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Who really are the customers of this activity that we all love? Who are the primary supporters of the activity?

A few events have made me consider this question.

After events on thursday night in Pasadena, there was an outcry of "I thought this was about the kids!!"

When the Troopers were in financial trouble a couple of years ago (and Capital Regiment this last year), many on here said something to the effect of

"A corps must run its organization as if it is a business, and its most valued customer is each and every kid that comes through the door"

Then there are fans of course. They are the people who pay for the tickets (which help pay for the performance fees) and merchandise. They are also the ones who make efforts to donate to the corps as well. They are the ones who cheer, cry, and even the ones who may boo when something doesnt go their way.

Who is the target market?

May I be correct in assuming that the individual corps responsibility is for the kids, and that the DCI organization (including the BoD) is responsible to appeal to fans and sponsors?

Tell me what you think.

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Who really are the customers of this activity that we all love? Who are the primary supporters of the activity?

A few events have made me consider this question.

After events on thursday night in Pasadena, there was an outcry of "I thought this was about the kids!!"

When the Troopers were in financial trouble a couple of years ago (and Capital Regiment this last year), many on here said something to the effect of

"A corps must run its organization as if it is a business, and its most valued customer is each and every kid that comes through the door"

Then there are fans of course. They are the people who pay for the tickets (which help pay for the performance fees) and merchandise. They are also the ones who make efforts to donate to the corps as well. They are the ones who cheer, cry, and even the ones who may boo when something doesnt go their way.

Who is the target market?

May I be correct in assuming that the individual corps responsibility is for the kids, and that the DCI organization (including the BoD) is responsible to appeal to fans and sponsors?

Tell me what you think.

It is possible for the activity to continue (in some form) without fans.

It is impossible for the activity to continue (in any form) without kids.

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It is possible for the activity to continue (in some form) without fans.

It is impossible for the activity to continue (in any form) without kids.

The same could be said for any sort of performing art, professional / amateur sport, the circus...anything really. Effect on sustainability doesn't determine which group is the customer.

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The same could be said for any sort of performing art, professional / amateur sport, the circus...anything really. Effect on sustainability doesn't determine which group is the customer.

To address the question a bit more specifically...

A number of fans wish to see drum corps performing now more similar, stylistically, to the way corps performed at some point in the past.

Kids these days aren't too interested in performing in a corps that is going back in time stylistically. Recruiting is enough of a challenge as it is. This would make it impossible.

Drum corps is never going to be frozen in time. There is never going to be a line of demarcation that the activity will not cross, and it is certainly not going to go back in time at all.

Older fans can either accept it and learn to dig it for what it is, put their support behind DCA and alumni corps or take up golf.

Maybe DCP seems to exaggerate the reality of the situation, but, it seems that they is quite a lot of wasted energy spent on complaining about corps of today (who are light-years ahead of the corps back in my day).

Why waste this energy? There are plenty of other places to direct your attention if you don't dig the current state of drum corps... like, say, The Cat Channel or The Klingon Language Institute.... or grow a Chia Pet.

Mr-T-ChiaHead-Doll_A6264C80.jpg

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It's about the people that plunk down their hard-earned cash to support the corps by buying their swag and putting their butts in the stands. The fans, of course. Without the fans it's not a sustainable activity, there would be no one to play to.

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Again, we have people trying to make this an "either/or" issue. Foolish.

Agree. It's about everybody...each needs the other. Kids need the fans to have someone to play to. Fans need the kids or else there aren't any corps and then what would they be fans of...a non-existent activity?

While drum corps is for the kids, as expressed by the directors, I don't see how it's possible for drum corps to continue without fans for any length of time. If fans somehow disappeared, drum corps would just be a bunch of rehearsals and then what? Performances in the middle of a forest with no one to hear if a tree falls?

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Performances in the middle of a forest with no one to hear if a tree falls?

I've played there before. It's called Midwest International at NIU in Dekalb, Il. :P

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I've played there before. It's called Midwest International at NIU in Dekalb, Il. :P

I think you mean Drum Corps Midwest.

I went to school there. Where did you find a tree?

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