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It links in with all the discussions from the female gardeners on the other sites, the people asking our industry will ever pull together to raise it's image, and the way we post on internet groups.
Some are closed, but even there we see people hating this sort of thing, others are open and our clients see them. Until we sell ourselves as qualified professionals we are cutting our own incomes. It's really damaging when the suppliers take us back 40 years.
Etesia are reading this. Why aren't they commenting?
I don't honestly think that the majority of people take offence at these calendars and view them as just a bit of light-hearted fun and not to be taken too seriously! If they weren't popular, they wouldn't make them. ............. Not seen Etesia ones but certainly the Stihl ones I've seen are quite nicely done with the models covering up anything that might offend anyone and usually posing, often humorously, with a Stihl piece of equipment.,............... perhaps though we should have a few male models posing to cater for the ladies!! At the end of the day, we don't have to buy one if we don't approve of it:)
It is the year 2015. For at least 15 years to my certain knowledge the images on that calendar show less nakedness, a little sexual innuendo yes but actually less in-your-face suggestiveness than what has been exhibited blatently from about 8 p.m., often earlier, live in our high streets each and every weekend, winters included.
I feel the same (commercial) frustration as everybody else but we have to recognise that Etesia serve a domestic as well as a commercial market place. The real point is that I can't see how it helps Etesia in either place.
It isn't the alleged sexism that gets to me in the least. Many kids do a lot worse on Facebook and the like using their mates and selfies for the photography. It is the piss-poor marketing judgement.
I did pick up the Etesia "goody bag" which included the calendar. A couple of young girls are illustrated with the Etesia products serving no more purpose than as background props. The girls are not even illustrating how easy the machinery is to use. The machines are static. The girls in most of the pix are active.
That's not a deprecating comment on me or my abilities nor on the girls. They have every right to do a job and get paid for it. It is a clear judgement upon Etesia's marketing department's judgement. So I buy Viking. Or any other make. Problem solved.
what about the calendar girls calendar they made the choice but it was for a good cause
What cause? There is no mention on the calendar of any cause, just a front page "Etesia seeing is believing" and "Pellenc". There is some almost illegible writing down in the bottom corner on some of the pages which I can't be bothered to take out my strongest reading glasses to peruse. If designers elect to print text on a background which makes it illegible I can't see why I should be bothered to make a special effort to discern what it is atempting to convey. If you wish to sell to me, make your meaning clear. Visibly too.
My critique is not about the girls at all. I think Jez has picked the wrong target. It is the Etesia marketing team that has screwed up. If there is any cause, good or otherwise, it should be clear. This is utterly obscure. I am still not aware of which if any cause. If it was to advertise the technical or performance advantages the Etesia range offers, it has signally failed to do so.
Think David means the WI calendar girls clicky
thanks Graham you beat me to it I think it was for cancer as one of there husbands died from it
Its great that this Etesia calendar issue is still rumbling on because I think the message coming across is Etesia have got it wrong. Whether it is sexist or simply poor marketing has and is still being debated but what is interesting is Etesia are defensive and slightly irritable about it. I'm surprised Freshscaped and maybe others would go so far as to not buy Etesia products because of it but lets see what the 2017 calendar looks like. I've a tenner on no scantily clad models.
I am in the poor marketing and borderline sexist camp but still found myself getting a signed calendar by the girls who were a welcome visual relief from the male adorned large chunks of metal at Saltex. I was very disappointed with myself.
I probably overstressed the point then, Neil. The message intended was that this would not have introduced me to Etesia's products so would have failed in drawing my attention to them. Hence no buyer conversion.
As I already know the marque as being of high quality and reliable I am likely to buy on those grounds.
OP - Maybe you under-estimate your fellow Contractors abilitiy to form their own oppinions & make decisions ?
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