audiodb Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 The truth is that no one knows what connects until they toss it out there. The one constant is the formula built around success and failure/rejection that has been part of all reality TV from the beginning....and it's there that we all find our universal connection to DC....in the competition. The question is: how to display and sell it, AND preserve the dignity of the corps and their members/alumni, preserve their privacy and the fragile financial realities? But that's just it. There's no dignity in chucking pumpkins, or the typical "reality TV". Much of their viewership is tuning in only to see the wreckage. Should DCI market to that lowest common denominator? We could show slow-motion replays of collisions and leg-breaking injuries, and exploit the kids involved with candid footage....that would get the Johnny Knoxville crowd to watch us for a few minutes. Needless to say, I don't think that would be wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 But that's just it. There's no dignity in chucking pumpkins, or the typical "reality TV". Much of their viewership is tuning in only to see the wreckage. Should DCI market to that lowest common denominator? We could show slow-motion replays of collisions and leg-breaking injuries, and exploit the kids involved with candid footage....that would get the Johnny Knoxville crowd to watch us for a few minutes. Needless to say, I don't think that would be wise. I posted this in the "Restructuring" thread, but it applies as much here. There is salable drama all up and down the placement lineup. Troopers making finals, Glassmen beating Madison, Blue Stars movement up (and down) in the ranks, Music City doubling it's membership in 2 years, as well as the fight for the top-three positons. The actual field product becomes secondary to the drama, the kid's faces and situations, the staff changes, the reincarnations of corps left for dead. It's all salable product to a BOD who's thinking beyond simple placement. That salable product becomes the basis for payment from DCI so, in a correctly run org, all corps get face time, drama time, and placement dollars. Americans love an underdog, and underdogs are in more than just placement. The kid who marches a year with Pio then tries out for PR, only to get busted back to the "minor league" because his Pio spot is now gone. The young rookie star who has the guts to try out for BD his first year, and makes it, only to discover that "growing up" in the big leagues is a bigger bite than he envisioned. The poor, inner-city kid who has great talent, struggles to get noticed, fails over and over, then meets a director in an airport and happens to have his sticks with him. A quick play of "Ditty" on the ticket counter earns him a sponsorship, a chance to succeed, a college scholarship. These are the types of things that sell in reality shows. It's not taking advantage of the kids, it's showcasing their personal stories. Get that story out on the air or on the internet and you'll show kids that they should try; work hard and try. That's the drama. This is a key component of my disagreement with the G7 concept, where only the top-finishers get financial support. In such a production it's in the best interest of DCI to promote even startups because the drama of the activity is the same (and arguably even more-so) in a struggling/new/re-emerging corps as there is in the top seven finishers. When you get beyond the on-field product and, instead, focus on the lives of the kids, staff, management, volunteers - heck, even the starry-eyed age out who experiences the trials and tribulations of starting a corps - there's as much to sell in the bottom five as there is in the top five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 With the plethora of Corporate Partners, Tour Partners, Championship Partners, and Online Ads listed on the DCI website, a paltry $750k in partnership/advertising revenue is "all" that DCI is able to command? That is just enough to run a small business, not something that claims to be a MAJOR LEAGUE! you act as if those sponsors have so much more to give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 I posted this in the "Restructuring" thread, but it applies as much here. There is salable drama all up and down the placement lineup. Troopers making finals, Glassmen beating Madison, Blue Stars movement up (and down) in the ranks, Music City doubling it's membership in 2 years, as well as the fight for the top-three positons. The actual field product becomes secondary to the drama, the kid's faces and situations, the staff changes, the reincarnations of corps left for dead. It's all salable product to a BOD who's thinking beyond simple placement. That salable product becomes the basis for payment from DCI so, in a correctly run org, all corps get face time, drama time, and placement dollars. Americans love an underdog, and underdogs are in more than just placement. The kid who marches a year with Pio then tries out for PR, only to get busted back to the "minor league" because his Pio spot is now gone. The young rookie star who has the guts to try out for BD his first year, and makes it, only to discover that "growing up" in the big leagues is a bigger bite than he envisioned. The poor, inner-city kid who has great talent, struggles to get noticed, fails over and over, then meets a director in an airport and happens to have his sticks with him. A quick play of "Ditty" on the ticket counter earns him a sponsorship, a chance to succeed, a college scholarship. These are the types of things that sell in reality shows. It's not taking advantage of the kids, it's showcasing their personal stories. Get that story out on the air or on the internet and you'll show kids that they should try; work hard and try. That's the drama. This is a key component of my disagreement with the G7 concept, where only the top-finishers get financial support. In such a production it's in the best interest of DCI to promote even startups because the drama of the activity is the same (and arguably even more-so) in a struggling/new/re-emerging corps as there is in the top seven finishers. When you get beyond the on-field product and, instead, focus on the lives of the kids, staff, management, volunteers - heck, even the starry-eyed age out who experiences the trials and tribulations of starting a corps - there's as much to sell in the bottom five as there is in the top five. to get the outside world to be interested, honestly, focusing on the actual shows...which die hards will want to see....is less important than the drama and the backstory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 (edited) you act as if those sponsors have so much more to give. Home Depot alone gives Joe Gibbs racing team (Joey Logano driver) over $10 million a year; FedEx also gives around the same to Gibbs racing (driver Denny Hamlin) and FedEx also gives multi-millions to the PGA every year; so yeah, I am saying that there is a whole lot more revenue from sponsorships out there in which DCI, or corps for that matter, could tap into with the right marketing strategy. I mean this is not some sort of marching band stuff we are talking here, but "Major League"! Edited November 29, 2011 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Home Depot alone gives Joe Gibbs racing team (Joey Logano driver) over $10 million a year; FedEx also gives around the same to Gibbs racing (driver Denny Hamlin) and FedEx also gives multi-millions to the PGA every year; so yeah, I am saying that there is a whole lot more revenue from sponsorships out there in which DCI, or corps for that matter, could tap into with the right marketing strategy. I mean this is not some sort of marching band stuff we are talking here, but "Major League"! Those companies give the money to be seen on all the televised races or golf tournaments, which reach millions of customers each and every week of those activities' seasons. Yes, DCI is "Marching Music's Major League." Compare our potential viewership numbers to those of professional sports events and the marching music numbers, as impressive as they are for DCI among all the marching activities, wouldn't put a dent in NASCAR or pro golf's numbers. We are a tight-knit group of fans who are very special to each other and those who take the field each year, but we are still a very minor subset in the bigger world of television marketing. The drum corps activity does a great job with the numbers it has, but the reality is others don't yet view us with the same wonder and excitement that we view ourselves. I remember watching cars drive past the old stadium in Foxboro and thinking, "None of those people driving by on the highway has any idea what's going on in here." And many of them were probably trying to get their drive-thru pick-up from KFC home before it got cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 (edited) Those companies give the money to be seen on all the televised races or golf tournaments, which reach millions of customers each and every week of those activities' seasons. Yes, DCI is "Marching Music's Major League." Compare our potential viewership numbers to those of professional sports events and the marching music numbers, as impressive as they are for DCI among all the marching activities, wouldn't put a dent in NASCAR or pro golf's numbers. We are a tight-knit group of fans who are very special to each other and those who take the field each year, but we are still a very minor subset in the bigger world of television marketing. The drum corps activity does a great job with the numbers it has, but the reality is others don't yet view us with the same wonder and excitement that we view ourselves. I remember watching cars drive past the old stadium in Foxboro and thinking, "None of those people driving by on the highway has any idea what's going on in here." And many of them were probably trying to get their drive-thru pick-up from KFC home before it got cold. I agree with everything you wrote in this post. But please key in on the word "minor" in the bold section. DCI certainly is a "minor" activity, comparatively speaking, to "all" the other national/international leagues. Yet, the top corps are driving this activity into a Major League financial mess with million-dollar plus yearly tour budgets and acting as if they can actually garner millions in audience participation. And quite frankly that obtuse view, that DCI is a "Major League", will be the financial ruin of the activity if we are not careful on backing off from this Major push into Major costs claiming to be Major League with just a minor league revenue/audience. Edited November 29, 2011 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Those companies give the money to be seen on all the televised races or golf tournaments, which reach millions of customers each and every week of those activities' seasons. Yes, DCI is "Marching Music's Major League." Compare our potential viewership numbers to those of professional sports events and the marching music numbers, as impressive as they are for DCI among all the marching activities, wouldn't put a dent in NASCAR or pro golf's numbers. We are a tight-knit group of fans who are very special to each other and those who take the field each year, but we are still a very minor subset in the bigger world of television marketing. The drum corps activity does a great job with the numbers it has, but the reality is others don't yet view us with the same wonder and excitement that we view ourselves. I remember watching cars drive past the old stadium in Foxboro and thinking, "None of those people driving by on the highway has any idea what's going on in here." And many of them were probably trying to get their drive-thru pick-up from KFC home before it got cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I agree with everything you wrote in this post. But please key in on the word "minor" in the bold section. DCI certainly is a "minor" activity, comparatively speaking, to "all" the other national/international leagues. Yet, the top corps are driving this activity into a Major League financial mess with million-dollar plus yearly tour budgets and acting as if they can actually garner millions in audience participation. And quite frankly that obtuse view, that DCI is a "Major League", will be the financial ruin of the activity if we are not careful on backing off from this Major push into Major costs claiming to be Major League with just a minor league revenue/audience. DCI is the major league of our activity Stu, not of all activities. I think some of you take that phrase a little too seriously Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 DCI is the major league of our activity Stu, not of all activities. I think some of you take that phrase a little too seriously exactly...I was going to say " Major to who? " but you said it jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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