Internet Hype & Product Quality

[3Fitty]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

Well I don't know about hype, but I can tell you that "Fitty's Blazing Glory" is the last wax you'll ever want to buy.

FBG wipes on and wipes off effortlessly. I was able to wax my whole car in only 45 seconds and I wasn't even hurrying!

FBG leaves by far the shiniest, glossiest, and deepest finish I've ever seen on a car. I have no doubts that the durability will exceed the reported 6 months per applied layer.

3Fitty, thank you for sending me the pre-release sample! I predict that "Fitty's Blazing Glory" is going to shake up the Detailing community like no other wax ever has!



Mike

Mike, once again you've proven yourself to not only be a computer genius, but a genius in general!!!

[TimG]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

LOL Ok you got me convinced. Send me a sample of the notorious FBG and the 1k will be paypal'd.

[3Fitty]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

LOL Ok you got me convinced. Send me a sample of the notorious FBG and the 1k will be paypal'd.

No problem Tim but it is on back order, however, you can still send the $$$. LOL

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

In the course of a Saturday detailing clinic Mike Phillips usually mentions that with Meguiar's we make sure the product in the bottle does what the label says it will. We also back that up with a 100% money back guarantee. Add to that the fact that Meguiar's has been doing this for 108 years (including working very closely with all the major paint manufacturers, OEMs, body shops, etc) and you get the idea that we've got a pretty good idea what's what. That, my friends, is not hype, it's just fact.

Having said that, there are many really good products on the market today, but none of them are magic in a can. The user still needs to follow directions, understand what he/she is doing, and make use of proper technique. Someone here already mentioned that a lot of hype seems to come from newcomers to this hobby who had a very positive experience with a certain product and then spread the word like gospel. That's all well and good, and the product they're "hyping" is most likely a perfectly good product, but nothing is the be-all, end-all product.

Probably the most common situation is a question on a car forum asking how to correct a certain issue and someone responds with one word, usually "Zaino!". Please understand, that isn't a knock against Zaino, it's really more an indication of the fanatic following the product line has. Seriously, if Sal Zaino can get folks to be that crazy about his products, good for him. But when an overzealous person responds to an issue with nothing more than "Zaino!", it shows a lack of understanding of the whole process. Honestly, if someone came on a detailing forum and asked how to get rid of swirl marks and the only response given was "Meguiar's!", that wouldn't be very helpful either. Meguiar's what? M26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax? Deep Crystal Polish? What? Help me!!!!!!

As has also been pointed out here, getting to know who's posting what, how knowledgeable the poster is, how repeatable his results are over a wide variety of vehicles, and how well he communicates techniques, ideas, etc in general will tell you if his product comments can be relied upon.

[3Fitty]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

Mike, I think you are spot on but there is also another phenomenon I speak of...

Al (Akimel) once wrote very nicely about how certain forums have a certain "in" product.

My concern is that when you take a forum, lets call it "detailchat.com" to use a fictional example and they apparently have no product affiliation, but seem to push a particular product, I get leary.

Here, at MOL, we know its a Meg's forum and we know you'll obviously push Megs products... that's normal and good business.

I am just leary that forum "x" pushes product "y" as the best LSP, meanwhile at forum "a" they say that product "b" is the end all and be all. I just think all of these allegedly "non-affiliated" forums should come clean with all their affiliations.

Frankly, Mother's has a forum, like this and I respect that they push their products as best. No problems with that at all. However, if they created a forum called the "international detailers forum" and pretended it was unaffiliated, but pushed all of Mother's products as the cure for all that ails you, I'd have a problem with it.

I would imagine that Menzerna, Pinnacle, Wolfgang, Mother's etc. etc. etc... all make certain products which are amazing. No problems with that whatsoever. I also think they should all promote their products, again, that is just good business. It's just the schilling I'm not fond of and I think it happens a lot in this biz.

[akimel]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

I don't worry about hype. It's a normal phenomenon in retail business and a normal phenomenon for enthusiasts, no matter what their enthusiasm. The value of hype is it persuades people to try new products and new activities, and that, I think, is a good thing. People also enjoy participating in hype, at least for a short period of time, and that too is a good thing. Hype adds spice and excitment to our lives.

But hype will not long sustain consumer commitment. Ultimately it is the product itself that sells and re-sells itself. If a product disappoints me, I will not purchase it again.

When we think of hype in detailing, we typically think of the irrational enthusiasm generated by waxes and sealants. Why do I say "irrational"? Because all expert detailers agree that it is the proper preparation and polishing of the paint surface that creates a show car finish. The protectant only adds, if anything, a tiny bit extra, whether that extra is perceived as depth or wetness or reflectivity. It is precisely because wax/sealant preferences are so subjective, and therefore beyond objective determination, that they generate enthusiasm that often borders on obnoxious religious zeal.

Contrast the excitement generated by waxes with the excitement generated by polishes. I visit several detailing forums. On these forums I have seen excitement for various abrasive polishes but I have not seen what I would call hype. Why? Because people only get excited about polishes if they effectively do what they promise to do, that is, if they remove swirls and scratches and create a flawless paint finish. Hype quickly dissipates when confronted with poor performance. Why does Menzerna get so much press on detailing forums? Not, I suggest, because because of an irrational enthusiasm but because of product performance, proven again and again in detailing experience. More recently, Meguiar's M105 and M205 have received a lot of buzz, and this buzz has encouraged a lot of people to try these new products. People have been delightfully surprised, indeed shocked, by their performance and have shared with others their approval of these new Meguiar's products. When it comes to compounds and polishes, performance is everything. This is a reality, I think, that the Meguiar's Company has long understood.

Cheers,
Al

[RaskyR1]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

I think there is definitely a lot of hype out there...and I'm a real sucker for trying out new things!

I will admit some of them have not impressed me very much, and now sit on the shelf collecting dust. Still, there are several others that have more than lived up to their hype. I usually will wait until a reputable source has tried it and given a solid review.

If I actually possessed Al's writing skills I would probably do some write ups myself!


Rasky

[akimel]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

If I actually possessed Al's writing skills I would probably do some write ups myself!

And if I just had your detailing skills, Rasky ...

[chrisw]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

My thoughts, ( Newbie) I love cars, I love to see them shine and be clean and I want to do the best job I can. There are lots of different brands out there and I have chosen Meguiars because it is an old reputable and successful company. From what I have read in the last month it is not only just the product but matching product with pads and the hardness of the finish on the vehicle and so on.
So for me to know what I am talking about I am staying with a reputable name (Meguiars) and learning every little thing that I can so when I am ask what you are doing I can honestly answer them and know what I am talking about.
Switching from brand to brand does not allow you to honestly get to know how to work with that brand.

[Mike Pennington]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

But hype will not long sustain consumer commitment. Ultimately it is the product itself that sells and re-sells itself. If a product disappoints me, I will not purchase it again.

Hype quickly dissipates when confronted with poor performance.

Well said !!!!

BTW - Thank you for all the kind remarks regarding MOL...We have stated it many times, but we work hard on being an open and honest forum on car care regardless of the brand discussed. Our goal is not to hard sell anyone, but to get good, honest information out to all users so they get the best result / experience when detailing.

A huge thanks goes out to all MOL members because you contribute with this same philosophy...

Thanks for your help and support !!!

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

If a product disappoints me, I will not purchase it again.

And you won't recommend it to a friend and you might even steer people away from it.

Word of mouth advertising...

[Maserati Mario]

Re: Internet Hype & Product Quality

In the course of a Saturday detailing clinic Mike Phillips usually mentions that with Meguiar's we make sure the product in the bottle does what the label says it will. We also back that up with a 100% money back guarantee. Add to that the fact that Meguiar's has been doing this for 108 years (including working very closely with all the major paint manufacturers, OEMs, body shops, etc) and you get the idea that we've got a pretty good idea what's what. That, my friends, is not hype, it's just fact.

This is what caught my eye and ear about Meg's
I knew nothing about Meg's, looked into them and found out about there involvement in the entire "Auto Body Paint" industry.

This site is great!
Due to the 1-products, 2-employees and 3-customers
I got hooked when all three became obviously outstanding!
So I can belive the Hype I read about here.