Why?

[TonyGen]

I suppose Korg USA could wait for US residents to enter the draw and then decide to withdraw the prize........

Not that there is any history of such behaviour of course....

[mikeyd]

I just entered the contest! Thanks KORG USA!!!

[chilly7]

I hate it when you sit on the fence chilly7 - but what do you really think?!!

do u actualy people think that all thouse promotions come from nowhere?
like buy 1 coffe and get another for free?!!

it's always mean that u get less quality prodact

better to pay more but to get something that will last for a long time.

there is a good proverbial:" I am to poor to buy crupp"

better i will buy something expensive but very good and it will last

[MartinHines]

@ Martinhines - have to disagree with your global promotions point. Do you honestly for one millisecond think that McDonalds doesn't care what promotions are being done in any particular region at any time - particularly when a new movie comes out? Or the World Cup is on?

Quite. Of course they do - and they are almost military in the precision about it and god help any franchisee that does not play to the central rules.

McDonald's coordinates global advertising, but they can have country or region-specific promotions.

McDonald's has their Monopoly promotion (which is the closest they have to a global promotion), but it is not offered in all countries. Also, the prizes in each country vary.

You may consider Korg.com to be the official worldwide website of Korg, but it is not. It is the U.S. Distributor website. Also, like it or not, the U.S. market is the biggest market for electronic instruments, which is why many countries (not just Korg) have promotions specific to the U.S.

The basic point remains, Korg are selective in location and time of special offers. While they are perfectly entitled to do this to win new customers, it irks existing customers. As said above, a more equitable solution can be found, for starters coordinating special offers across the world so those in all other countries are not looking in on the UK, US or whoever it is receiving the offer and then feeling aggrieved.

I don't think you are being realistic. Most global companies price and market their products differently to different countries because different countries are different. There are different business structures, different economies, different taxes, different business regulations, etc.

[SCHWEATS]

So... since Roland engages in similar promotional activities
that makes Korgs similar activities acceptable, because everybody's doing it ? What kind of logic or integrity is that ? Additionally you can disclaim all you want about how you're not involved in 'that' part of the business (promotions, I assume) however, with your signature danatkorg.com what are we supposed to think, you're the night watchman ? You're on a forum , with your unique signature, so you are basically speaking for KORG as you impart info in response to the questions /comments at hand on KORG promotional activities. This is more corporate s**t-rollin'-down-hill ... if you can't speak with authority about this topic , then don't ! We, the customer base , buy products because of our perceived value in the brand name coupled with the desirableness of the products offered and that perceived value is shared worldwide. Gee, I smell accountants/lawyers/bankers dictating marketing policy. BTW, I'm an American and I love my Oasysbut after listening to all the hype of continual upgradability when I purchased it with the features I truly wanted showing up in the M3 (Seq improvements not another synth engine) and the reality that ensued and now this topic , I'll reconsider any feelings of loyalty.

2¢ - Schweats

[billysynth1]

Sorry to hijack for a second....everything has been said about promo's anyway

Hey Dan, can we O owners get the iElectribe for christmas lol

The software is already there to go isnt it? The software is set and ready to be installed right?

There are three thousand O's versus how many iPads?
About a hundred iPads? At 200 bucks each by 3000 units thats about a million bucks. So, hope you can ask Korg Japan to consider. Please consider. Tankyou



Billy

[Kevin Nolan]

McDonald's has their Monopoly promotion (which is the closest they have to a global promotion), but it is not offered in all countries. Also, the prizes in each country vary.

You may consider Korg.com to be the official worldwide website of Korg, but it is not. It is the U.S. Distributor website. Also, like it or not, the U.S. market is the biggest market for electronic instruments, which is why many countries (not just Korg) have promotions specific to the U.S.

Firstly Martin - it was Korg who released the Monopoly, not MacDonald's

(sorry - just had to do it!!)

The basic point remains, Korg are selective in location and time of special offers. While they are perfectly entitled to do this to win new customers, it irks existing customers. As said above, a more equitable solution can be found, for starters coordinating special offers across the world so those in all other countries are not looking in on the UK, US or whoever it is receiving the offer and then feeling aggrieved.

I don't think you are being realistic. Most global companies price and market their products differently to different countries because different countries are different. There are different business structures, different economies, different taxes, different business regulations, etc.

Seriously - it really doesn't matter what I think, or whether I'm right or fair. The basic point is - Korg's current promotion policy is more selective than any other technology company - including Roland - and it annoys many people engaging/considering purchasing Korg. I'm not expressing a personal feeling only, but have come across plenty of gripes over the years from others feeling the same way. Whether I'm realistic or not - the customer will vote with their wallet and Korg annoy many people by offering special deals to only a select customer base, and they do it regularly.

As also mentioned above - McDonalds offering selective promotions is simply not a valid comparison. Customers of McDonalds literally give no conscious thought to their purchases (if they did they would not enter a McDonalds in the first place). Korg customers are spending a lot of money, Korg have a huge task to convince people to buy their products given the minute market and massive competition for such expensive purchases - so IMO they are simply sloppy in their thinking in this regard.

But I've already indicated solutions - its not as if this is rocket science. And - currently ALL software synth and sample library companies offer special deals world wide - they do not offer selective deals because they know what how much bad karma they would generate with existing customers and with prospective new customers.

To me this is a no brainer and I'm amazed that Korg persist with this sort of elitist outlook to marketing which is – if you live in the western world your personal Korg distributor is wealthy enough to offer you great deals. If you live in a poorer part of the world – tough.

Kevin.

[ellll]

Pretty normal worldwide seems to me

Regards
ellll

[danatkorg]

Seriously - it really doesn't matter what I think, or whether I'm right or fair. The basic point is - Korg's current promotion policy is more selective than any other technology company - including Roland

This is simply untrue, as Martin, Sharp, and myself have noted.

- Dan

[danatkorg]

In this instance, the US distributor is offering something to only their customers; in the other examples I linked to, distributors in the UK, Germany, and France/Benelux are offering things only to their customers.

This is basic business practice, related to one of two things: promoting a new product, or adding incentive to a product that you want to move more quickly. Markets differ, and so promotions will differ. Since physical product is involved, geography matters.

Best regards,

Dan

[minnkorg]

This thread is totally absurd.

Guys, Marketing-1001 says that regional promotions are a totally acceptable practice.

To use 'Mail In Rebates' as an example, companies like Best Buy will do a mail in rebate. Each person filling out the forms ultimately will end up in a targeted list for some company. This is purely a regional phenomenon, not global.

Take Auto companies for example. They have incentives that are regional all the time even though most of them are global companies.

Danatkorg you are being way too generous with your time......

Let's end this now.

[John Hendry]

"This thread is totally absurd."

LOL Yea, but it sure proves feeling overrides logic and even what we see. I bet the reality of the US changing taking much of the world with it is an issue far more time worthy than Korg's distributor’s special offers. If we could just get all this energy pointed in the same direction at the same time we might have something worth feeling over.

I'm trying to recall what got me here....oh yea "Why?" Curiosity of the unknown….

"Some times there is no answer because there is no question why but I still am left with an empty feeling trying to explain it all."

John^^

[Synergy]

Matthew 6:5

[Kevin Nolan]

Dan and minnkorg -

I understand your points. I understand it’s a free world and market and that companies can do what they like. I understand that regional promotions are common, and I understand that other technology companies do this

But I think you are missing the few points I've brought to bear here that are not my opinion but are pretty much factually on the ground, and IMO, important to how Korg do business into the future. I feel Korg are being offered insight here that they should take on board - this is not a gripe. The points I make are:

1. Regional promotions by a company who promotes themselves globally annoy various cohorts of potential and existing customers/users. That hurts Korg's business; and bugs customers! It's been a while admittedly since I've seen gripes on this on forums - but my clear memory over the past ten or more years is reading plenty of clearly articulated gripes on numerous threads on numerous forums about Korg's practice in this way. Take it or leave it.

2. While Roland in particular may partake in this practice (and two wrongs do not make a right in this regard IMO), virtually no other music technology - either hardware or software - who operate globally or who are a young company, practice this method of promotion. You will never have even Apple Logic, let alone the likes of Eastwest, NI or Arturia do regional promotions like this. They know it would hurt their business. Now Korg has got to ask - why would it hurt their business and not Korgs! The answer is in there.

3. There are more equitable solutions - I've mentioned them already.

IMO, Korg ate completely outmoded in this practice. Will they offer, for example, regional deals in iPhone apps? The writing is on the wall for this dubious mode of selective marketing that, from my observations over the years, offers preferential deals to wealthier countries.

Kevin.

[X-Trade]

The problem is with Korg's business model in general. Many people find it confusing, and I think it is hard to make it clearer. Particularly when it comes to offers and getting support.

AFAIK there is no 'global' Korg. Korg Japan & Korg R&D (USA?) develop the products. The other companies (Korg UK, DE, US, etc) are technically just resellers and they handle sales and promotions in their region. So they can have different offers, although they are not competing. For example one supermarket may offer half price on a selection vegetables because they have a surplus of those products or want to promote that line of products to their customers. The other supermarkets don't have to do the same because their circumstances may be different. Admittedly that isn't the best analogy because you can choose which supermarket to go to...

Please let me know if any of this is wrong. I'm only basing this on what I've read on the forums so far over the past few years.