http://ozreport.com/12.253#0

http://hang6.blogspot.com/2009/02/wills-wing-skunk-werks.html

http://hang6.blogspot.com/2008/10/fully-geeked.html
 
I rarely (if ever) see hang gliding manufacturers get into the nitty gritty of their design and production when they speak to their potential customers. They concentrate on the big overall features and benefits, but rarely speak about the little issues that the designer and sail maker actually have to deal with on the production floor.

Jeff O'Brien visited the Wills Wing factory lately and gives us a look at the new "tweaks" to the T2C sail (see above). Glider manufacturers are always tweaking their products so the sails are in continual evolution. Often they announce when the new sails are available, often at the first of the season.

The manufacturers are in a bit of a quandary when it comes to making these announcements because they don't wish to discourage present sales based on the pilots' hope for improvements down the road. It also can reflect badly on their existing stock, as it now seems second rate compared to the latest stuff. So they would rather leave this area a bit fuzzy, besides who know if it makes all that great a difference.

Still, many hang glider pilots have an engineer's mentality. They like the details. They think that it is cool how each of the little design and production problems get solved. Just seeing that these things are going on, no matter if they make a significant difference in the performance of the overall glider or not, is exciting in itself. It makes them feel good about the company (it is innovating) and good about the product (it has the latest cool stuff on or in it).

So just talking about and displaying what you are actually up to is a powerful way to communicate with your customers and potential customers. Jeff does a great job with this because he is an excellent photographer, a competition pilot who appreciates the details, and an "independent" source outside the company who can take an outsider's viewpoint without having to "defend" the company. I say independent in quotes because he does receive some support from the company as a competition pilot.

I hope that Steve, Mike and Linda at Wills Wing can appreciate what Jeff and Dustin have done with their photos and discussion about the gliders. I realize that it is hard for them to do something similar both because they actually have the hard work of producing the gliders and therefore have less time and space to step back and see how this type of marketing can work for them, and because Jeff has an outsider's viewpoint that they can't have as easily.

I would recommend to other hang glider manufacturers that they think about what I'm saying here and what Jeff is doing. Opening up and being transparent to your customers and potential customers is an extremely powerful marketing tool (it brings them into the family and makes them feel that they are part of the process). Of course, "new" communication tools make this process easier, but we have to make ourselves aware of how to use them.

Speaking of transparency, here is what Wills Wing sent out to their dealers in December, 2008:

New U2 Sail Cut For 2009 The sail cut on the U2 has been refined and upgraded for the 2009 model year. The result is a cleaner sail, nicer handling, and even higher performance. With the new performance options available for the U2 (carbon basetube, all Mylar top surface), the 2009 U2 promises to retain it's position as the all around highest performing and best value glider in its class.

We have numerous reports from cross country clinics that pilots on the U2 consistently do better than those on other models. Credit the U2's extraordinary combination of exceptional pure performance with an unusual degree of pilot friendly handling qualities for this unmatched level of effective performance. And all this is glider that retails for under $5000 (depending on options) and weighs only 68 lbs in the 160 size, or 63 lbs in the 145 size!