Worldwide piano marketing, was: Best American uprights EVER built

[Frank Emerson]

Gregor Wrote:
> Hailun and Wendl & Lung share the same construction and are probably made
in 
> the same plant. 

In fact, they are made in the same plant, on the same line, by the same
workers.  There are other respected European, Japanese, and brand names of
other nationalities, worldwide, made on the same production line in the
same factory, either complete pianos, or, in some cases, strung backs.

>But there is a huge difference. 

I do not know the basis of your comparison, but I do not see a "huge"
qualitative difference in what I see at the factory.  Hailun is a young,
but incredibly rapidly growing company, not just in volume of production,
but also in the quality of their product.  What they build today, is very
much superior to what they built only a year ago.

>W&L use other materials as Hailun

It would be more accurate to say that Hailun uses other materials, as
specified by W&L, and likewise with other brand names built in the same
factory.

> and Hailun gets no support from Europe.

Hailun gets full support from various American, Japanese, and European
"experts," which benefits all of their production, regardless of the brand
name on the fallboard.  Every brand name specifies their own materials and
features with the intent of distinguishing themselves from competitors,
even those that may come from the same factory.  

Endeavoring to meet the demands of various worldwide markets is a huge
challenge for any manufacturer.  Indeed, there are differences in pianos
built in the same factory, to meet the requirements and expectations of
consumers in China, Japan, Australia, Europe, and America.  From the
manufacturer's point of view, it would be preferable for each of the
brand-names which leave its factory to go to their respective markets, and
never be in direct competition with one another.  The fact is that each of
these brand-name companies will make every effort to break into other
lucrative markets, putting the manufacturer in the uncomfortable position
of building pianos, side by side, that will eventually be competing in the
same market for the same buyer.  For this reason Hailun will build no piano
for the US market under any name but their own; however, where pianos built
under other names end up is out of their hands, once they leave the factory.

The bottom line is this:  Would any manufacturer, in his right mind, build
an inferior product that bares his own name, when he have the capability of
building a superior product with someone else's name on the fallboard?  I
think not!

Frank Emerson
pianoguru at earthlink.net

P. S.  I hope I have said nothing to offend my dear friends at Wendl &
Lung, or others worldwide.  I'm just telling it as I see it.  I hate
getting caught up in marketing battles.  I would prefer to be left alone to
design pianos, and will avoid getting drawn into marketing stuff.