What is up with DONIC???

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like Donic is the brand for grampa's?

I think I'm a kind of person who really enjoys EJing as well as window shopping and exploring other brands etc. When I'm looking for something to buy I always vigorously scan through what all the major brands have to offer.

But I have almost NEVER been enticed by any of Donic's products. I'm about to go on a serious tangent... I'm not saying they are "bad" products in terms of performance etc., because I have never bought anything from them, I'm just going to say my impression of their products (mainly extracted from the catalogs of TTP):

Donic products are SO boring. Their shirts don't look cool, their bags don't look cool, they're racket cases don't look cool!! Oh wait, I take it back... looking through their paper catalog now there are a few interesting things in here. So then maybe it's that all their blades look the same. Or are indistinguishable because every blade you browse over is either an Appelgren, Waldner, or Persson. Or maybe the brand doesn't seem "cool" because all the pros the brand seems to market look 50 years old.

I have no idea where i'm going with this thread. I just wanted to get out that there is "something" that makes this brand unappealing (to me at least). I cannot quite place my finger on it.

Does anyone else get this "I'm not interested in Donic and would easily buy Stiga, Joola, Buttefly, Yasaka, Xiom.... over they're products anyday" kinda vibe??

Another weird thing is they have like a million player profiles and pics of people hitting etc in their catalogue, and there was like ONE non-white guy (Li Ping pg. 4) in the whole 81 page catalog!

Hmm.. I bet Donic is purposely marketing towards the Older European market. But I think they can make much more money by being more international and going for younger or more varied markets. I'd fire their whole marketing staff.

That's just my opinion. What do you guys think?

another problem of Donic is: sponsored player. Who is in top 10 playing Donic? Any? Am I being forgetful or what? 10 years ago: Walder, Persson, or a rising to top 10 Chuan Chi Yuan... I bet blades under those names were best selling ones back in the day.

I think Waldner is still sponsored by Donic.

Ovtcharov is sponsored by Donic, but he's not in the top ten. I agree that their mistake is in sponsoring German/European players even though Euopeans are not doing so well right now.

Another question. You have never been interested in Donic rubbers? The Formula series are really popular as well as the Coppa...

Almost all table tennis brands are unsexy. Xiom is the sexiest, in terms of blades, packaging, and clothes.
Killerspin's design is decent as well, but they're in the North American market so that's expected.
Stiga is okay too. Other than that, the whole table tennis industry is fairly unsexy and behind other sports.

Totaly agree with liXiao for BTY and Xiom, but for GuoQiu Future Fighter Rubber I dont know

Also I expected cool new things from Donic for 2008/2009, but nothing except new JO platinum rubber which is probably good and has good quality

Good night, I go to sleep because I have training early in the morning

i agree donic make some good quality rubbers

Strange, but I always felt that way about Stiga - their blades and rubbers somehow just don't touch anything in my heart... they seem pretty bland and uninspiring... but that's just me, I am sure.

liXiao wrote: BTY is totally SEXY. Xiom is really good to. But the best rubber packaging ever is the GuoQiu Future Fighter Rubber, it has Liu Guoliang and Boba Fett on the package.

Haha agreed! We need more Star Wars references in table tennis. A "Lightsaber" carbon blade, or "The Force" tensor rubber, maybe a "Chewbacca" long pips!

ppgear wrote: liXiao wrote: BTY is totally SEXY. Xiom is really good to. But the best rubber packaging ever is the GuoQiu Future Fighter Rubber, it has Liu Guoliang and Boba Fett on the package. Haha agreed! We need more Star Wars references in table tennis. A "Lightsaber" carbon blade, or "The Force" tensor rubber, maybe a "Chewbacca" long pips!

Han Solo Frictionless pips, very deceptive.

I hate those handles.

liXiao wrote: BTY is totally SEXY. Xiom is really good to. But the best rubber packaging ever is the GuoQiu Future Fighter Rubber, it has Liu Guoliang and Boba Fett on the package.

I think that donic has good blades comparatively to their prices (vs european Manufacturers)