Dear all, It's a few years since we last had a poster and I've noticed many are no longer on club notice boards so we're thinking of making a new one. Below are the last two, both showing 12s in planing mode.
- Should we go with another planing picture or show off the family side of the class?
- Has any one got any cracking high resolution photos?
- What strap line should we use? (this year's merchandise "Dare to be different"?)
Any inspiration would be appreciated (a.s.a.p as we'd like to get it in the next mailing)
(http://www.national12.org/publicity/A3-big-issue-poster_icon.jpg) (http://www.national12.org/publicity/feeling_foolish_icon.jpg)
Happy sailing
Graham
HI Graham
I think the 'Dare to be different' tag line would work particularly well if you could find a picture of a modern 12 sailing alongside an older boat (ideally one with a 'family' sailing it) and I don't think it needs to be planing.
Jane
grazz if i dont get a helm for Rhyc open this weekned il come along anyway and bring my camera ( for those of you who dont know photography is my other hobby) and see if i can get any good pics
my vote goes for the "dare to be differnt" and maybe we could have a montage of say 6 or 8 pics maybe in a monkey to man evoloution type thing? does this make sense? sam
I like the idea of multiple pictures, we could certainly get 5 on an A3 poster, 4 at the corners and one in the centre, that would allow us to show off the variety of the class some more.
There should be some good photos from Hyekham showing the contrasting designs (old and modern) - I'll have to ask Kevan for the full CD
I'd also like to get some images of faces, showing people really enjoying their 12 sailing. This tends to be a little more tricky as photos are generally taken from a distance whilst racing and sailors tend to be concentrating on other boats rather than posing for the camera - If anyone has some cracking photos then please send them in
Hopefully see on the water at Harwich Sam, I'm sure someone must need a good crew :)
Re choices of photos - I think the idea of a number of photos showing the range of boats sailed in the N12 class is a great one. Surely from all those wonderful shots taken by Yvonne McInnes and others in recent years we must already have plenty to choose from.
Hi folks!
I think that the motto is not really what the class does and this is just paying lipservice to it. The motto "Dare to be different" is misleading. All the classes differ from one another, hence the definition of a class.
Aside from that, what do we mean by the motto? That we allow development? However, the only boat that appears to be running up at the top in the sea racing is the foolish and that since 1996(?) or thereabouts. It attracts a great following. If we got rid of all the other boats, we would have a restricted class, but would anyone really notice? I think not. Ok. we have other builders and designs, but how far do they get on in the results? The motto "evolution, not revolution" also comes to my mind. However, there have been no significant changes to the boat's speed capability or any other characteristic over these past 12 years. It might have something to do with the innate fear of everyone who invests in a high quality, expensive boat that any increases in speed etc that are caused by a relaxation of rules would render their boats unsaleable at the prices they'd like to have. I'd like a return to honesty and have us called a restricted class again, since at the moment we're just a restricted class playing development drag with a lot of people, lake and river sailors and the like with older designs around the edges.
So, to return to the question, what do we do that is different and where are we daring? Let's put that in the motto....
Jim. (Don't hit me for this)
The 'dare to be different' is in my mind is to get people to think about having a 12 vs the SMOD type classes RS etc. I think we do need to be capturing the evolution of the class - including the different designs - the evolution idea from Sam is good. Show the class covers a range of sailor types incl. parent / child combos, those of an older generation as well as the typical action sort of shots that tend to get used. Can we show that the 12 offers close tactical racing vs out and out speed? What about using recent class success at PY open events - Bloody Mary winner (1&2nd), Battle of classes etc - the 12 has a proven track record of successes (handicap bandit - but don't make it too obvious!!). In the evolution can we point out that many of the 'modern' classes come from designers who created 12s, Phil Morrison, Jo Richards etc Playing a bit on the 'nostalgia' - how do we entice 'returning' sailors (those now with families) to step into a 12 rather than a SMOD? If you crewed in one in the past you are old enough to drive one now - IYSWIM.
Not sure you could easily get all those messages across in one poster? ;D
Hi Graham, have a word with Dawn Brown, she makes a living doing this kind of stuff, you must have Phil's email address. For what it's worth, I believe we need less of the heroics piccis and more of the 'family' approach. The average dinghy sailer thinks sun, not too much wind and lots of fun so this is the generic approach we need as a class.
Lots of boats are sailed with family combinations so let's focus on them rather than the extremes. I think the compromise idea of the 'monkey to man' using the different boats could work well if designed properly, the piccis could then go from zero to hero.
I will look out any pictures I hold and forward to you.
Simon
3454
I have to say that it was the image on the last poster that got me thinking about a 12. If it had been bobbing along I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance and probably wouldn't have a 12 now.
If we are looking to attract the 30/40ish returner to sailing who is looking for a club racer then I think the key points to stress are:
- Excellent handicap racer.
- Can be lairy.
- Can be a family racer.
I think as a generalisation that looking to attract late teen/early 20s is a lost cause. The attraction of a large genaker and loads of like minded to get lashed up with is too strong! Yes, there are exceptions out there, but as a rule, the RS200/800/L2K are the classes to be in if you are 20.
Our sailing club has exactly the same dynamic (because it 's unsuitable for genaker boats) and has virtually no members between 20 and 35
Two pics of smiling children sailing in 12's (of the Vintage variety) on their way to you Graham,
RM
How about a twist on the Dare to different to become Dare to be DiffereN12?
I'm sure fotoboat might be able to help with the pictures? I know I have a fair few of national 12's if needed. Either give me a shout on tom 'at' fotoboat.com or explain to Mike Rice on mike 'at' fotoboat.com. I would be more than willing to help.
Cheers
Tom
Graham
Danger here of too much consultation and too many ideas. My professional experience of brand development tells me that in a crowded market place, we need to keep reinforcing the same message in all the media we use, otherwise, inconcistency undermines everything. So, we have 'Dare to be different' as a proposition - it's eye-catching and does sum up the spirit of the Twelves as a Class. All the other ideas that have been discussed here might be worth thinking about as implicit or explicit sub-messages but keep the top-line simple, bold and reinforcing what's already on the t-shirts. And also, let's be realistic about what a poster can do - if it makes a few people stop and think for a moment, then it will have done its job. We can't expect a poster on a few dozen clubhouse walls to convert a nation to sailing Twelves.
And let's also say that we all owe you thanks for taking on yet another invidious task on behalf of the Class!
Mike D
N3496
Look at the newsletter of 2005 page 27, your poster is already there. It shows all the best of 12's. Also as the front of the newsletter says ' 12 feet of perfection'
Do we need a poster? Surely the best advert for the class is for us all to get our boats on the water EVERY weekend!!
Kevin
Surely the best advert for the class is for us all to get our boats on the water EVERY weekend!!
Kevin
. . . . which is about grass roots sailing . . at the club level.
Much navel gazing and pontification seems to have taken place on this and related subjects, forum threads, debates.
Has anyone done any market research OUTSIDE of the class? We all know why we sail N12's, and it's for as many reasons as there are designs. BUT we are clearly seen to struggle against other classes.
How about a questionnaire for completion by non N12 sailors that we can take round our own clubs to find out what people think? Or might the answers be unpalatable??
Hope that I am not going to upset too many people, but I really don't think that our current N12 logo means anything to anyone out there - except N12 sailors! Sorry, peeps, but it's meaningless! Where's the boat? ??)
Thanks for the ideas everyone. Myself and Jeremy are working on something at the mo.
Phil, we did a survey for both existing 12 sailors and also potential sailors in 2006. The results are on the site at:
http://www.national12.org/surveys/70th_Census/survey_70th_Census.shtml
and in the 2003 newsletter I wrote an article benchmarking various characteristics of the 12
http://www.national12.org/private/Newsletter/Annual%20Newsletter/2003/newsletter2003.pdf
Always up for new input / new ideas on what we can do though
happy sailing
Graham
I have in my memorabilia file an old double sided A3 sized class poster of photos in black and white taken by R Lean Vercoe in the 1980s. I think I acquired it before I started sailing 12's in the 90's. It features 12's at speed on the sea and even now the boats look impressive.
Personally, I think exciting sells boats and that poster certainly worked for me - eventually.