Gear.Malibu.com

[ed obermeier]

Listen up y'all.

You may be interested to know that a couple of days after my original post to start this thread I was contacted by Amy from Malibu Corporate, I believe she is in the the marketing part of Malibu. Anyway she wrote to let me know that they are aware of this thread and the bitching and that they do have plans to make more appealing stuff available in the forseeable future. They're taking note of the suggestions made here and are passing that along to the company that actually makes/markets the promo items for them, a company called 413 Strengthgear. Amy asked for my personal opinion on a couple of items (as examples of where they might want to go in the future) and convinced me anyway that they're on this. They realize that they need to do a better job of offering branded merchandise and they intend to pursue that with what sounds to me anyway as some agression.

In all fairness to Amy I don't know how much of the conversations we've had over the past couple of days I should post here but I will post this part, I'm hopeful that Amy won't take any offense to my doing so. As follows -

"...One of the big advantages of the current gear site is it is run by a clothing company. 413 Strengthgear Inc gives us the ability to offer superior quality Malibu Boats branded merchandise in popular styles and designs. They know what is popular in the mainstream and you can see that in the first round of products offered. They are also designing clothing and gear that appeal to the Malibu faithful like you. They have learned, just like you have mentioned, that many of our owner also desire simple "Malibu" designs. From a factory perspective we have given a lot of direction on what we feel our boat owners look for in Malibu branded merchandise, but 413 would also like to get those opinions and that information directly from you.

Another great thing about working with 413 is their ability to take an idea, even supplied by a retail customer, and turn it into an item on the site. In fact 413 is developing an entire site around this concept. This web site, Malibu Ink, will allow anyone to submit potential designs and/or ideas. These submissions will be voted on by all of you and the winning designs will be put into production as well as receive some prizes for their work. Just like the way we design our boats, with all of you in mind, 413 is looking to Malibu boat owners for direction on product offerings.

413 is watching this thread along with Malibu Boats and they will be utilizing many of the suggestions offered. 413 has also sent a statement to Malibu Crew Administrators explaining their goals and asking for Malibu crew suggests. If you have more suggestions or ideas for Malibu Boats merchandise, in the mean time, we would all love to see them..."

I think that speaks for itself and I for one am certainly willing to give them an opportunity to prove themselves. Many good and positive suggestions have been made here. I think however that we need to be realstic and realize, as has been stated here by other posters, that there are reasonable limits to what can be made available (after all they're in business to make a profit and we need to understand that they can't do everything) and that quality merchandise isn't going to be available at giveaway prices. So for those of us bitching I think that if Malibu does indeed follow through we all need to be ready to put at least some of our money where our mouths are. Personally I'm ready.

Amy also put me in touch with someone at 413 so I can get my pole guide covers oredered. Apparently they are available, they just need to do some updates on the web site. I'll be ordering them soon.

Just thought everyone would like to know.

Cheers, Ed

[Malibuswany]

I for one am not a fan of the original logo. My personal opinion is that it is stuck in the eighties. Just before summer I bought a new malibu hat with the new WS logo. I like it and wear it everywhere but the problem is the quality within a short time it went form black to brown and ugly. I looked on the site but it is not offered what happen to it? I would be interested in other items with the WS logo on them as well.

Just my .02

Thanks for listening

[Guest J-Ro]

Some examples

Laundry Bag. This is a shoulder strapped top stuff bag with a rubberized bottom, semi stiff sides, mesh top, and drawstring. I use one from 10 years ago all the time to hold my vest, drysuit, towel, etc and then toss the same stuff wet in it at the end of the day. Bought it for $25.

Other bags - messenger bag, duffle bag with a full length wwater proof bottom pocket that has a full circumference zipper for wet stuff, backpacks (I have a computer one and a small girl one for the wife).

Malibu tow hitch cover ("Malibu" logo, "My 'Bu Goes Here", etc). What happened to this and the other CNC'd Malibu gear - the metal malibu boats emblem sticker, any other metal stickers like the new WS logo, boat gas caps with Malibu etchings?

Hats - nice, classic flexfit hats, visors, floppy hats, pith hats, military style caps.

Towels - We did this ourselves. Bought nice towels and embroidered the logo on them.

key chain floaties in different styles. Some styles I have seen are champagne corks (Woody), water activated floats, etc.

Bow protector covers for towing.

Logoed bumpers, dock lines, logo flag with suction cup, etc.

Tower covers that can be zipped onto the tower, logoed speaker and rack covers, flag holder that connects to the tower, a hook that connects to the tower to hold your wrapped rope and handle.

Transom Savers

Trailer fender pads, skidpads, diamond plate with logo cutouts, non-slip gunnel tape with logos cut out so you can see the gel coat through them.

Sell the wakesetter and malibu hull graphics online so people can update their boat if they want. Same with the new metal emblems.

Soft sided coolers, bins that fit in the v-drive and passenger compartments, bags that strap to the grab handles on older boats for misc items (I had a couple from Nevin for my old Sunsetter), trash bag holder for the cooler area that can have a plastic bag in it.

Lots of stuff that can be done and if doone right can be a great revenue stream for the Merced plant. There are great margins in softgoods.

[JDubya]

A few more ideas.

you could offer these with some sort or banding on them:

Fender bumpers (in large & small sizes)

Replacement Bimini Covers

Rope keepers (the small velcor kind to hold ski rope to pylon or tower while not using it)

Anchor storage bag

Tube stprage bag

License plate frame:

"I'd rather be towing by BU"

"I'd rather be <insert sport of choice here> behind my BU"

How about some posters shots.

How about an annual Customer Calender where owners can submit their photos. The post to Malibu and allow the Malibu faithful to vote on the winners. Give the winner some swag.

How about the option to custom embroder towels

Malibu Logo with custom name embordered -or- Jonny & Liz's Echelon

[CedarLakeSkier]

If anyone is interested, you can get to 413 strengthgear at 413sga.com or 413h2o.com for just "water" stuff. It looks like the are currently handling malibu, axis, wakeboarding magazine, and waterski magazine in their "h2o" division (they also have a "sassy", "redeemed", and "camp" divisions)

Once your in the h2o part of the site you can "shop by camp" and when you select malibu it will bring you to the malibu site.

Edited October 7, 2010 by CedarLakeSkier

[Guest J-Ro]

I am trying to be constructive but after looking at the other stuff on the site I have come to the conclusion that I am officially an old fart. This stuff looks like Ed Hardy ate a Tapout shirt and defecated a line of clothing. Wow! Let's not forget that the people who may like this stuff (Or the people who like this stuff because the cool kids like it) are probably not the same people buying a 60k boat.

I'm freaking 32 years old, and quite stylish if I do say so myself , and this stuff is just gawdy, busy, and tacky.

[JDubya]

I am trying to be constructive but after looking at the other stuff on the site I have come to the conclusion that I am officially an old fart. This stuff looks like Ed Hardy ate a Tapout shirt and defecated a line of clothing. Wow! Let's not forget that the people who may like this stuff (Or the people who like this stuff because the cool kids like it) are probably not the same people buying a 60k boat.

I'm freaking 32 years old, and quite stylish if I do say so myself , and this stuff is just gawdy, busy, and tacky.

Amen brotha ben!!!

I am so with you on this.

[Michigan boarder]

I would be willing to bet that this is the main reason we do not see more of this from these companies. It is not profitable. Not to mention in order for it to be, they need to sell sweatshirts for $65 and tee shirts for $30 beacause that is what it takes. In turn makes us (the customer) feel like we are getting ripped off. Until Malibu has their own clothing line, you better be willing to pay for anything close to a quality product.

That's not true, got two different sets of friends owning two different embroidery companies in two different states, and it's pretty cheap and easy to get excellent quality stuff embroidered for 1/2 those prices. Just sayin'. My wife is a freelance designer and developed our lake logo and ran the process of garments. On our little lake we have sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats, fleece, koozies, golf cart stickers, bean bag stickers, all with our logo on it. It's cheaper than you can get Big 10 stuff at Walmart, and triple the quality.

Towels would be the bomb.

[MalibuEric]

I'm freaking 32 years old, and quite stylish if I do say so myself , and this stuff is just gawdy, busy, and tacky.

They (413) have a wide variety of stuff and I personally like some of it.

I've got an idea... Why don't you post some pics of you in your "stylish" clothing so we can all see what's cool?

[Guest J-Ro]

They (413) have a wide variety of stuff and I personally like some of it.

Good for you.

I've got an idea... Why don't you post some pics of you in your "stylish" clothing so we can all see what's cool?

New to the interwebs? Next time I will do my post like this so you can understand....

I'm freaking 32 years old, [This is where sarcasm starts]and quite stylish if I do say so myself [This is where sarcasm ends] , and this stuff is just gawdy, busy, and tacky.

Why don't you post some pics of you in your "stylish" clothing

This is a picture of me in my stylish clothing the second after I read your reply....

[JDubya]

Before you read my thoughts understand this is an attempt to stimulate discussion and opinions on who the target consumer is for Malibu Gear, not to impose my thoughts or opinions upon anyone.

While I commend Malibu for taking a step to expand their gear offerings I believe that selecting the 413 crew might have been a step in the wrong direction and here is my opinion why. The 413 group seem to be focused on a common genre of clothing and appear to have very specificly targeted a younger edgy audience. From the looks of their clothing lines and offerings it becomes apparent to me that their intended market audience ranges from Junior high school to middle aged 20 something college kids. This in my opinion is not the average consumer of a high end towboat.

In my opinion Malibu missed the boat on this one (pun intended). Who is Malibu's customer? Who is going to buy the gear? I am not market expert but I would imagine that Malibu's customers are mostly 30 & 40 year old professionals with higher levels of disposable income; not 20 something college graduates. If you look at this demographic of 30 to 40 something professionals with a above average household income they are usually more conservative in their apparel and tend to buy clothing on the higher end. Not because it is hip and edgy but because it is high quality. This should become increasingly apparent when you look at the price tag of the current Malibu lines. As mentioned before these are individuals who are more interested in quality and refinement rather than the latest and greatest.

While I get their efforts to outsource the gear offerings to a professional agency who can leverage the cost of design and procurement expenses, what I don't get is why Malibu isn't looking at product offerings that appeal to average Malibu consumer. This is where I will call out the Dealer reps on here for some insight into who is the average Malibu customer.

For the record I am 28 year old Financial Analyst and find the majority of the products offered by 413 to be immature and sloppy(again my personal opinion). I consider myself a realist & practical consumer and while I do not subscribe to "just because it cost more it is better" mentality I like to buy things that look good, perform well and enhance my lifestyle. I do believe that if I am going to spend my hard earned cash I like to do my research and buy higher quality products that will give me greater satisfaction and function.

Agree/ disagree...those are my thoughts and I am curious to see how many of you agree with some of my points.

Ready...ready...discuss!

Edited October 7, 2010 by Ramman17

[Bill_AirJunky]

Good stuff guys. And good to hear that Malibu & 413 are listening.

So I thought I'd check out what 413 does outside of Malibu. http://www.413sga.com

I'm curious, which clothing line will you guys like? Maybe the "Sassy/Fabulous" collection?

Or possibly the Redeemed Apparel line?

Most likely the 413 H2O line will appeal to you..... or maybe some of your kids.

I gotta say, this is all cute & trendy. I think I'm right in the middle of what the "average" Malibu owner is all about... 44 yrs old, middle class, professional, etc. And I wouldn't look twice at this stuff. It's geared towards teenagers & college kids, not people who can actually afford to buy a boat.

Maybe I'm missin the boat.

[dlb]

Being a little closer to retirement than Bill, I couldn't agree more with the statements he made. Being able to afford a nice house, tow vehicle, Malibu boat, a 2 seat roadster..... I think I can afford to spend a few $ on stuff that represents my favorite toy. If I am going to buy clothing or swag with my boat's name on it for my wife or myself I would like to look nice and last a good while. For that I know you get what you pay for. I haven't found anything on the current site that has me all that excited. Sure an occasional T shirt for the kids would be nice, but I already spend enough on them.

We buy stuff for the boat at Target, Overton's, and others (coolers, towels, clothing etc) that I would buy in a heart beat if it had a Malibu logo and was high quality. There are a lot of suggestions above that would be look better under the tree in a few months than remaining on this wish list on TMC.

Edited October 7, 2010 by dlb

[Badger]

I just read this thread from start to finish and then checked out the site. I just turned 40, would like to think I look 30, and have the maturity level of someone who is 20. With that being said, I don't like flashy clothes. I don't mind some color, but prefer simple smaller logos or designs. I see a lot the new stuff that kids are wearing and it reminds me of a lot of the stuff you'd see the Harley owners wearing, with huge Eagles with spread wings or giant skulls across the back of a shirt. That stuff just isn't for me.

Specifically from the site

1. The Aquatic Blue Polo - This might be a bit too stiff, even for me. I agree with the suggestion about the wicking shirts. I've got a closet full of Kohl's brand golf wicking shirts in a variety of colors. I'll bet they didn't cost my wife over $20 each.

2. The Stomp Hoodie - I could actually see me wearing this. I laugh because I haven't had a hoodie since I was in high school and now the teenagers would probably tell me I can't pull off that look.

3. The Mode shorts - Seriously?? What demographic do these appeal to? I'd go for some trendier board shorts, even if I am too old for them. I don't know who would buy these things.

4. Trade T-shirt - I actually like the "distressed" style and have a few other clothing items in this style. But why does it have to say .com on them? I'm not trying to advertise the Malibu Boats' website. I'm trying to show off my boat. I can understand it for the Crew stickers we get...because it's a website. Leave the .com off the swag. Anybody the can use the internet now knows that they can type .com at the end of just about anything and get to the correct website.

5. Basic Caps - I like them. Perfect amount of simplicity. I would like the choice to buy one that wasn't distressed already. I like to put my own stress on my caps. My wife would like to throw half of my hats away!

Other items: Totally agree about some towels. Big, thick, Egyptian cotton. Please don't go cheap!

Someone had the North Face fleece coat idea or the other newer style one that has the smoother fabric (don't know the name). I have one of each and would buy a Malibu too. My dealer had a "silver" coat on last week when I was in there and I thought it looked sharp. I didn't understand the point of "silver" at the time, but that style with a simple logo would be fine.

Did anyone check out the "Undertow" cap on the bottom of the 413 H20 site? Once again...Seriously? I'd love to know how many of those have sold at $33 each

I'd also be willing to participate in further marketing research if the "watchers" are reading this.

[WakingMeHappy]

This whole thread has gotten a little silly.

[MalibuTime]

This whole thread has gotten a little silly.

Non of that stuff turned my crank, and I am not going to buy any of it either.

[Debt Setter]

That's not true, got two different sets of friends owning two different embroidery companies in two different states, and it's pretty cheap and easy to get excellent quality stuff embroidered for 1/2 those prices. Just sayin'. My wife is a freelance designer and developed our lake logo and ran the process of garments. On our little lake we have sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats, fleece, koozies, golf cart stickers, bean bag stickers, all with our logo on it. It's cheaper than you can get Big 10 stuff at Walmart, and triple the quality.

Towels would be the bomb.

This is exactly what I am talking about, you set your bar at WalMart. I don't want to offend anyone so I will stop at that...

[Michigan boarder]

This is exactly what I am talking about, you set your bar at WalMart. I don't want to offend anyone so I will stop at that...

And I don't either, I was just talking from experience. Walmart was an example, not where I set the bar. We designed the logo, organized the embroidery, selected a garment vendor, and distributed the products for half of the prices you used. I was just trying to say that it is feasible for Malibu to do it well and do it cheap if it is important to them.

[Debt Setter]

And I don't either, I was just talking from experience. Walmart was an example, not where I set the bar. We designed the logo, organized the embroidery, selected a garment vendor, and distributed the products for half of the prices you used. I was just trying to say that it is feasible for Malibu to do it well and do it cheap if it is important to them.

So in your experience. How would you recommend Malibu go about buying let's say the Nike or Adidas Polo for example that has been specifically asked for on this thread? Set up an account with Nike or Adidas? That would require minimums, these moisture wicking shirts that are being referred to are in the $30 - $45 COST plus set up changes for logos plus $3 charge per logo per shirt, shipping, etc... There is zero chance that I spend $30 on a Kohls or WalMart polo, I would however spend $65 on the Adidas or Nike. Sure they can find koozies online for .50 each, keychains etc... I am just talking about the clothing end of things. I would have loved to have had a shirt from my trip to Powell recently, unforunatly someone decided that Billy Bob's shirt brand was adequate.

[Michigan boarder]

So in your experience. How would you recommend Malibu go about buying let's say the Nike or Adidas Polo for example that has been specifically asked for on this thread? Set up an account with Nike or Adidas? That would require minimums, these moisture wicking shirts that are being referred to are in the $30 - $45 COST plus set up changes for logos plus $3 charge per logo per shirt, shipping, etc... There is zero chance that I spend $30 on a Kohls or WalMart polo, I would however spend $65 on the Adidas or Nike. Sure they can find koozies online for .50 each, keychains etc... I am just talking about the clothing end of things. I would have loved to have had a shirt from my trip to Powell recently, unforunatly someone decided that Billy Bob's shirt brand was adequate.

I'm with ya on the polo's, but you mentioned sweatshirts and t-shirts, and that's what I had experience in (and fleece). Nice stuff, pigment dyed, it's doable.

[CedarLakeSkier]

So in your experience. How would you recommend Malibu go about buying let's say the Nike or Adidas Polo for example that has been specifically asked for on this thread? Set up an account with Nike or Adidas? That would require minimums, these moisture wicking shirts that are being referred to are in the $30 - $45 COST plus set up changes for logos plus $3 charge per logo per shirt, shipping, etc... There is zero chance that I spend $30 on a Kohls or WalMart polo, I would however spend $65 on the Adidas or Nike. Sure they can find koozies online for .50 each, keychains etc... I am just talking about the clothing end of things. I would have loved to have had a shirt from my trip to Powell recently, unforunatly someone decided that Billy Bob's shirt brand was adequate.

I would think you could contract with someone that already has the minimum order and is making shirts for other people.

Also, I think your costs are high. Take a look at this shirt

Listed at $45 on Nike.com. I got this exact same shirt at Costco for less than $20 and I'm sure Costco was still making money. Embroider the Malibu logo on the chest where a pocket would be and you're good to go. You can probably make a good buck at $30 a shirt. Charge $50 like they are charging for the one "aquatic blue" polo shirt and you should make a killing (if you could sell any at $50)

This one is for sale at the PGA tour shop for $39.95 with the Fed Ex cup logo; and again, I'm sure they are making money.

In short, it can be done at a profit, they just have to choose to do it.

[martinarcher]

I finally got my t-shirt in. Here's my take on the "perfect Malibu shirt". This is what I've wanted for a while. I'm just bummed that the printer didn't print the logo a little more vivid. Oh well. I still really like it!

[92skier]

I just want a simple visor with "Malibu" on the front and maybe something on the back velcro part (like VLX, LSV, etc).

Yep, me too. I use to have one and lost it in the river. Sure wish I could find another one. Most of the other boat manufacturers sell visors.

[Glen Lake Malibu]

NOW THAT"S WHAT I"M TALKING ABOUT!!! Can I get a shirt like that?(The perfect Malibu Shirt)

[Glen Lake Malibu]

Just checked out the competitor's gear( Ski Nautique ). Now I know for sure Malibu and thier clothing line has lets us all down. (www.nautiquegear.com)

Edited October 12, 2010 by Glen Lake Malibu