I'll play your game you rogue...
Let's say you're right (read: "I think you're right")...but the big brands *ARE* ignoring this segment of the market (affordable/mechanical), or at least, they're not paying much attention to it when it comes to promotion.
Why?
If the answer isn't a too small ROI, or an ROI that's perceived to be too small, even erroneously, then what IS the answer?
How do you explain it, or what's your theory about why the big brands don't seem to give much of a crap about promoting their new models? Hell, they don't even seem to be working that hard to promote ANY of their affordable/mechanical models, or very many of their best quartz models. Why are we only hearing/seeing about new models when someone stumbles over them by accident?
In the business of brand marketing, I'd consider Seiko a "
cult brand," which is a brand that's cultivated sufficient user loyalty and momentum as to obviate the need for product-as-hero advertising, or indeed any advertising at all. Consider Google, Facebook, Starbucks and similar: these brands do not spend any money on traditional advertising because the "customers" do all the advertising that's required. Intel long ago exited the business of doing product-specific advertising, because they've reached such ubiquity through partners and in the retail channel that minimal lifestyle marketing and
the jingle are all that's needed to keep momentum going.
This passage is particularly salient:
They encourage personal freedom, which sets them apart from other brands on the market, while most companies provide customers with a product; cult brands encourage shoppers to customize their products.
This is immediately recognizable in the large modding community that surrounds Seiko products, which certainly could have been engineered or lawyered out of existence some time ago.
And as a result, Seiko can act rather lazily in the market with regards to marketing and advertising because their enthusiastic customers will do all the work for them a la Seiko 5 finder.
//EDIT: The next step up from Cult Brand is "lifestyle brand," where the brand becomes synonymous with or identifiable as the banner for a culture. This is the elite level that every brand dreams of. Apple, Quicksilvr, Harley, Lululemоn and Nike are all examples of a lifestyle brand. Advertising often returns at this phase of brand development in the guise of aspirational marketing, designed to make outsiders feel like they're missing something greatly important that the "insiders" have. Through this the culture grows and self-perpetuates, and permits the brand to diversify into new markets that will be followed and supported by the culture.
Rolex is a good example of a lifestyle brand in the watch business. Despite many brands having greater technical prowess at lesser prices, Rolex is still the banner for a certain posh lifestyle. Everyone who's made it big and knows nothing about watches wants to bring home a Rolex.
