Quick Little Follow-Up :-)

Trollhound is nothing if not fair. To everyone. We are truly happy that everyone has an opinion, and I encourage everyone to proudly share your opinion. But remember - opinions, as much as everyone loves to share them, do not automatically translate to absolute fact. :-)

Because I have a strong personal commitment to treating everyone with absolute fairness - including Trollbeads, Pandora, and my new friend, Pia - I am sharing another bit of information in follow-up to the April 21 posting.

I heard back from Pia (about the postings on April 21 and March 24), and it seems that she is truly blessed by living in Denmark. (Trust me that there are times that I wish I could just up and move there, myself!) Retailers that sell both Trollbeads and Pandora outside of the US are not currently living under the same fears, directives and sanctions that are being forced on US retailers. No, I’m afraid that this appears to be the “brainchild” of Pandora's US representatives.

Pia’s words to me were very sweet and considerate. I want to share them with you so that everyone can experience her true kindness. As before, I posting her words without editing. (Just as an FYI, I am choosing to not post Pia's comments by using the generally-accepted method of "moderating comments" because she included her email address in the text. It would certainly be unfair to her to do that.) :-)

uh I'm so sorry! :-S that's really arwfull! I kinda got a little upset because it's not true in Denmark, I didn't thought about how it could be in other countries... In Denmark we are really lucky, I can understand from your newest blog. I'd really hope you too were that lucky!and the Troll"d"eads were a
mistyping, not on purpose ;)Kindest regards, Pia

(Note: Pia, I did not think you made the "Troll-d-eads" reference intentionally. It was just that, given the circumstances, it struck my funny bone square in the nose!)

I wish the US distributors of Pandora would follow the lead of the rest of the world and to just leave “well-enough alone.” Or, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

I still stand firmly behind my previously-spoken words that refer to the feud that is brewing between Trollbeads and Pandora. Yes, this is currently a US issue. However, there is a particular global initiative that has me keeping a keen and cautious eye focused directly on Pandora and their future plans.

And by "future plans," this time I do mean to imply this as having an impact on all Pandora retailers … and not only on US-based retailers. It might be recommended that Pandora revisit their plans and options, because there are those of us who are aware of future plans and we are watching closely. Yes, I am intentionally speaking in riddles, and I am not divulging it directly, because I remain hopeful that a review of "future plans" might result in a better destiny.

Time has a way of revealing all truths, and once in the past, they become fact. Only the future can be changed. The simplest of words for retailers, distributors and retail production: if you have happy customers, they return and purchase more. If you have unhappy customers, they leave and purchase elsewhere.

So far, Trollbeads has taken and stuck to the highest of high roads. In the US, Pandora is choosing to blaze their own haphazard trail; and it is not painting a pretty picture since they are trampling all over others in the process.

I always offer the kindest of thoughts and prayers to everyone, but in this particular situation, I am directly addressing the fans and admirers of both Trollbeads and Pandora. Let’s all keep encouraging them both by pushing them to the places we want them to be.

We need to stand firmly behind both Trollbeads - AND - Pandora and reminding them that peaceful coexistence is what will keep their customers the happiest.

I Wish It Was True ... I Really Really Do ... [Trollbeads vs. Pandora, Part II]

Earlier today, I received a "comment" from a reader who identified herself as Pia. Pia wrote because she has concerns about my posting on the Trollbeads vs. Pandora situation; and she asked me to "correct the misunderstanding" that I had posted. While I would happily write directly to her to explain why I cannot do that, she chose to comment “anonymously,” without providing her email address.

That left me in a dilemma, with only a few options: I could simply publish her comments; I could ignore or disregard her comments; or I could create a posting to address her comments.

Of these options, “ignoring” didn’t strike me as the most favored response. And I choose to not "publish" her comment as an attachment to that posting, because, while I do respect that everyone has their choices, opinions and options, for this particular situation, that didn’t feel appropriate.

Therefore, I’m choosing to create a posting to respond to Pia’s concerns.

The comment is quoted below, with absolutely no editing; although my sense of humor causes me to be amused at the “Freudian slip” when referring to Trollbeads as “Trolldeads":

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NO!! that is NOT true!! Pandora is not trying to force retailers to drop Trollbeads. They have just made an initiave that "forces" retailers to make a choice aboyt what kind of customer they wants to be; Gold, Silver or White. If you are a gold-member (the best) it means among other things, that you are REQUIRED TO HAVE a certain percent of pandoras selection, I think it is 75 or 80%. But IT DOESN'T mean that your are not allowed to sell Trolldeads! I know, because I work in a "Gold"-retailer and we still sell Trollbeads :) So I really hope that you'll correct the missunderstanding.

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At this point, I insert a big heavy “sigh.” It is not at all that simple, Pia. Don't I wish it was all just a "big misunderstanding."

As happy as it would make me to have actually had that posting be a nice work of fiction or speculation, Pia, I regret that this is truly not a simple matter of opinion or interpretation. There is a heavy battle occurring right now between the two companies … and there are some seriously “bad things” being forced upon Pandora retailers who will not drop their Trollbeads accounts. The situation is fact.

Unfortunately, this was shared as factual knowledge and not speculation. While I will never share the exact sources, the knowledge is out there for anyone who cares to research a bit. The knowledge is verifiable, consistent, and is conveyed through sources that include attorneys, sales representatives, “repping companies,” and, yes, retailers. The intention of my posting was not because I wanted to either feed or create any conspiracy theory. It is shared as fact. I am hoping that by speaking out loud about the situation, customers who didn’t know about it will find a way to express their own concerns to Pandora. As customers, we each can have a love for products created by either or both companies; and in fact, we consider the overall product selections to be dramatically different from each other. Pandora’s offerings and Trollbeads’ offerings are as different as the minds of the creative geniuses who actually design the products at each company.

Differences are what define us as unique. Choices and options create a balance in the world. If either Trollbeads or Pandora had a monopoly on the industry, it’s the customers would suffer the most. Our choices would be neither as colorful nor as intriguing. If a company has no competition, there is no impetus or motivation to move further along any creative path.

If the retailer/store where you work has not been exposed to the dark underbelly of this latest dirty secret in the industry, well, I am positively thrilled for you, your store’s “gold-account status,” and your faith. Perhaps you will be rewarded and not be exposed, because I cannot state for fact that this is happening to every dual product retailer. Your store is fortunate to be among the very few that I know of as having not received that directive.

There are retailers who would give their “eye teeth” to uncover the strategy of avoiding the “make-a-choice” situation. And these retailers include “gold-level” Pandora retailers who have had documented outstandingly high Pandora sales. That has not protected their accounts; and some of these same retailers have been forced to “make a choice.” And then, due to their refusal, they have truly “lost their Pandora accounts.” Pandora does not show consideration about past or current sales volume; and does not care if the retailer is “gold, silver, white” – or red, green, pink, black, or copper.

I have personally been a customer of Trollbeads’ and Pandora’s products in the past, and this situation really ticks me off.

My original post was not speculation. It is highly unfortunate, but it is fact.

Trollbeads vs. Pandora :: Can't We All Just Get Along?

What is UP with the talk I hear about Pandora's latest so-called business initiative? Are they really trying to force retailers who sell Pandora to drop Trollbeads?!

Okay, folks. I'm taking off the gloves for this one. It's hand-to-hand combat now, and I haven't yet shared this ... but the time has now come.

Time for some serious Trollhound from-the-gut honesty. (Remember - you'll always get honesty at Trollhound.) See, generally speaking, I believe that your average person who hasn't yet succumbed to the dreaded, life-altering Bead Collector Syndrome (which I will lovingly call "BCS"), well, these people might actually (gasp!) say, "Who cares? What's the difference? A bead is a bead is a bead is a bead!"

The horror! The pain! Agony!!!

Well, as you might have come to expect, I'm going to express an opinion. While that little ditty ("a bead is a bead") might play out as somewhat true ... it's not actually true. Especially if you are talking about Trollbeads and Pandora beads. Or Trollbeads versus Pandora beads (which is just plain ridiculous - that "versus" thing). And, if you are like me, you even have a pretty doggone strong personal preference about which of those two company's products occupy most of the available space in/on your chains (or are responsible for those gaping holes in your bank account!).

My simple - yet very solid - belief is that there isn't really grounds for much comparison between the two companies.

Especially when you note that the products that you actually are able to buy from each company differs in a very vast way.

First, let's talk about glass.

Trollbeads' glass and Pandora's glass beads. Pandora's glass beads are ... pretty ... pretty boring. And limiting. If I've counted right, Pandora has an offering of less than 50 standard glass beads. Trollbeads' standard glass beads number around 150 ... and then they even release for public consumption (or for Trollhound's singular consumption!) an uncountable number of "Unique/One-of-a-Kind" ('OOAK") glass beads. These Unique/OOAK glass beads are almost always the most highly sought-after glass beads there are. They are sooooo cool (and MINE, if I find them first!)!

So let me remind you: this is my own opinion. I truly do find many of Pandora's metal beads (silver, gold, mixed) to be fabulously awesome! And, in spite of the fact that the wearer might be led to believe that there would be an all-out dog-fight on the bracelet, my beads seem to happily and peacefully coexist quite well ... right next to each other! And - grand shocker here! - I think they might even have become friends!!!

So, basically, I personally think Trollbeads glass beads just plain ROCK way above Pandora's glass beads. The end. Contest closed. And in turn, I will cheerfully give a highly-deserved nod towards Pandora's metal beads. I think that the metal beads are Pandora's brightest star ... and that, as a business mission, they should focus clearly and closely on that effort.

So, now I'm going to get to the real point of this posting.

I've been hearing A LOT of very unpleasant talk about Pandora and how they are becoming quite the little ... um, hmm... how do I put this? I got it! Whether they know it or not, they are now being viewed as the TOWN BULLY. It seems that they have begun to believe that they really are "all that." Well, they ain't.

I'm becoming concerned that, if we, as collectors of both Trollbeads and Pandora (and other brands), do not speak up, we might just find ourselves suddenly backed into a corner with icky beads being force-fed down our throats, while our wallets are gleefully raided by Pandora's wicked upper elite (who refer to themselves as "executive management").

What I am hearing is that PANDORA is actually forcing their retailers to DROP Trollbeads from their sales inventory. Meaning, close the account. As in telling their retailers something like, ''If you want to sell Pandora, well, nanny-nanny boo-boo, then you can't sell Trollbeads. And if you defy us, we'll go out and find some other retailer local to you, and we'll set up an account with them just so that we can promote them over you and cause you to have wasted all that $20M that you invested in our beads when you decided to become a Pandora retailer." (Okay, so I'm exaggerating that $20M thing, but you get the point.)

Now that just doesn't sound very nice, does it? Sounds like a kindergarten slapping contest to me.

From what I've seen, it appears that Pandora's leadership has begun to indulge in too much of their own self-generated hype. And with that over-inflated, puffed-chest, huge-market share, ego-lead belief, they now seem to be pointing themselves down that seductive path that always has a pretty front picture and a horrendous outcome.

I sense a very painful lesson of "suffering the consequences of your own actions or misdeeds" approaching.

Yo! Pandora!! Yoooo hooo!!!? Are you listening??? This is important, and I truly wish that Pandora's leadership would pay attention to the shouts of customers: CAPITALIZING ON MARKET SHARE DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO ABOLISH, DESTROY or STOMP ALL OVER YOUR "COMPETITION."

That is disgusting and repulsive. If they subscribe to that as a base of their business practice, how could any upstanding person keep wanting to do business with them?

One of life's best lessons is that competition that makes you better. If competition is gone, where's the motivation to improve on your own product? If you believe you are perfect, where do you go from there? Nowhere. And then we, as the customer, would suffer from the lack of innovation that is often spurred by competition.

THIS is where I believe that Pandora now is. And I feel that, as a company, they are on the very edge of making a very fatal turn. As a customer, I can honestly say that, if they jump into that pit of self-serving notoriety, stepping all over companies like Trollbeads (and any other bead companies) in the process, well, I think that they will suddenly and painfully find themselves neck-deep in quicksand. If that happens, I, for one, will not be throwing a rope or shedding any tears.

If you have no enemies, then it can be said that you consider no one to be your friend; if you have no friends ... you have nothing. If you have no customers ... you have no business.

I ask all fans of Trollbeads, Pandora, Biagi, Chamilia (or whatever your "bead of choice" might be) to stand together and let Pandora know that this is unacceptable. We all want to make our own choices, make our own decisions, and buy whatever the heck we want!!

This is a mess, and I fear that it ultimately may prove to be a business plan that will cause pain, frustration and irritation to all bead collectors. As customers, do we really want to support a company that disregards the fact that we like having the freedom of choice?

I am capable of making my own choices - and flat-out possessive of my right to do so. I don't want ANY company dictating what style I buy, what retailer I buy from, or what brand I buy. If Pandora keeps playing childish kindergarten sandbox games, I will refuse to spend any more money on their products.

Integrity matters more to me than any product. Everyone wants a choice, and we have fought long and hard to be graced with the options of making choices.

If Pandora chooses to take away our right to choose, by essentially eliminating their perceived competition, aren't the customers the ones who will actually suffer? Do you want to support that?

I suggest that, if Pandora wants to win over more customers, they should follow a typical and respectable success-drive business plan: make a better, more appealing product.

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Why don't you go ahead and send an email to the "head-dude" at Pandora? Let them know how you feel about Pandora messing with your right to choose and trying to force Trollbeads out of business.

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