I may not have had the best results with NXT, and I may have questioned a lot about the product's capabilities, but there's something that I don't think anyone can dispute: Autopia IS one of the major launch pads for the NXT product. There's no doubt about it - let's briefly look back at what's happened:
1) A new mystery product is "leaked" on Autopia, known only as "Lab Sample __" and is touted as one of the best product Meguiar's has ever introduced. "All new - nothing like it, unsurpassed durability, shine and gloss," were some of the phrases, IIRC.
2) Meguiar's (a multi-million dollar, International company) takes the time to send a factory rep to what is essentially a backyard BBQ amongst friends to further introduce this new Lab Sample. For comparison, this would be like BMW sending a prototype of the 2005 E60 M5 to my neighbor's garage sale, "just because."
3) Meguiar's becomes a sponsor of Autopia. This is a good thing, because it allows Autopia to keep running, and allows for site improvements/enhancements. However, Autopia has a relatively small immediate reach - we're definitely not a Car & Driver or Road & Track-sized community (those pubs have 700k+ monthly readers... we have 15k members ever), so why make the big investment if not to help promote products through the web and a viral campaign? Again, don't take this move as a negative - it's a great marketing strategy... it's worked for other companies in the past at other sites, so it was a very smart move by Meguiar's - capture a very minor, but very vocal community.
4) The Lab Sample is hyped on Autopia (and other forums) with regularity; eBay auctions are used to sell some samples and generate more hype, with all proceeds being donated to charity (which was very cool and classy on Meguiar's behalf). Posts are updated, press releases are generated, etc. as the auctions progress.
5) Some odd-number of cases of NXT are made available as a pre-order, and Autopian's are invited to call the customer service hotline to place an order. This was a few weeks before it was available anywhere else. Free shipping is thrown in...
6) Initial reports trickle in about how great the product looks (remember, this doesn't include durability - just initial results), and everyone's chatting up NXT... it spreads to other forums, and is "the talk of the town."
7) While waiting for my NXT to arrive, I question the similarities between NXT and #20, and all H#@! breaks loose - Meguiar's has meetings about it, revises their MSDS, I get hate mail (and loads of it), etc., etc., Meguiar's tells us that MSDS are nothing important and don't mean anything to anyone other than couriers, etc., etc.
8) I finally get my bottle of NXT and test the product. Nice product - not the most durable, but definitely not the worst product I've ever used. All in all, not bad for $14-ish...I just wish it were more durable and "hyped" a little less. Still more online arguments brew about the product, most of which culminate here at Autopia.
9) Meguiar's hosts an "Autopia" day, flies people out to the event, chauffeurs them around in limos, takes them on a mini-celebrity vacation, then holds their normal Saturday class. Key, respected members attend, and naturally have a great time. More chatter ensues as a result. (For the record, I would have loved to attend, but I was traveling on other business at the time. Mike did invite me some months ago, but scheduling conflicts prevented it)
10) More reports trickle in about the product - some great, some not-so-great. Depending on which camp you're from, the arguments are either valid or Bovine Secretion. Folks like dlw (whom I have great respect for - just look at his detailing abilities and transformations) have had less than stellar results. That's cool. Some folks like rjstaaf have had great results. That's cool, too. Some take the arguments personally, while others recognize the value of healthy debate and varied results. That's also cool. And some choose to ignore the discussions completely and focus on other topics. Again - totally cool. But to dismiss someone who questions the product's abilities as a "nut" or as "having an agenda" or as just wanting to have a "pissing match" is not cool.
...Anyhow....
It doesn't take a genius to realize that a lot of this activity has taken place to build a strong, respected online following for the product. Meguiar's aren't dummies - they realize the power of a viral campaign, and they took full advantage of it.
Disclaimer: Like I said earlier, I'm not totally impressed with the durability of the product, and I don't believe that a true LSP should have cleaners, oils and fillers, but that doesn't mean I'm a Meguiar's "hater." I simply look at things with a more critical eye than most, and this includes all aspects of a product: marketing, performance, etc... Again, don't take me to be a "hater" - just the opposite is true - I regularly recommend Meguiar's prep products (read our Wax Test report and see what I chose to use as prep products). My neighbor uses NXT on his truck after he saw me using it on a test panel. Sure, he has to re-NXT his truck every 3-5 weeks, but he enjoys it. I, on the other hand, look for a little more durability, but that's just me. /Disclaimer
So, like it, hate it or "not sure how to feel about it," NXT was indeed launched in large part on Autopia.
