bodyshop line.



The difference between No. 2 and Speed Glaze and DACP should be easily distinguishable. Being here long enough, you can figure it out but even for the avid enthusist or professional, I bet you would be very hard press to now what the difference is. For the most part, most of us here only know because of Mike's excellent contribution. If he hadn't found this place and assisted us, we'd also be in the dark.



I'm not convinced that having all these products necessarily makes them more competitive or gives them an advantage. The fact is, that they have a huge distribution network, sales managers and technical people to correct the confusion. If they actually had better marketing, more comprehensive technical information and fewer duplicative products, I'm sure they'd be able to maintain sales or even increase profitability.



Then again, I don't have their market research data (which is usually biased to what the Marketing Director's was looking for), sales figures and history.



Then again, I'm the end user. I'm sure there are great many people that feel the same way and that's a lot of lost sales opportunities.
 
the other pc said:
I didn't call anybody a hypocrite. I only pointed out that Meg's is not alone in serving multiple customers with (sometimes subtlety, sometimes significantly) different needs.



It's efficient to utilize the same technology for different customers if you can still meet each one's individual needs and Meg's certainly does that.



Yes, one can argue whether GM was right or wrong in closing Olds but they still have Buick and Chevy for traditional cars, Saturn for "alternative" cars, Saab for import cars, Cadillac for luxury cars and GMC for trucks. Different customers, different product lines but a lot of shared technology and supply chain.
Click to expand...



Don't take my "hypocrite" remark too personally, I was just trying to argue that your GM example doesn't really make the point.



If you want a pickup from GM, you go to their truck division, GMC, right? Oh wait, Chevy, too....unless you want a Cadillac pickup, you go to them. And SUV's? I guess GMC, that makes the trucks, unless you want a Chevy SUV...or a Buick...or a Cadillac. But you can still trust if you want a "GM" import car, you can buy a Saab...unless you want one of those Austrailian GTO's...or Korean Aveo's...or Toyota...er...I mean Pontiac Vibe's.



I'm not sure if your point was that it's not confusing at GM...or that it's only confusing if you're trying to understand the breadth of their line. I have owned nothing but GM's...(well, there was that '66 Mustang that I had for a few months...), but if I want to buy a new vehicle, how do I do it? Do I decide I want to buy a Buick, and then go there and decide between the big cars and the SUV's? What if I want a small car? Or do I decide I want an SUV...and then try and figure out which of four dealers to go to?



Bottom line, Meguiar's isn't doing anything that dozens of other companies do in the way of marketing, packaging, and product differentiation. That doesn't mean we all have to like it. I like that GM has a lot of similar models (although not as many as they used to), because it gives you more chances to get a vehicle just like you want it--as long as you can figure out the differences between them. The problem that some of us have is figuring out what the differences are.



PS One of the things that is bad about trying to be all things to all people is when it dilutes the competitiveness of the company...GM had that problem with their "shared technology and supply chain" when they were putting Olds engines in Cadillacs...when there was the famous Business Week picture of 4 identical GM cars...except for the front and rear caps.



Oh...loved your little family of users! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top