2023 Advent calendar.

[Moccasin]

While I’m no expert by any means, I do feel like they need to up their game in social media. It all sadly feels a little amateurish and done on a shoestring budget. There’ve seemingly been a number of missteps recently and in this age I’m not sure that’s doing them any favours.

[Rallymatt]

Hornby really do need to up their digital media game.

[VESPA]

I really did think my post would be removed within a couple of hours. Thank you to the moderators for letting it stay.

I watched something on TV recently about the Margate factory when it was Lines Brothers/ Triang Toys. They quickly turned their hand to making Thompson Sub Machine Guns by the thousand during WW2. It was one of the biggest toy factories in the world making all sorts of fantastic toys, so why not get back into other "Toys", take on the Chinese and make model railways exactly that without gimmicks, such as girraffe cars and rocket cars

[96RAF]

I don’t want to drag up the old argument that they are all toy trains, but I agree with Vespa, they either want to be toy train manufacturers gimmicks and all, or they focus on serious model railways. There is scope for the two to exist together but they need to split the branding to hive off the play-trains toys from the real-trains models.

[BritInVanCA]

I think they are trying different routes to get to a new market. Whether that will ultimately bear fruit is open to discussion. They are aware of the 404 error message, but being the weekend there is little opportunity for corrective action. R-

 

 

With respect they have been trying “different routes” for a number of years with little imagination. The old people complain about having no social media accounts and the young people laugh at their lack of digital marketing knowledge. “It’s a weekend “! What is this 1990? If you’re going to run a time sensitive campaign then you need to support it.

[LTSR_NSE]

I don’t want to drag up the old argument that they are all toy trains, but I agree with Vespa, they either want to be toy train manufacturers gimmicks and all, or they focus on serious model railways. There is scope for the two to exist together but they need to split the branding to hive off the play-trains toys from the real-trains models.

 

 

Surely it isn’t Hornby but their customers who muddy the water? Throughout every iteration (since 1920) Hornby have always produced & sold either clockwork or electric trains. For as long as these have existed, they have appealed to children, modellers & collectors.

Whilst I can accept that a sub-brand (or fragility warning) would be helpful for the super-detailed-extremely-delicate-replicas to advise caution to parents (& those unused to handling delicate objects) - I would have thought the prices of those objects would do that anyway!

Do adult modellers/collectors really not possess the patience or willingness to look through a range of products, for items that interest them, that they need segregated sections? Or is it a desire for Hornby to use clearly separated sub-brands & prices to denote quality, tooling age, etc? (that might not be in Hornby’s financial interest!)

[LTSR_NSE]

They are aware of the 404 error message, but being the weekend there is little opportunity for corrective action. R-

With respect they have been trying “different routes” for a number of years with little imagination. The old people complain about having no social media accounts and the young people laugh at their lack of digital marketing knowledge. “It’s a weekend “! What is this 1990? If you’re going to run a time sensitive campaign then you need to support it.

 

 

The issue surely is the disconnect between the website (which has significant issues, underinvestment & therefore is stuck out of time) & their Social Media output, (also probably underinvested in) which at least is attempting to stay relevant.

[Rallymatt]

I’m sure I’m not alone in seeing this; As Hornby has embraced the new age of digital marketing, it’s employed some outside contractors and a few internal staff to do different thinks at different times and there doesn’t seem to be any in-house Manager/director co-ordinating any of it. This really is an area where the influx of new managers ‘should’ give some attention to.

[Aussie Fred]

First 2 weeks and only one on website - seems a lack of "spreading it around" - Santa will not be amused.

[Yelrow]

well, all now disappeared. Hope Hornby bosses are happy with number of regulars they have upset this year. All these one applicant competition winners, on social media, will never be heard of again.

[Yelrow]

Found where it is still on display, senior moment, but all other comments apply.

[RDS]

All these one applicant competition winners, on social media, will never be heard of again.

 

 

I agree completely John, all the very best Dave