Tetra Products Boycott?

[Anonymous]

i haven't recommended tetra products to anyone for years- i havent considered them a quality company for quite some time-just an ancient one

the main reason their products sell is cuz of brand name recognition, anyway-a very dangerous thing to rely on, in this industry- word of quality, superior and inferior, gets around fast :wink:

 

[John_Brandt]

Wayne,

If thousands of fish die in 5 gallon Nemo tanks, then I'm gonna be steaming mad at the people who sold those aquariums. Wayne, tell the world who is selling 5 gallon Nemo tanks so that people know who to effectively boycott to stop deaths. Wayne, if you want to stop Nemo deaths you stop the sales of 5 gallon Nemo tanks, NOT BOYCOTT TETRA! You are wasting time Wayne, Nemos are dying because aquarium retailers are selling 5 gallon set-ups. I told you to run out and tell the retailers to stop selling 5 gallon Nemo tanks, but no...you stay at home and let them KILL KILL KILL. Now your son uses a Tetra test kit and you move into action. But not to warn the dealer of selling 5 gallon tanks, rather to warn him against selling Tetra products.

See the big picture.

Wayne killed Nemo!!!!

 

[mkirda]

The intent of the "mass hysteria" should have been trying to reach some type of agreement with them Tetra proper education, etc...

Tetra would get instant redemption if they funded, or contributed to, AMDA's Net training fund. At least by me...

Somehow though, I don't think even that would fend off the hysteria.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[naesco]

The intent of the "mass hysteria" should have been trying to reach some type of agreement with them Tetra proper education, etc...

Tetra would get instant redemption if they funded, or contributed to, AMDA's Net training fund. At least by me...

Somehow though, I don't think even that would fend off the hysteria.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

The outrage started as a result of Tetra`s stupid marketing tactics.
The outrage continues because they have done nothing to redeem themselves. Give them a call Mike. They need some help

 

[mkirda]

The outrage started as a result of Tetra`s stupid marketing tactics.
The outrage continues because they have done nothing to redeem themselves. Give them a call Mike. They need some help

Gimme a break.

Like the advice they gave was any worse than most advice you would get from a great many fish stores... I don't see you boycotting a shop that carries sharks, do I? Isn't that equally outrageous?

Or haven't any of you heard of nano tanks before? Lots of people successfully keep clownfish in nano tanks.

Granted, a blue tang should be in something larger as it grows.
But this Internet vigilante mass hysteria thing makes an ant hill into Olympus Mons (a mountain on the planet Mars that dwarfs Mt. Everest).
And in the face of this hysteria, there is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING that they could do that would satisfy the masses short of selling everything, giving it to the PI collectors, then committing mass synchronized seppuku on internationally televised TV.

CAN'T.... SEE..... THE.... FOREST.... FOR.... THE.... TREES....

In the long list of industry sins, this would barely make the list.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[dizzy]

It's beginning to look like a vast left wing conspiracy started by Wayne Ryan to smear a respectable company for a mistake they made. I fail to see how this type of mob scene will do anything but damage to our industry.

 

[Anonymous]

I fail to see how this type of mob scene will do anything but damage to our industry.

Well the list of companies willing to take their place and do it the right way is certainly getting shorter and shorter. Pretty much all it does is make the reef voice more and more insignifigant.

 

[mkirda]

Pretty much all it does is make the reef voice more and more insignifigant.

They will just dismiss this all as the work of 'a bunch of liberal coral-huggers', and be done with it. :wink:

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[naesco]

In the long list of industry sins, this would barely make the list.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

Well it did, big time. 32,000 hits in 7 days.

dizzy
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Mike I think you posted that you fail to see how this type of mob scene will do anything but damage to our industry.
It than begs the question. What has industry done about it?
Have they phoned, emailed, written Tetra to tell them to fix the problem Tetra created not now, but right now?
I would venture to say that industry has done nothing.

And Mike posted that the Nemo clip is no worse than the advice customers receive from most lfs.
Are you really proud of that?
Does that comment anger you?
Than do something :twisted:

 

[John_Brandt]

It than begs the question. What has industry done about it?
Have they phoned, emailed, written Tetra to tell them to fix the problem Tetra created not now, but right now?
I would venture to say that industry has done nothing.

Wayne,

If the only thing that the industry does is refuse to sell 5 gallon Nemo tanks, then the industry has done all it needs to. The re-education of Tetra can come at our leisure.

Wayne, tell me how much damage the CBS show actually caused, not how much it caused in the imaginations of the millions.

 

[John_Brandt]

They will just dismiss this all as the work of 'a bunch of liberal coral-huggers', and be done with it. :wink:

Tetra must be thinking that the hobby has gone insane. If you are bored go read some of the letters those people sent. Every possible form of human revulsion is depicted. People speak of vomiting, crying, screaming and whatnot. I'm surprised goats haven't been sacrificed yet.

I'm beginning to get an impression of Reef Central. It is surely a different crowd than reefs.org. It has a different personality and feel compared to RDO. The massive boycott is a Reef Central thing for sure. If you want thousands of hobbyists unified with single-mindedness you go to Reef Central. If you want intellectualized dialogue and well-thought-out strategies, park yourself right here.

To those of you who slip back and forth, no offense. I just never felt very comfortable over there. Tell me I'm wrong.

 

[MaryHM]

Hey, those RC members got us $4000+ for nets in a very short amount of time. Can't knock that!

 

[John_Brandt]

That's what I'm saying. If you want a bazillion people to do something, like a huge school of sardines, then it's Reef Central. Now that isn't always a bad thing as you have pointed out.

But if someone yells "Boycott Tetra" in a crowded theater.........

 

[John_Brandt]

The outrage started as a result of Tetra`s stupid marketing tactics.
The outrage continues because they have done nothing to redeem themselves. Give them a call Mike. They need some help

Marketing tactics? Wayne, you don't honestly think that Tetra was engaging in marketing do you?

Not only was the televised Tetra representative not using Tetra products, but she did not even mention Tetra products during her spiel. It was an extremely generic presentation. I will bet you that more than 75% of the viewers of that show cannot recall what company (if they ever even noticed) the demonstrator worked for. I would also suspect that very few viewers of that show were inspired by it to go to the LFS and then successfully persuaded the salespersons to sell them a 5 gallon Nemo tank for 2 clowns, a blue tang, starfish & seahorse.

The debacle that the show created lives primarily in the imaginations of the boycotters. By now viewers probably cannot even remember what size the aquarium was.

 

[Anonymous]

Not only was the televised Tetra representative not using Tetra products, but she did not even mention Tetra products during her spiel.

You may wanna watch it again - Tetra was mentioned many times, including Tetra's website, she used Tetra's water conditioner and mentioned it several times.

Tetra wouldn't have done it for nothing - otherwise why wasn't an AGA or ORA rep doing it???

 

[John_Brandt]

Not only was the televised Tetra representative not using Tetra products, but she did not even mention Tetra products during her spiel.

You may wanna watch it again - Tetra was mentioned many times, including Tetra's website, she used Tetra's water conditioner and mentioned it several times.

Tetra wouldn't have done it for nothing - otherwise why wasn't an AGA or ORA rep doing it???

Then Tom thank you for correcting me. I will watch the clip again. My lasting impression was that I didn't come away feeling like a viewer would seek out Tetra products, as much as they would end up getting what the LFS sells them.

 

[naesco]

The outrage started as a result of Tetra`s stupid marketing tactics.
The outrage continues because they have done nothing to redeem themselves. Give them a call Mike. They need some help

Marketing tactics? Wayne, you don't honestly think that Tetra was engaging in marketing do you?

Not only was the televised Tetra representative not using Tetra products, but she did not even mention Tetra products during her spiel. It was an extremely generic presentation. I will bet you that more than 75% of the viewers of that show cannot recall what company (if they ever even noticed) the demonstrator worked for. I would also suspect that very few viewers of that show were inspired by it to go to the LFS and then successfully persuaded the salespersons to sell them a 5 gallon Nemo tank for 2 clowns, a blue tang, starfish & seahorse.

The debacle that the show created lives primarily in the imaginations of the boycotters. By now viewers probably cannot even remember what size the aquarium was.

I have the feeling that it was a marketing effort. I think Tetra had others involved in the marketing effort as well.

 

[mkirda]

Does anyone know the supplier or manufacturer?

Heck, even if I did, I surely would not admit it, nor give it out freely...

I'm with John on this: This is sheer craziness.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[Modo]

I'm in Advertising/Mkting and can tell you with almost certainty that this was marketing at it's finest. I'm sure CBS may have approached Tetra, but this was advertising and I plan this kind or thing daily. Yeah, it didn't have Tetra flashing in neon but Tetra products were endorsed, Tetra website links were given and my god a Tetra rep was giving the tutorial.

I know you here in this forum are very involved in the Industry and have a better understanding as to what goes on with organizations, dealers, importers, laws, etc... But, please don't ever forget we are all on the same side.

What you are calling a "mob" and "craziness" is nothing more than concerned hobbiest. I mean the Roman Ceasers built the Collosium to control the mobs. This is power and you guys have been trying for yrs to light this same flame of compassion for whatever cause (cyanide, etc..). Now that it has been lit, albiet Tetra, let's not snub your noses at it.

You state that all the boycotting, etc... will not do a thing, and I agree. But, what will? How can we take all this momentum and use it towards a goal that will benefit our hobby and your livelihoods? That 25+ page post needs a leader, someone with connections and a level head to direct all that aggresion in a meaningful direction. What that is I don't know. But, I bet you guys do. This is something that needs action now so that all those letters and emails aren't wasted on bashing Tetra, but say increasing awareness at the local level.

Does anyone have the emails to Petco, Pet Warehouses, etc. So, that we can demand that they educate and not send Regal Tangs home in a Spnge Bob aquarium? Is there pamplets that anyone has that can be printed out at home and delivered locally?

These are just suggestions. I'm hoping the "leaders" of the organizations that help our hobby have better ones and know how to implement. But, now is a chance that I hope doesn't go to waste to direct ALOT of peoples anger and frustration in a positve direction.

-Kurt

 

[Anonymous]

AGREED! Hey, would I get spanked if I used the term "kneejerk"? :lol:

Which is actually pretty ok with me, seeing as how I like my spankings.. 8)