I had an interesting talk with the marketing departments of a couple of bike windshield companies recently. It seems we are not using our forums to their full potential. I asked both companies to donate windshields to the "try a windshield for free" program we have going, I asked for 2 and I got 3 instead and 2 of them were there the next day! We now have 6 windshields to try for just the cost of shipping.
They spend a lot of money trying to get products in front of us, any idea how much advertising or showing up at rallies costs? Thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, just in the hope we might actually notice. This gets their windshields in front of motivated buyers at almost no cost to them, especially if you ask for a factory second or a blemished one they weren't going to sell anyway. We are the ones paying for shipping it to each other not them. All they have is a very small one time cost.
This type of program works best with things that easily bolt on and off and tend to cost a lot, seats, mufflers, windshields, etc. It also works with an item from just 1 manufacturer or a few manufactures. This is probably the best way to start:
- Start a thread so everyone knows and can get a list of potential users started, and so you have somewhere to refer your contact to.
- Call the company that makes the product, ask for marketing or tell whoever answers that you are seeking a donation for a group and they will get you to the right person.
- Briefly explain to the person why you are calling and ask them for their email address so you can send them more information. Send them an email with a link to the topic you started on the forum (so they know it is not a scam), and let them know you are not keeping the product, just trying it and sending it on to the next person on the list, who sends it to the next person, etc. Also let them know a blem or second is OK because they get scratched in shipping and with all of the installation and removal.
- When the item comes in the mail try it out and send it to the next person.
