Sail-World.com : Sirocco Marine Expands North
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Sirocco Marine Expands North |
Taking a leaf from the books of prestige brands like Mercedes Benz and Ralph Lauren, Sirocco Marine has opened new premises in the Coomera commercial precinct of Maritimo’s Bill Barry-Cotter, positioning its main brand, BRIG Inflatables as a high-end consumer good.
'We are aiming to create all the glitz and glamour of a designer showroom,' explains Dylan Lopez, director for Sirocco Marine North, the new Queensland operation.
Lopez previously worked with Neil Webster and the Sirocco Marine team from Alexandria in Sydney, focusing on establishing the BRIG brand as the luxury tender for powerboats and cruisers 48'+.
'Our main target is new Rivieras, Maritimos, Alaskas, Cheoy Lees, Sunseekers. At SIBS we were offering them to the new boat market as a package deal and from there it’s mostly word of mouth.'
Previously seen as an 'A to B tender', the BRIG range is fast-becoming 'a lifestyle item', according to Lopez. 'You can waterski behind them, spend the day out on one, they have long range fuel tanks for island hopping and they leave the competition for dead in terms of styling and design.'
Lopez reports that since beginning importing into this country four years ago, Sirocco Marine has '100% customer satisfaction to date'.
'They come with a guarantee of five years, but with the superior hyperlon bodies you can easily get 10 years out of them. All components are high quality – Dupont material, gel coat, paint work, accessories. It’s comparable to a prestige sports car.'
Sirocco Marine North has been open on the Gold Coast since May, coinciding its opening with SCIBS and occupies a highly visible showroom on the front corner of the new complex on Waterway Drive.
'We’ve installed $10,000 game chairs, beautiful tiles and luxury designer interiors. We want to elevate the usual inflatable showroom to the standard of a luxury brand to reflect the niche BRIG occupies in Europe and more and more, here in Australia.
'We have just finished a deal with Honda for its most expensive engines as well, adding to the impact and branding of the showroom.'
Lopez was instrumental in growing the BRIG brand in WA and NSW and intends to increase brand-awareness and sales in Queensland. Lopez’s background is in marketing and sales for companies including One-Tel and KPMG.
Pivotal to penetration in the state is the company’s new website, which Lopez acknowledges was inspired by brands like Maritimo, Mercedes Benz and other automotive and marine icons.
More at www.siroccomarinenorth.com.au
by Jeni Bone
12:59 AM Sun 10 Aug 2008 GMT
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