Zaino experts

m3pilot

New member
I am doing a presentation for a marketing class on zaino, mostly the marketing of it and how there is no flashy advertising, not sold in stores etc, but how it has been a very succesful product. I have a couple questions



1. How long has zaino been available?



2. On average, how long does it last on the car, especially compared to the average carnuba based wax?



Any other ineteresting notes or facts about it I should include in my presentation? Basically I need to describe the product and its benefits and tell how or where it is sold and marketed, with the emphasis on the marketing techniques used for the product.



I am not sure if this is where I should post this, but any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Hey, now, wait a minute! Aren't you asking us to do your homework for you? :eek: Since you're in school, how 'bout trying out the search engine? I know your question #1 was discussed on Autopia just in the past week. For #2, do some fancy searchin' on "durability" and such. Others here may have better ideas about how to construct a search that will give you manageable results.



I'm really not meaning to be the Search Police here. (On the other hand ... we have a Signature Sheriff; why not the Search Police? :p ) But, seriously, this is meant to be an educational project for you, right? :nixweiss



Also, don't hesitate to contact Zaino directly. I get the impression that Sal Zaino is very approachable, and he could give you marketing insights that we'll probably never have.
 
I can answer Question 2.



Zaino is a polymer sealant (as opposed to a wax). I have personally seen Zaino last up to a year! Of course, I would never let a car go that long without several good polishingg........but it's longevity is incredible.



It also gives off an awesome shine and reflectivity.



On the down side, the Zaino shine does not have the depth of a Carnuba shine (S100, P21S, for example), but carnuba products last from 1 to 4 weeks.......



I use Zaino for daily use, and top with carnuba for car shows.



The only marketing technique the Zaino Brothers use is "WORD of MOUTH"! Pretty amazing!



Hope this helps.
 
Be careful of unsubstantiated claims. My 3 coats of Z5 lasted about 5 months. I've got 3 months of protection from carnaubas.



Granted they do no expensive advertising but there's a method to the madness. Almost all of Zaino's marketing has been via word of mouth which is free to them. And it absolves them of any outlandish product claims made by people not employed or compensated directly by Zaino. IOW, Zaino benefits from unsolicited and unproven statements of its products while avoiding any potential liability stemming from said statements.



There is a fantastic marketing thesis in the Zaino story but you've got to look at all angles in order to get it.



If you really want to learn the story don't just talk to the "Zaino experts" as they're already extremely biased towards the product and company. Talk to the haters, the doubters, people inside and outside the car care industry.
 
bretfraz , are you generally sceptical and negative about detailing products? Come lately I've seen you on this "detailing product conspiracy trip" , you do realize that detailing is suppose to be enjoyable. I know that not everyone will ever agree on one product but it just seems to me that your being overly negative about the company's and not the products , I mean hey if the product don't work it don't work. I honestly don't put much stock in claims of any manufactures detailing products or not. I just try the product for myself and then make a judgement. I guess what I'm trying to politely say is be alittle more positive and try to focus on the actual products not the company.:xyxthumbs
 
detailbarn said:
bretfraz , are you generally sceptical and negative about detailing products? Come lately I've seen you on this "detailing product conspiracy trip" , you do realize that detailing is suppose to be enjoyable. I know that not everyone will ever agree on one product but it just seems to me that your being overly negative about the company's and not the products , I mean hey if the product don't work it don't work. I honestly don't put much stock in claims of any manufactures detailing products or not. I just try the product for myself and then make a judgement. I guess what I'm trying to politely say is be alittle more positive and try to focus on the actual products not the company.:xyxthumbs



I am more sceptical of claims made by individuals than I am about claims from companies. Most of my so called negativity is rarely about products but, sadly for me, most people think I'm referring to a product and not a statement or commentary from a person.



I listen to what companies say about their products for several reasons:

(a) The mfr is the expert on its products. No one knows more about a product than the company who makes it.



(b) I put my initial trust in what a mfr says about its products instead of trusting strangers, self-styled experts, or whatever I read on the internet. A company has much more to lose if/when they make spurious claims about their products while an individual can say whatever they want, even lie blatantly, with virtually no recrimination. So who am I going to trust initially?



(c) If I have a question or problem with a company I'll contact them directly and ask, even try to start a dialogue with them in order to learn more about their products and company. Some are more helpful than others but I almost always learn more about a product directly from the mfr than I do from unknown persons on the internet.



I've spent a lot of time in the past few years studying car care products and one thing I've learned is that individuals make all sorts of claims which are based on nothing more than uneducated opinion, hearsay, conjecture, and bandwagoning. Some people are gung ho on a product not because they KNOW its better but because its the latest trend or someone they like is using it or they just want to be a part of a group. There's a ton of psychology that goes on when people decide to use Product A instead of Product B. What I try to determine is, is someone advocating a certain product because they know its better (and how do they know it?) or are they advocating a product because they think its better?



Think about it. Don't just feel................think.
 
cheers for an educated response bretfraz. I now understand your point of view alittle better. Just one thing , you made a comment recenty about Clearkote and pulled my quote of thier website , that was and is my honest opinion about their products , I haven't recieved any kick backs from them and my comments about selling the products was nothing more than an inquiry. I am always looking at ways to make an extra dollar or two , but I would never be deceptive to make that dollar because thats how you loose creditablity and respect from colleagues and customers.

Just so you understand me alittle better.:D
 
detailbarn said:
cheers for an educated response bretfraz. I now understand your point of view alittle better. Just one thing , you made a comment recenty about Clearkote and pulled my quote of thier website , that was and is my honest opinion about their products , I haven't recieved any kick backs from them and my comments about selling the products was nothing more than an inquiry. I am always looking at ways to make an extra dollar or two , but I would never be deceptive to make that dollar because thats how you loose creditablity and respect from colleagues and customers.

Just so you understand me alittle better.:D



Doug, I appreciate that very much, really. Thanks for the comments. :xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs
 
hey you know my real name , how that possible!:scared j/k



and that my friends is how a flame war is avoided autopian style!:D
 
Zaino is one of the easiest and fastest products to apply. Durability is at the top of the heap as well. Shine is excellent with the only downside being that it is not quite as deep as some other sealants or waxes. The products are sold as a system, which after trying almost all of the lineup, I will say that Zaino has assembled a very "top of the line" system. I would say that these are the greatest selling points....along with word of mouth.

Are there other great products out there? Sure. But if you stumble across the Z system first, it's likely you will stick with it.



H
 
Good post BigBoy, I pretty much agree with you on every point.



As for the two "rant" posts up above, geez, talk about someone who needs to give it a rest already...



Guess my first instinct was correct....



As Don2000g would say...."Laters"
 
Intermezzo said:
Good post BigBoy, I pretty much agree with you on every point.



As for the two "rant" posts up above, geez, talk about someone who needs to give it a rest already...



Guess my first instinct was correct....



As Don2000g would say...."Laters"



Tony, You're certainly entitled to feel however you feel about me or my opinions. Please believe that your comments have no impact on what I think, know, or feel. I'll continue to express myself as I see fit until Autopia becomes www.tonykim.com



I hope you really take your own advice. "Laters" indeed.
 
LOL.



That was a pretty mild discussion if you ask me.



I've visited quite a few forums in my time, and believe me, you should see some of the arguments (political forums especially).



As for the comments on products, I havnt used Zaino myself so I cant comment on application complexities, but I've seen its shine which I find 'plasticky' and I've heard all the problems about it not being compatible with alot of other products.



O and its pretty expensive.



This puts me off from trying it for a few simple reasons :



1) Economically unviable (I detail for folks, and I want a good finish at the lowest possible cost)



2) Time!!

If I can get a shine in 10mins with S100 or 30mins with UPP, yet Zaino takes a few hours, it means I have more time for more trade.



3) Imcompatibility.

I wouldnt like to try and 'spritz up' a previous customers Zaino-clad car with anything else but Zaino.

That basically forces me to use nothing BUT Zaino products, and I like to choose whatver is good and on offer at the time (e.g. I got a gallon of #26 for 10 bucks the other day.)]



I'm not knocking Sals stuff in any way, I'm sure its top-notch, it just doesnt suit my particular situation.



Souveran is the same, I'm not going to pay $60 for a jar of paste wax when I can get S100 for $14.
 
I just want to thank Bretfraz and Detailbarn for their exhibition of how to discuss potentially flameable issues with maturity. It's great to see folks respond with intellect guiding their behavior rather than being driven by emotions. I tend to have trouble controlling my emotions and still, even at almost 60 yrs old, tend to have my emotions flare up before my intellect can gain control of my emotions. Well done guys. You have my sincere respect.
 
Jims thanks for the kind words , I too am glad to see others (bretfranz) with the class and maturity to discuss a matter without it turning into a battle. Opinions will always differ but we can all still interect peaceably. I have great respect for a person who disagree's with me but does so with maturity and intellect. :xyxthumbs
 
Intermezzo said:
Good post BigBoy, I pretty much agree with you on every point.



As for the two "rant" posts up above, geez, talk about someone who needs to give it a rest already...



Guess my first instinct was correct....



As Don2000g would say...."Laters"



Uhhh... what was wrong with that little discussion? :nixweiss
 
bretfraz said:
Be careful of unsubstantiated claims. My 3 coats of Z5 lasted about 5 months. I've got 3 months of protection from carnaubas.



Well 5 months is probably a good average for Zaino, maybe on the low side for an average. 3 months is probably the MAX for carnauba, more like 3 to 6 weeks especially in the summer when wax evaporates more quickly. If you are going to a car show or you don't mind detailing more often, a good wax like Souveran or P21S is a great way to go and you should have these in your garage for those occasions. Some people like to use both at the same time...



""If you really want to learn the story don't just talk to the "Zaino experts" as they're already extremely biased towards the product and company. Talk to the haters, the doubters, people inside and outside the car care industry."



I was originally not a Zaino fan. But when my sons car got into an accident and was repainted, the Zaino shine looked identical to the fresh clearcoat. Waxes tend to deepen that look. Zaino just restores the original look of clearcoat. ZFX took away the long wait time to layer Zaino and 3 coats can be done in an hour or two total. I personally did my own testing with Blackfire, Souveran, Blitz, Klasse, Zaino, Zymol, P21S, Liquid Glass and a whole slew of other detailing products to find my "personal best". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Don't take anyone's word on "looks". Check for yourself. As to the ease or use, most opinions will be similar for each product.

I have seen many flame wars over Zaino, more so than with any other product. I'm not exactly sure why, but it probably goes back to the "eye of the beholder" thing. I have four cars in my family that I detail. Easy and fast is a good thing. Durability is a good thing....I have other hobbies to get to besides detailing.

The last thing I will say is that Zaino is probably more unforgiving about the original prep of the paint. You can use glazes and fillers with wax, but not really with Zaino. You need a PC and some good swirl removing products (take your pick and have a good selection of different strength compounds).



I have not used the "new" Blackfire product but have heard that it is much improved and now rivals Zaino's durability and slickness. Will have to check that out for myself, because I will say that Blackfire (the original prep) did give a deeper, more pleasing look, but was more difficult to work with and lasted no more than 2 months. Would also like to try Liquid Souveran just for the heck of it....



If you are really into detailing as a hobby, be prepared to spend some serious $$$'s on products, tools and towels and time and effort etc etc. If you just want to get your car protected quick and easy and cheap, go with a cheap wax for cheap, or go with Zaino for less cheap. Otherwise do your homework, spend the time and money like I have any many others have to find the best combo that fits your budget and personal tastes. Good luck.



H PS no need for flame wars...Zaino is obviously the best and anyone who disagrees is...:sosad ;)



H
 
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