Party Merchandise
I'm not surprised that Poker Stars are catching up with Party. At times I wonder how Party have become so successful, then it becomes apparent: cynical tactics. Though I wonder how long these tactics will continue succeeding. Consider how hard they try and make it for long serving customers to get rake back: the very people who have helped build the empire, paid over the odds for so long, are the ones most entitled to a rake-back not least. One may argue it is down to the skins, but ultimately it all leads to back to party. As a consumer we would never tolerate this in the real world. Add to that their duplitious rake increase and a host of other tricks too and you wonder how they succeed. For one, consumer apathy.
Equally cynical, though, is their version of Poker Stars FPPs: what a contrast. Poker Stars offers a balance between offering people products they want and products Stars want them to have. With Party it's only about the products they want you to wear: Tee shirts;sweats shirts; hats; jacket;bags etc. All products you might be expect to wear outside: to advertise. None of which you would want in excess. So guess what, you can give them to your friends - more advertising: brilliant? Awful? I suppose it depends on what you think of your friends. What Party are forgetting is that these points are ultimately about encouraging you to play: they don't do that for me. At least at Stars you can by books, chip sets and a few other products that aren't designed to increase revenues. And pokerstars merchandise hardly leaves you drooling.
All this is very surprising from Party when you consider their regulars must be debating whether or not to jump through the hoops and go to an affiliate and reacqire 25% of their rake. What keeps them? Party Sweatshirts? '25% rake...or sweatshirt... 25 % rake or sweatshirt...': choice, what choice?
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05-19-2005, 07:47 AM
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