Idea:
Something like a Vapman/INHALE Collectors Club.
I wrote this a while ago but didn't finish it. It's now like notes sticking together and got way to long
. Sorry, no more time to condense it. Here's what it's about:
- Almost started a rant about capitalism
- Why the Vapman is special IMHO
- Why some fans might be disappointed lately IMHO
- Where INHALE should get better IMHO
- What INHALE could do to keep the biggest Vapman fans around
I think the Vapman is great, but in a capitalists mind, the Vapman isn't that good of a product, I guess. The product is just too durable, isn't it? Actually, as a costumer you could buy one and be happy with it for a decade – which is longer than the lifespan of most start-up companies. I'm absolutely no business guy, but I think that means, as a company you would need to find new customers all the time + accelerating this as you have the need to grow (or selling disposable battery-driven vapes made of plastics
). I never get, how an endless need for growth can ever be ecologically or even economically sustainable, because at a certain point the market is just empty because all the costumers are satisfied if you are making a very good and durable product (don't get me even started on planned obsolescence, the fact that the dogma for economic growth brought us this whole ecological disaster shit which is about to hit the fan, and that the main thing I'm thinking of when talking about unlimited growth in an organic world is cancer). So let's just assume the Vapman is just a perfect product + sustainable, durable, no need for big changes then, every costumer is happy as a clam. What must happen is: the market will be saturated at some (distant) point. Of course, at the moment the market is far from being saturated and I actually expect a huge boom for vaporizers. But at a certain point the market will be saturated. What then? How to keep selling your product? There are several scenarios, of course.
Well, there are obviously people (like me from time to time) who basically collect Vapmans. Different woods, different models and recently thanks to Michael and David (now INHALE) some innovations, as well. Those things keep us interested. I don't know the numbers, but I can imagine that collectors play a vital role for the long-term success of the whole Vapman/INHALE company. We do not buy new Vapmans again and again because it makes sense. It is not a decision made by a homo economicus, but rather by people who listen a little bit more to their heart than solely to the coins dangling in the money bag. Where am I going with this text? I think I'm going to ask INHALE to keep us collectors closer to their heart, too. I certainly can not speak for all of us, not at all actually, but here's how I see it: some of us may feel a tiny little bit betrayed every now and then lately. I don't say that this feeling is justified all the time. Maybe it is more like a psychological phenomenon: Like in a way, Michael and David are the new stepdads of our collectively beloved Vapman-baby and they somehow have to prove themselves a little bit harder. Fans who are with the Vapman for a long time felt super safe over the years with René (the inventor, OG Daddy) as the man behind the product. And then, suddenly, two fresh guys from northern Italy "take over" the whole endevour. How dare they!? Well, the brain knows they actually saved the whole thing and we should be thankful, but one might feel a kind of responsibility to take care that the Vapman stays true to itself, too, and you know, fight for it if necessary. Well, justified or not, the feeling is real, and I'm actually very convinced that is what some people feel, after having read the thread and after reflecting on myself. And that builds up to those minor disappointments that happened with delays, raised prices and other imperfections. However, Michael and David did what none of use did: they actually took a huge responsibility for this. So how dare I to make any demands as a simple costumer. That's how: I think we need each other.
The coolest thing is: The Vapman obviously has the ability to touch people in a way only very special products can (
?). It maybe really is pretty dang close to being a perfect product. Certainly it is not normal. It is a singularity and we just like it a little bit more because it is what it is.
Deriving from this I'm writing directly to Michael and David:
We are happy with how the OG Vapman was. Don't take too much away from it. Find a way to make it your own, sure, that's great to see, but also keep some traditionalists happy. I'm happy about innovations, but keep some OG stuff around if possible and give the new stuff a new name in honor of the original. And, side-note, we know it is great, we don't need pages long, strong-worded persuasions as in your newsletters. Keep the magic, don't talk about it too much (as I do right now, because people will stop reading at some point). We fans are probably the only ones who read these long texts anyway. And they are not giving me that many insights. You rather get the new costumers with short "catchy" slogans and the long-term costumers with trust and continuity. Don't you? I don't know. You're special, stay true to yourself, always do what YOU want. But I'd be happy if you listen to my opinions:
Maybe give us more insights into your work, for example, like in your blog on the new website. Pretty please and thanks
Build up on the Vapmans ability to collect hearts: embrace it. IMHO Vapman could be the icing on the cake of cannabis culture. Cannabis always had this amazing power to bring people together, although the criminalization dispersed many evolving aspects of cultural behavior that are about socializing in particular. So far, the Vapman did a great job in collecting individual hearts. I'd love to make it more of an inclusive group experience. That's why I ordered the station. Aren’t we just some kind of apes who like to sit around the fire (heating station) and tell each other stories while consuming stuff? We need something to sit around together, that may is a basal need, and combusting stuff is not a trend anymore. The Vapman + the herbs have proven to help bringing people away from tabacco, away from alcohol by being an healthier alternative. I'm sure it can bring people together, too, and away from too much screen-time and loneliness. Well – I'm hyped about germany's decriminalization and new emerging possibilities, I must say.
Please stop claiming things that are easy to disprove, like that the Vapman is 100 % handmade. We appreciate the huge amount of work you put into it. Using a CNC machine is fantastic, but it does not count as handmade, I'd say. Also, about the quality of your products: if perfection is your own standard, we will always have to measure you against it.
Don't annoy your truest fans with price jumps (in any direction). Don't play those market games with us, because we don't want to play market games with you (at least I don't). Some of us long-time fans/early adapters gave you a lot of trust without knowing you. Please trust us long-time fans, and we keep staying by your side. I don't want to play games for this, this means I don't want to guess when your next special offer will be, I just want to pay a price that feels good for me and pays your bills, too. It just doesn't feel good, when I order something from you and a few days later the next special offer hits. It's avoidable to give your fans that bad feeling (it's a lot about psychology and trust, I guess, and not about +-20 bucks). Of course, this has to be organized: I've seen ways to trick those stupid market mechanisms of perpetual accelerated growth that force every small company out of business eventually: with some kind of member-based (solidarity) system you could keep your dearest costumers around, bring them and new people together and it may could, depending on the model, even give you a more plannable baseline income.
For over a decade I'm fascinated by the idea of community supported agriculture (CSA) and I hope Cannabis Clubs in Germany will organize in a similar manner. As those clubs are not only for picking up your weed, not at all actually, there is a huge possibility of bringing people together and starting a lot of small community hubs of a larger community. I'm looking forward to that! The concept of a CSA is certainly not transferable to the distribution of fresh and juicy Vapmans, as it is better suited for food and similar consumer goods that expire, but I wish we could somehow bring the core of the idea together with the Vapman, e.g. distribution of a "good" product to a "good" price to "good" people by building a well-meaning and supportive community. Maybe in the sense of "solidarity purchase groups".
So my main point of the text I wrote could be summarized by the question:
How about a club or clubs where Vapman enthusiasts can get a permanent discount (+ other special offers/insights + community building)? I'd love to brainstorm about that.
To all who made it that far: Thanks for reading!
To Michael and David: You rock!
) and in todays world that's worth more than words can describe!
