Hey Babolat! How about selling the Pure Drive with a "Sampras Black" PJ ?

[MAXXply]

The publishers of the mega-selling Harry Potter novels caught onto a funny thing about who was reading their popular kids books - adults. They then decided to release the book series with "mature/grown-ups" covers - plain, understatedly elegant and subtle covers for people who wouldn't be caught dead reading a kids novel with those cartoonish kids covers. This piece of clever marketing then sold even millions more novels.

I really wished Babolat would use the same strategy and release a Pure Drive (or APD) with a similarly understated and plain black cosmetic for us conservatively-minded players who think the current blue PJ (or the APD's bumblebee PJ) with excessive branding graffiti is just a little bit too much. Heck, imagine if Babolat signed Sampras and gave him his own PD/PDR ("PDS" ?). Sampras is synonymous with the understated combo of all black with subtle red and yellow trim - can you imagine how many extra sticks Babolat would sell ? Whoever cared for the red Pure Drive anyway ?

Photoshoppers: feel free to post pics of a PD/APD in a Sampras Black PJ

 

[Speed Kat]

MaxxPly... A Pure Drive Roddick GT+ in a Cool Glossy Elegant Black PJ would be my absolute dream raqcuet! I would buy an extra one to just mount on the wall and look at it!

 

[BHud]

Whoever cared for the red Pure Drive anyway ?

Me! That pj is sweet! Although can you imagine a black version!

 

[Speed Kat]

Actually... recently theres been so much hoo haa about black strings from rpm, to signum blackline this and that.. black vs gut, black5edge weisscannon etc... racquet makers - in this case for thread relevancy Babolat, should capitalize on this current love of black and quickly in first quarter of 2011, fill in thier factory spray paint machines with black and make a limited edition blackline series of Aeros, Puredrives, Storms everything.. would probably sell like hotcakes..

 

[MAXXply]

MaxxPly... A Pure Drive Roddick GT+ in a Cool Glossy Elegant Black PJ would be my absolute dream raqcuet! I would buy an extra one to just mount on the wall and look at it!

See, Babolat? That makes at least two of us
Semi-off-topic: does anyone know if the racket industry's sales/marketing people actually read these forums and act on our feedback/insights ??

 

[ollinger]

Try instead to overcome your Puritanical inhibitions. Repeat after me: "I am not the shallow superficial person that I act like and I will use the racquet I like without concern for anyone thinking I might have a lively and interesting personality."

 

[floydcouncil]

The publishers of the mega-selling Harry Potter novels caught onto a funny thing about who was reading their popular kids books - adults. They then decided to release the book series with "mature/grown-ups" covers - plain, understatedly elegant and subtle covers for people who wouldn't be caught dead reading a kids novel with those cartoonish kids covers. This piece of clever marketing then sold even millions more novels.

I really wished Babolat would use the same strategy and release a Pure Drive (or APD) with a similarly understated and plain black cosmetic for us conservatively-minded players who think the current blue PJ (or the APD's bumblebee PJ) with excessive branding graffiti is just a little bit too much. Heck, imagine if Babolat signed Sampras and gave him his own PD/PDR ("PDS" ?). Sampras is synonymous with the understated combo of all black with subtle red and yellow trim - can you imagine how many extra sticks Babolat would sell ? Whoever cared for the red Pure Drive anyway ?

Photoshoppers: feel free to post pics of a PD/APD in a Sampras Black PJ

Keep on dreaming..............

 

[Speed Kat]

Try instead to overcome your Puritanical inhibitions. Repeat after me: "I am not the shallow superficial person that I act like and I will use the racquet I like without concern for anyone thinking I might have a lively and interesting personality."

It's not about caring what anyone thinks.. Its what would look cool and what I would like.. why do socks come in 75 different colors when noone sees them and they are covered by trousers or jeans.. but racquets even though they are so out there like your car you are stuck with what it looks like.. maybe we should repeat "lets not judge ppl who we know nothing about and are just innocently dreaming of how nice it would be to have a glossy pure drive" there are much worse things one coud be doing with their time.. let a dreamer dream bro!

 

[Mr_Shiver]

Ask Fedace to relay this message, he has Babolats ear. They are releasing RPM Blast in a thinner gauge like demanded when it first came out. BTW, Sampras is using a Pure Storm not a PD.

 

[Tyrus]

Try instead to overcome your Puritanical inhibitions. Repeat after me: "I am not the shallow superficial person that I act like and I will use the racquet I like without concern for anyone thinking I might have a lively and interesting personality."

um...no

nochars

 

[CANTGETENOUGHTENNIS!]

Still guys the pure drive would look sick in a glossy black with charcoal and red accents, Agreed? I dont even care if sampras doesn't use it Andy and Kim, i think, would love it.

 

[VGP]

That's nice and I'd be one to go for a nice black paintjob......but it's passe and not good from a marketing standpoint.

The companies want their frames to be easily recognizable and distinguishable from their competitors' products especially when seen from a distance and to stand out on TV.

 

[Larrysümmers]

then all the Emo players would buy it too!

 

[Speed Kat]

That's nice and I'd be one to go for a nice black paintjob......but it's passe and not good from a marketing standpoint.

The companies want their frames to be easily recognizable and distinguishable from their competitors' products especially when seen from a distance and to stand out on TV.

They should produce the black racquet and make all the players wear flourescent T-Shirt with huge font saying "I am using a PURE DRIVE!" on the front and the back! Or is that against the rules?

 

[user92626]

How hard is it to get the racket barebone and spray paint it with kitchen appliant black paint? Just a thought.

 

[kevoT]

I would love a black one! it'll give me an excuse to buy another

Maybe they could even do a charcoal (like on Eleanor) with the two stripes in black.

 

[kevoT]

We should all send e-mails to the bab people and they'll see how much demand this PJ would have. That is the key to world PJ domination!

 

[Power Player]

That's nice and I'd be one to go for a nice black paintjob......but it's passe and not good from a marketing standpoint.

The companies want their frames to be easily recognizable and distinguishable from their competitors' products especially when seen from a distance and to stand out on TV.

This is a good point. The babolat PJs are distinct. Another example would be Head youteks.

Before i joined this site, i had played tennis since i was 7 and never really paid attention to pros racquets at all. I knew Connors played estusa because of the bright yellow pj, Agassi played donnay, and gilbert played a weird fox racquet because of the shape,and i knew i wanted to try Nadals stick because i saw him play and it looked very unique coming from my old frames.

I was blown away at how many people here could look at a pro and know his racquet and string setup. I think that is the mindset you have to consider when you think about racquet marketing.

 

[li0scc0]

It's not about caring what anyone thinks.. Its what would look cool and what I would like.. why do socks come in 75 different colors when noone sees them and they are covered by trousers or jeans.. but racquets even though they are so out there like your car you are stuck with what it looks like.. maybe we should repeat "lets not judge ppl who we know nothing about and are just innocently dreaming of how nice it would be to have a glossy pure drive" there are much worse things one coud be doing with their time.. let a dreamer dream bro!

Racquets don't come in multiple colors for brand recognition. When I see that blue, I know it is a Pure Drive. When I see the yellow and black, I know it is an APD! Other racquets may have blue, or yellow/black, but not in the same design (e.g. it is obvious if a player is using an APD vs. a Head Extreme)
From 2 courts away this morning, I knew a local player had switched to a Head Speed racquet (not sure which one, but by the white I knew it was a Head). Brand recognition.

 

[li0scc0]

How hard is it to get the racket barebone and spray paint it with kitchen appliant black paint? Just a thought.

Harder than you think. Plus unless you know what you are doing, it looks terrible.

 

[SFrazeur]

Paint jobs mean nothing.

-SF