Marketing

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.270 WIN
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2011 6:38 pm
Location: Dayton, OH
PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:13 pm
One of the things that has struck me since I started shooting Ithacas is the almost total absence of marketing 'doodads' floating around. When I go to the various events, I can find lots of pins, tin signs, bumper stickers, travel mugs, etc., promoting Winchester, Remington, and especially Browning, but never Ithaca.
I feel that Ithaca has a very loyal following, but that this following has a very hard time telling the world about it. In the last year, I was able to come across 1 sticker promoting Ithaca, and it now resides on the door to my workshop, next to my NRA and NMLRA Life member stickers. There are a lot more places where something like that could go, but they are so hard to find.
By the way, I love the slogan "Take an old friend hunting"! That really hits the mark. Now, if we could just tell other folks about it. : :D
I served for a couple of years as the PR chairman for the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Assoc., and one of the things that I stresed was the importance of getting our logo constantly in the public eye.
I realize that there are a few products on the website, but there needs to be things available for an inexpensive 'impulse buy', as well.
Thanks for letting vent these few things that have been rambling around in my empty brain. I just want to see Ithaca to continue along the road to sucess that they have started on.
A flash in the pan, a puff of smoke, and a prayer to the great Lord on high...
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:45 pm
WELL SAID BPskeeter!!!!! I couldn't agree more. Here in Ontario every other half ton truck has a Browning sticker, and I'd love mine to have an Ithaca decal or 2 on it. I'm a die hard Ithaca fan and proud of it. I'd totally take coffee to work in an Ithaca travel mug, while my keys jingled together on a Ithaca key chain.;)

.410
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:04 am
I agree BPskeeter.

I think the launch of the new Ithaca o/u would be a good time to also launch the company in the way you describe. The o/u will greatly expand the product lineup and put the company more solidly before the competition shooters as well as the hunting segment of the market.

In the meantime Ithaca is building a certain reputation as an exclusive premium quality brand that should serve them well.
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:43 pm
I couldn't agree more! I know as the official Ithaca forum we will have stickers available in the near future for members to purchase.

.270 WIN
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Location: Dayton, OH
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:45 pm
Maybe by the Ohio state trap shoot they will have some new items in the booth. We'll see you there!
A flash in the pan, a puff of smoke, and a prayer to the great Lord on high...

.270 WIN
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Location: Nova Scotia,Canada
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:28 am
WhitetailHunter wrote: Here in Ontario every other half ton truck has a Browning sticker


Its the same here in Nova Scotia,WhitetailHunter.What ever else Browning does ,they do a great marketing job.The Browning logo is just about every where and on just about everything.Not too many who have not heard of or seen the Browning Buck Mark. :)

The Winchester horse and rider and Remington name are not too far down the page either. :)

Would like to have another cloth case like the one that came with my 28 gauge Ithaca Model 37 but have not seen one for sale.I like these style cases as they are easy to rool up and carry.I find I like the clolth case better than the strech materal of a gun sock.

.410
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 7:29 am
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 4:19 pm
One way to do that is include a durable bumper or window sticker in every Ithaca firearm box. Or send one to everyone that sends in their warranty registration. Either way sooner or later they will get displayed. Apple does this, you get a white Apple logo sticker with every computer and I see those on more than a few car windows.
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:17 pm
Ya so true 20gapump, I got 2 of those little white apple decals with my iPhone. And you see them everywhere, mine are still in box ;) but and Ithaca decal would be displayed LOUD & PROUD!!

.22LR
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Location: Paradise, CA
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:07 pm
I could've have sworn I had an Ithaca bumper sticker floating around somewhere, but I sure can't find it. Maybe I dreamed that up.

.410
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 7:29 am
PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:35 am
Word of Mouth (WOM) is a very powerful means of marketing, but it can take awhile to build. Every satified customer will bring in new customers.

Pump shotguns are becoming a commodity type product with everyone trying to be the cheapest (ie. Mossberg, Rem. Express, Chinese pumps) Ithaca can't try to compete on price but it can compete on things like 1. made in USA, 2. snob appeal (be the BMW or Mercedes of pumps), 3. quality (most important).

.22LR
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Location: Ohio
PostPosted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:25 pm
One big thing I have noticed . I recently was wanting to buy a new Ithaca 20ga. I am close enough that I can travel to Upper Sandusky but I wanted to try more local dealers .

I get on the Ithaca web site and go to the find dealers and start calling the closest first and working farther away . Not one of them have a model 37 in stock, trying to get a price is difficult at best most of them simply read the prices off of the web site . Then I also ask for a price with upgraded wood and got everything from we have no idea to $1359 .

Finally I gave up on buying local and bought a used Upper Sandusky 20ga off of gunbroker .

I think if your going to be listed as an Ithaca dealer they should at least have one in stock that a customer can hold and see in person . better yet have them in stock so you can walk in and buy one !
I had the cash in hand but could not find one I could just walk in and buy

.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:41 pm
I understand where your frustration comes from. It is difficult to find anyone that has anything in stock. The only thing that I can figure is that with the price range that the new Ithaca guns run in is that most dealers are afraid to get stuck with higher priced pumps (even if they are worth the money). Many folks today are price driven only. I personally thing that the 870 express really helped put some of the other Ithaca companies bankrupt. You get a good enough gun to get by, shoots mostly straight, and do not notice a scratch or two. I to am close enough to pick one up at the factory. While you will not get any discounts I was thrilled to pick up our his and hers 20 gauge guns at the factory, and get a tour, ask questions, hold a few prototypes including the 45 and the over and under; and get our pictures taken out front. For me it was worth the price difference and I plan on doing it again when I scrape together enough money to get one of those new 45's. If you stop and think about it what other name brand gun is still small enough that a person like me could stop by the factory and pick up a new gun while being treated like a king. Hope you enjoy that new gun. We went strait to the club to break in our new guns and boy they are just about perfect.
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 6:11 am
m856021 wrote:I get on the Ithaca web site and go to the find dealers and start calling the closest first and working farther away . Not one of them have a model 37 in stock

Think yourself lucky. *I'd* be happy if I could buy spare parts, let alone a new gun...

Regards,

Mark.
Came late in life to shooting but is making up for lost time...
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.270 WIN
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Location: phila pa
PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 9:33 am
what laws are we dealing with here ?
M37 parts are widely availible.

i know most private sellers of parts don't want anything to do with international shipping.
i just figured it was laziness,,kinda like not shipping to california.

have you tried calling ithaca?being a manufaturer maybe they can send em.
or is this just a british law thing restricting gun parts?

if this is the case maybe you should just order parts for your m37 ithaca dishwashing machine
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 3:22 pm
twistedoak wrote:what laws are we dealing with here ?

US "can't export weapons" laws, I think. I was a bit suprised - from reading Americans posting on other American forums - that US gun laws are as bad as UK laws as far as consistancy goes, and so on.

M37 parts are widely availible.

In the US, maybe. Over here? No...

i know most private sellers of parts don't want anything to do with international shipping.
i just figured it was laziness,,kinda like not shipping to california.

I can understand that.

Our club does trips to America so that we can shoot stuff not normally permitted in the UK. (For example, pistols.) People *have* offered to bring bits back for me but I don't want to take the chance of getting my shootin' buddies into hot water with either the US *or* UK authorities if they attempt to bring back the Wrong Thing.

One shooter suggested that I go on one of thse trips, buy a second hand M37 that's in good nick, strip off everthing except the barrel and receiver and bring the parts back in my shooting gear.

It's an idea but how much simpler it'd be if, like all the other manufacturers, I could just order bits from a UK importer. (I tried contacting MidwayUK to ask if they could get Ithaca parts. The answer was, "no"...)

have you tried calling ithaca?being a manufaturer maybe they can send em.

I have tried *emailing* them. However, that was *before* my main M37 DSPS started having *serious* FTExtract issues. Unfortunately, my Chiappa 1887 is *also* out of commsision, so I don't have a reliable PSG gun, at present.

It may be time to try contacting Ithaca, again.

or is this just a british law thing restricting gun parts?

A bit of both, really; the US is afraid to export anything that can be remotely considered as "weapons" and the UK import procedures mean that if you *really* want to have fun, try importing a complete gun... At least, as far as I'm aware. You understand that I haven't *actually* tried importing anything at *all*.

From what I hear, importing "non-dangerous" parts is a bit of a lottery - if you get lucky, it's a doddle. If not, then you'd best be prepared to wait a bit and end up being charged quite a bit in extra fees.

if this is the case maybe you should just order parts for your m37 ithaca dishwashing machine

That'd be a good opportuniy to get into hot water, methinks.

UK gun law is sometimes applied with ludicrously Draconian enthusiasm...

Regards,

Mark.
Came late in life to shooting but is making up for lost time...
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 3:39 pm
yea the the parts were talking about are tiny

a new top and bottom extractor and springs weigh less the 2 grams.

and i not so sure there even recognisable except to a m77 user/owner
its not like were talking barrels and trigger packs

.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 9:29 am
Hi ChAos,

Welcome aboard.

How are the laws regarding shipping parts from Canada? If it is easier than the US

Try this guy. Ron Sharp Address: Ron Sharp,SGL,RR#4, Dunnville,Ontario,N1A 2W3.

Telephone:(905)774-6368. Sorry I don't have a web address. To give you a little background he was the Ithaca distributor in Canada.

You could try Brownells or Numrich but these are US companies so the import issue comes back.
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:53 pm
Thanks, Chuck.

I'll investigate this possibility.

Regards,

Mark.
Came late in life to shooting but is making up for lost time...

.410
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:18 pm
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 12:18 am
You can order their promotional products off their website. I have shirts,hats,bumper stickers,and the gun safe magnets. I think a blue jean jacket with the logo on the back would be great.
T.W.K.
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 3:06 pm
Aaagh, aaagh, aaaaaagh! It just got worse - my firing pin broke last Sunday. :(

So, it's a good job I've got more than one Ithaca, ain't it? :)

Regards,

Mark.
Came late in life to shooting but is making up for lost time...
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:47 am
Hello, All.

Three weeks after my firing pin broke, the pin in my *other* M37 went the same way. No gun trader seemed to be willing to import spares for me so, once again, I hassled Ithaca themselves.

The Good News is that they relented and, after a brief interlude to check my bona fides, they shipped me $95-worth of parts. (Total cost to me, including shipping, VAT and Customs "handling" fees: one hundred and twenty pounds.)

I must send a big "Thank You" to Zak and Jeremiah for the services "above and beyond the call of duty".

I've fitted all the parts and had a brief test of my PSG gun. All went well except that the red, plastic magazine follower reduced my round count by one, so I've reverted to the old metal one.

The two cracks in the stock that my cousin epoxied for me even held together...

In addition, I've managed to acquire a "posh" (ie, *blued*) M37. I've not had a chance to try that out, yet.

Regards,

Mark.
Came late in life to shooting but is making up for lost time...
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 6:38 am
I'm glad it worked out for you. I have to say that Zak and Jeremiah are tops in my book, too.
--Jim

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