Hello all,
Yesterday MB celebrated the opening of the largest MB flagship boutique in the Middle East. It was a nice event. Dinner at the Sheraton Hotel in Kuwait City. Attendace was by special invitation, and all the guests walked out with a gift, although non were pens. One lucky lady walked out with a special gift worth 10'000 euros.
The MB reprasentative from Germany gave a short speech. He talked about how MB was known for their tradition in pen making for more than 100 years. After briefly talking about the Meisterstuck pens, he went on ta say "..but did you know that we also have watches, leather goods and jewellary..". Then started a 30 minute clip about the MB jewellary lines.
The high light of the evening for me was the displayed Prince Ranier III limited edition pen valued for 200'000 euros.
Full Version: Largest MB Flagship boutique in the Middle East
Sounds like an interesting time, though not really my choice of what to do with an evening...
"..but did you know that we also have watches, leather goods and jewellary.."
Is there any way for anyone in Montblanc's target demographic to not have gotten the message that they also have watches, leather goods and jewelry?
"..but did you know that we also have watches, leather goods and jewellary.."
Is there any way for anyone in Montblanc's target demographic to not have gotten the message that they also have watches, leather goods and jewelry?
Yeah. For a pen company they spent far more time showing videos of the "other" products than presenting the history of their pens. The guy just flashed a 149 and showed a 3 minute video about pen making. The remaining 3 hours of the evening was about the watches, leather and diamonds.
You and I would rather concentrate on pens, but if I ran a company that made its name on a product whose heyday has past,
I would certainly diversify. Hopefully sucess in diversification will preserve the pens we enjoy.
I wouldn't have minded if Sheaffer made high quality and revenue producing leather bags with a white dot on it, if it meant that the Sheaffer plant in
Fort Madison could have stayed in business.
I would certainly diversify. Hopefully sucess in diversification will preserve the pens we enjoy.
I wouldn't have minded if Sheaffer made high quality and revenue producing leather bags with a white dot on it, if it meant that the Sheaffer plant in
Fort Madison could have stayed in business.
My invitation seems to've been lost in the mail. 
I wonder how they choose invited guests. Their usual dealers? Faithful customers?
MB wouldn't know the faithful customers except by list from the boutiques or store owners. Since this is the opening of the store, MB probably obtained a list from store owners and a few very well placed corporate connections within the business community in Kuwait City. Otherwise, MB has little or no connection to the buyer. Perhaps they know the buyers of their > Euros 10,000 pens and can start there.
Clearly, MB is now all about the NON-pen merchandise. One can hardly find the pens in the Manhattan boutique on 57th at Madison Ave. They are displayed poorly and not lit well, some dark, some in a case that reflects a glare. The B&M store displays are much more effective (a page out of Procter & Gamble's "solid front" presentation of similar/related products - if you don't like the Boheme, perhaps you'll like the Garbo, or the Poe, or the 149, or the 146, etc.). In Manhattan, I recall they were in the back and spread around (on walls and in cabinets) so you HAD to look at the other (expletive deleted) merchandise. Since I largely eschew wearing anything that advertises the manufacturer (they should pay me to do their advertising), it was a great annoyance (are you listening MB Sales and Marketing?). SO I left empty handed and went to the B&M shops that had a much better lay out.
BTW, if you look at the A.T. Cross website, they have largely diversified too.
Clearly, MB is now all about the NON-pen merchandise. One can hardly find the pens in the Manhattan boutique on 57th at Madison Ave. They are displayed poorly and not lit well, some dark, some in a case that reflects a glare. The B&M store displays are much more effective (a page out of Procter & Gamble's "solid front" presentation of similar/related products - if you don't like the Boheme, perhaps you'll like the Garbo, or the Poe, or the 149, or the 146, etc.). In Manhattan, I recall they were in the back and spread around (on walls and in cabinets) so you HAD to look at the other (expletive deleted) merchandise. Since I largely eschew wearing anything that advertises the manufacturer (they should pay me to do their advertising), it was a great annoyance (are you listening MB Sales and Marketing?). SO I left empty handed and went to the B&M shops that had a much better lay out.
BTW, if you look at the A.T. Cross website, they have largely diversified too.
Hello all,
The guests were chosen, and I can only prosume here, from the frequent boutique customers. I don't think the other stores that are official dealers keep any sort of record of customers and their preferences. The boutiques however do. Also many of the guests were the store owners themselves, from Kuwait and neighboring countries.
The guests were chosen, and I can only prosume here, from the frequent boutique customers. I don't think the other stores that are official dealers keep any sort of record of customers and their preferences. The boutiques however do. Also many of the guests were the store owners themselves, from Kuwait and neighboring countries.
Were you there Darius? If so what did you get?
Brad
Brad
Waterman, yes I was. I got stainless steel cuff links. My wife got a stainless steel and velvet straps bracelet.
QUOTE(scribe75 @ Jun 7 2008, 11:36 AM) [snapback]633575[/snapback]
MB wouldn't know the faithful customers except by list from the boutiques or store owners. Since this is the opening of the store, MB probably obtained a list from store owners and a few very well placed corporate connections within the business community in Kuwait City. Otherwise, MB has little or no connection to the buyer. Perhaps they know the buyers of their > Euros 10,000 pens and can start there.
Clearly, MB is now all about the NON-pen merchandise. One can hardly find the pens in the Manhattan boutique on 57th at Madison Ave. They are displayed poorly and not lit well, some dark, some in a case that reflects a glare. The B&M store displays are much more effective (a page out of Procter & Gamble's "solid front" presentation of similar/related products - if you don't like the Boheme, perhaps you'll like the Garbo, or the Poe, or the 149, or the 146, etc.). In Manhattan, I recall they were in the back and spread around (on walls and in cabinets) so you HAD to look at the other (expletive deleted) merchandise. Since I largely eschew wearing anything that advertises the manufacturer (they should pay me to do their advertising), it was a great annoyance (are you listening MB Sales and Marketing?). SO I left empty handed and went to the B&M shops that had a much better lay out.
BTW, if you look at the A.T. Cross website, they have largely diversified too.
Clearly, MB is now all about the NON-pen merchandise. One can hardly find the pens in the Manhattan boutique on 57th at Madison Ave. They are displayed poorly and not lit well, some dark, some in a case that reflects a glare. The B&M store displays are much more effective (a page out of Procter & Gamble's "solid front" presentation of similar/related products - if you don't like the Boheme, perhaps you'll like the Garbo, or the Poe, or the 149, or the 146, etc.). In Manhattan, I recall they were in the back and spread around (on walls and in cabinets) so you HAD to look at the other (expletive deleted) merchandise. Since I largely eschew wearing anything that advertises the manufacturer (they should pay me to do their advertising), it was a great annoyance (are you listening MB Sales and Marketing?). SO I left empty handed and went to the B&M shops that had a much better lay out.
BTW, if you look at the A.T. Cross website, they have largely diversified too.
There's a cross store near me and while they do have a nice selection of pens, most of the merchandise not-pen. They've definately been diversifying their products.
So I finally visited the new boutique. It has a large space and a nice layout. The items are displayed in different sections of the store. There was a section for pens, watches, leather accessories and so on. There was also a special VIP room for the diamond collections. Each section had display stands were items were displayed, and a desk were you sit and they show you what you want. They do have a huge collection of everything. So overall, the boutique is nice, although I haven't visited any of the large boutiques in Europe or North America to compare it with.
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