Importance of designer "brand"

Hi !

What do you guys think about the importance of the designers "brand". Take Farr or Reichel/Pugh or some of the european shots, such as Luca Brenta or Judel/Vrolijk.

Are they really better or just the lucky ones that have been at the right place in the right time ?

Does the customer (user) request for a big brand ? How much more is he willing to spend for a boat that has been designed by a famous deisgner (who maybe has won the AC or something similar) ?

Thanks

Bernd

[gonzo]

Succesful designers are a mix of good at designing boats and good at marketing. As for customers, in general they'll pay more for a name they recognize. Also, customers are willing to pay more for something that looks up to date and similar to a race boat.

I'm not sure this is true, except at the highest racing levels.

I'm not convinced it really matter much more than the boat itself. If it's a design commission it matters, but if the boat is sitting there in the water, I don't know how much most owners really care about who designed it.

Who designed the Catalinas, for example? Does anyone care? They sell well.

I'm also pretty sure that power boat people really don't give a rip about the designer.

Like an awful lot in marketing in the rec boat industry, this is something I'm not sure anyone really knows.

[Lew Morris]

my partner and i bought an eighteen year old vessel based on who designed it ... a 1985 Dufour 39, penned by German Frers.

it took five months of searching and we looked at alot of other boats, but we came back to this one.

i may be mistaken, but i believe Msr. Frers was doing work for Nautor Swan during this period as well.

[gonzo]

I said "name recognition" whether it is a designer or a brand. It sells not just boats, but everything else too. Also, a Catalina may sell OK, but the question was about buyers willing to pay extra. A Frers or Farr boat sells for more than a Catalina or other generic boat. However, a Catalina is easier to sell than a home made, regardless of quality.