Tic.... Tic... Tic...

[What About The Bee]

In 5 short months, it will be the 9th of January. While some may call that the second Tuesday of January, Hornby will likely call that day "Range Launch 2024".

An important day for Hornby, Range Launch is when Hornby measures how the products selected by the Marketing team will sell. Many place their orders at the time of launch, including major retailers. For certain, I will be placing my pre-orders*

The selection process of what Range Launch 2024 includes has likely already started. Hornby are not going to wait until the night before to decide what products go into Range Launch. There is art work to create. Descriptions. Price rollups. A thousand procedural steps and internal gates.

The problem? Exactly who is the Marketing team? Simon -> gone. Montana -> gone. We may have one hint, Olly Raeburn, Hornby CEO, was Chief Marketing Officer at Paperchase before becoming CEO at Paperchase. Draw your own conclusions vis the previous occupants in role and how there may have been conflict.

Range Launch 2024 is coming. In 5 short months. After deducting weekends and my limited understanding of UK holidays, that is ~100 working days.  

Sand pouring down the hourglass.

No pressure.

At all.

Bee

* Pre-order placement contingent upon content. If you have seen any of my scribblings, you know what I am after. But I do understand that other people will want other things. I wish good luck to everyone, that Hornby select and produce your dream kit.

[LTSR_NSE]

I hope that the purpose of this post is merely to encourage Hornby to introduce their new marketing team as soon as is possible (and possibly say that we will patiently await whatever 2024 reveals).

The idea that anyone is already anticipating January/Christmas/Thanksgiving/Halloween/Bonfire Night, or anything else months away, at the beginning of August! - is entirely incomprehensible to me! 🙈😂

[Gordonvale]

Zero working days for me and a few other posters!

[96RAF]

Just go to LinkedIn, find Hornby and list all their registered employees. More than 150 at last sight including their new Chief Marketing Officer.

Tim Mulhall still shows but his new job is shown as does Montana.

[ColinB]

That is an interesting thought, seeing as Simon was the motivation for new designs of loco, I suppose they will just recirculate their existing designs with different names and numbers, but who knows? Can't say that Paperchase was a roaring success but perhaps that was just due to external influences.

[bill7437]

Back to the days of staff from other companies who have neither

knowledge or experience of the model railway trade or their end users.

We will no doubt be able to judge in future months !!!!! Come back Simon

all is forgiven.

[flyingfox4475]

It seems last time Hornby had CEO from outside the Model Railway world a number key staff left and things went pear shaped. It was also the last time Simon left and now it seems a new CEO has brought the retirement of Simon and Montana has left to pastures new.

When Lindan became CEO he was with Simon the Driving force behind Hornby's upturn and great new models. However, time will tell with Olly Raeburn as CEO.

[What About The Bee]

Hi LT&SR_NSE

I dare not tell you of my 4 year program to build my monocoque personal water craft. I dare not tell you of the 16 year wisteria program in our garden which finally bloomed in the 15th year.

You are likely already aware that my OO Planet program will take quite a bit longer, as it is still in first pass engineering phase. I expect 2 more rounds of engineering before actual part acquisition occurs, followed by a ridiculously extensive build and test effort. How long will that be? 🤷‍♂️

Always remember the 5 Ps of Engineering. Prior Planning Prevents [redacted] Poor Performance. Now if I had only counted them ahead of time, I would have known there were six Ps. And yes, the redacted word was alliterative. Starts with P, and most assuredly banned!

Bee

[Moccasin]

Why would “Particularly” be banned? 😇

[Aussie Fred]

or Practicality

[JJ73]

@ Bee :- All very well talking about the "Range Launch 2024" - but I'm still waiting for my 3 Pre-orders which are :-

1 From Jan 2022 :- R30225SS

BR, Stanier 5MT 'Black 5', 4-6-0, 44726 With Steam Generator - Era 5

& 2 from Jan 2023 :- R3983SS

LNER, P2 Class, 2-8-2, 2007 'Prince of Wales' With Steam Generator - Era 11

& R30271

LMS, Fowler 4P, 2-6-4T, 2300: Big Four Centenary Collection – Era 3

As you know with Pre-orders - they can take Months or even years to get!!! 🤔🚂

[What About The Bee]

Hiya JJ

The things you mention are NOT my worry.

My concern is the new marketing staff, a new CEO, and the short time to range launch. Range Launch a big effort, and the new team has gotten rid of Simon and Montana.

Bee

[Moccasin]

They have said in the past that they now have two design teams, with one largely for OO and another largely for TT120.

Given that we know progress has been made on some long-awaited OO products (P2 & Coronation stock), that means that those designers will have now moved onto new products. While there are still things promised before that are yet to arrive, these designers will not be sitting idle and will likely already be working on new products for 2024. Given their decision to reduce new releases in 2023, there will no doubt be products that were planned but were held back from 2023 which will feature in the 2024 range.

Hornby do now have a new marketing chief (formerly of Lego) who, while not having direct experience of model railways, will no doubt rely on the existing team for guidance on products alongside data Hornby has on what sells well.

[Yelrow]

Moccasin, whats the new guys name. thanks.

[Moccasin]

Moccasin, whats the new guys name. thanks.

 

 

Alex Mawer is the name I saw in another forum and it checks out on LinkedIn. Could be a good fit. Much as I liked SK, they don’t necessarily need someone like Simon in the role if the individual brand leads are up to the job. The chief marketing role should focus on group strategy rather than individual brands.

Mawer has links to Merlin Entertainment who run Legoland parks and Discovery Centres, so we’ll see if that influences the direction of Hornby’s putative retail/experiences strategy.

[DarkRedCape]

I’ve obviously missed that bit of news, but what happened to Montana?

[Yelrow]

She left, we dont know a lot more. Presumably, new guy wants his own team.

[DarkRedCape]

That doesn’t sound very reassuring.

[Moccasin]

My assumption was that she wanted Simon’s job but left when that didn’t happen.

[Yelrow]

Bee, interesting times. New guy/team will no doubt be on early flight to china. Given the list of Pre orders, many of which wont see the light of day, given costings, tis more what Hornby can afford to buy, rather than a new list of what they would like made. You normally get 3 months in a new job, to make your name, before system grinds you down. Rather him than me. I wish him good luck.

[Yelrow]

dont think she was considered. Shame she left in my view for sake of continuity, but lets give them benefit of the doubt, and wish new guy, best of luck. He has big shoes to fill.

[Moccasin]

dont think she was considered. Shame she left in my view for sake of continuity, but lets give them benefit of the doubt, and wish new guy, best of luck. He has big shoes to fill.

 

 

Possibly not, which would have made her even less inclined to stay, as well as maybe not enjoying her role as much after SK left. Don’t forget though that there are many others who’re still in Hornby. We only focus on Simon and Montana because the TV series made it seem like they ran everything. That may have contributed to their departure if other senior colleagues felt that they were hogging the limelight.

[Rallymatt]

It think the step up for Montana would have been too much too soon. Hornby marketing has not been without more than a few gaffs in recent years and as good as the good bits are the mistakes are hard to hide from.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Lego made more railway related products than Hornby! Considering Techno Lego and the high profile partnerships Lego have developed (Ferrari etc) someone with this experience and expertise is definitely good to have on board.

It’s probably likely most of the ‘24 range launch was already pretty fixed before ‘23 range launch. TT:120 has shown how far ahead plans have been made in recent years.

[DarkRedCape]

At least ten of my pre-orders have moved to 2024 from an original 2023 release date in the last month or two. I was hoping to dwindle down my pre-orders before 2024 hit, but we’re only in August, so I expect even more of them will be pushed to 2024. In a way I’m hoping the 2024 range is focused on TT:120 so that I don’t add to what I already have.

[ColinB]

Trouble is if they don't make stuff they have nothing to sell. On the other hand they may be making enough from the other products in their range I suppose a detailed study of their profit would give some insight. Generally the people that leave are the ones that find it easy to get a job somewhere else. The TV coverage can have done Montana no harm.