Woodwinds in Drum Corps?

[oldschooldbc]

Hop says it all the time in his rules proposals. Dan has said it in some interviews when asked about marketing. They keep talking about trying to reach a broader audience and not just the 1975 legacy fan as we often get called ( which is cool, i was 6 in 1975)

Right idea, wrong approach.

Yes, they need to reach a broader audience. That is the only way that the fan and revenue basis for this activity will expand.

But do they really think they will reach a broader market, by adding woodwinds to the mix? Seriously? I'm sorry, but if that is at the core of their marketing strategy, they need to go take some MBA classes at a local learning annex.

Let's take a look at some success stories, in the annals of American marketing:

McDonald's sold hamburgers, just like countless other restaurants. But they created a clean, family-friendly, and convenient restaurant experience, that was ideal for Postwar America. This differentiated themselves from their competition.

IBM sold computers, like other electronics manufacturers. But their engineering and salesforce personnel were true professionals, not techno-junkies. They wore the lengendy IBM uniform - dark blue business suits and ties. This made them look like business professionals, not wire-heads. This differentiated them from their competitors.

Starbucks sold coffee, just like other retailers. But they offered a European-style coffee bar experience to their patrons. It wasn't just an upscale Dunkin Donuts. This differentiated them from their competitors.

I could go on and on. But I think I have made my point. Product differentiation is key, if you want to set your product apart from the crowd, and begin building customer loyalty. So if they really want a broader audience, this is the route DCI should be taking.

The reverse approach is product convergence. Under this scheme, you try to make your product like everyone else's. It works, if you have no way of differentiating your product from others. But this typically limits you to competing on a price basis, and leads to low margins and profits. Sadly, this appears to be the route DCI is taking - and they don't have to. They don't have to add WWs, and the other instruments, to make them into glorified marching bands.

Differentiation is the approach they should be taking.

Edited August 19, 2009 by oldschooldbc

[atlvalet]

Product differentiation is key, if you want to set your product apart from the crowd, and begin building customer loyalty.

THIS.

[Jeff Ream]

Right idea, wrong approach.

Yes, they need to reach a broader audience. That is the only way that the fan and revenue basis for this activity will expand.

But do they really think they will reach a broader market, by adding woodwinds to the mix? Seriously? I'm sorry, but if that is at the core of their marketing strategy, they need to go take some MBA classes at a local learning annex.

Let's take a look at some success stories, in the annals of American marketing:

McDonald's sold hamburgers, just like countless other restaurants. But they created a clean, family-friendly, and convenient restaurant experience, that was ideal for Postwar America. This differentiated themselves from their competition.

IBM sold computers, like other electronics manufacturers. But their engineering and salesforce personnel were true professionals, not techno-junkies. They wore the lengendy IBM uniform - dark blue business suits and ties. This made them look like business professionals, not wire-heads. This differentiated them from their competitors.

Starbucks sold coffee, just like other retailers. But they offered a European-style coffee bar experience to their patrons. It wasn't just an upscale Dunkin Donuts. This differentiated them from their competitors.

I could go on and on. But I think I have made my point. Product differentiation is key, if you want to set your product apart from the crowd, and begin building customer loyalty. So if they really want a broader audience, this is the route DCI should be taking.

The reverse approach is product convergence. Under this scheme, you try to make your product like everyone else's. It works, if you have no way of differentiating your product from others. But this typically limits you to competing on a price basis, and leads to low margins and profits. Sadly, this appears to be the route DCI is taking - and they don't have to. They don't have to add WWs, and the other instruments, to make them into glorified marching bands.

Differentiation is the approach they should be taking.

[soccerguy315]

Right idea, wrong approach.

Yes, they need to reach a broader audience. That is the only way that the fan and revenue basis for this activity will expand.

But do they really think they will reach a broader market, by adding woodwinds to the mix? Seriously? I'm sorry, but if that is at the core of their marketing strategy, they need to go take some MBA classes at a local learning annex.

Let's take a look at some success stories, in the annals of American marketing:

McDonald's sold hamburgers, just like countless other restaurants. But they created a clean, family-friendly, and convenient restaurant experience, that was ideal for Postwar America. This differentiated themselves from their competition.

IBM sold computers, like other electronics manufacturers. But their engineering and salesforce personnel were true professionals, not techno-junkies. They wore the lengendy IBM uniform - dark blue business suits and ties. This made them look like business professionals, not wire-heads. This differentiated them from their competitors.

Starbucks sold coffee, just like other retailers. But they offered a European-style coffee bar experience to their patrons. It wasn't just an upscale Dunkin Donuts. This differentiated them from their competitors.

I could go on and on. But I think I have made my point. Product differentiation is key, if you want to set your product apart from the crowd, and begin building customer loyalty. So if they really want a broader audience, this is the route DCI should be taking.

The reverse approach is product convergence. Under this scheme, you try to make your product like everyone else's. It works, if you have no way of differentiating your product from others. But this typically limits you to competing on a price basis, and leads to low margins and profits. Sadly, this appears to be the route DCI is taking - and they don't have to. They don't have to add WWs, and the other instruments, to make them into glorified marching bands.

Differentiation is the approach they should be taking.

superb post

[WWonka]

Oh, and if I may quote myself here for a minute, it seems that the early DCI fan surveys when they placed folks' ages, would suggest that they came on board during the mid 80's to early 90's and stuck around. To me, that also might suggest we look at *why* those shows created so many fans willing to be "legacy" fans, and subsequent eras haven't / didn't.

Mike

There is a reason a lot of folks refer to this as DCI's golden age.

[WWonka]

Product differentiation is key, if you want to set your product apart from the crowd, and begin building customer loyalty. So if they really want a broader audience, this is the route DCI should be taking.

Bingo

[WWonka]

I hope it happens. Especially now with synths, why the hell not? The acoustic brass experience is almost completely gone. Every musical designer can't resist using the sub-octaves w/snyth all the time, obviously.

May as well add some more acoustic colors. I'm all for it.

I'm kinda in your boat. At this point does it really make a ####### bit if difference? If you're going to use a synth to do woodwinds might as well get the real deal.

I'm not real sure how I lived before at a drum corps show without a synth cranked to 11 vibrating my ###.

[j.morgus]

Hop says it all the time in his rules proposals. Dan has said it in some interviews when asked about marketing. They keep talking about trying to reach a broader audience and not just the 1975 legacy fan as we often get called ( which is cool, i was 6 in 1975)

GH, in his water proposal, says that the activity needs to continue moving toward becoming a hybrid performance art. Whatever that is.

In the electronics proposal he specifically mentions attracting teenagers that read 17 magazine and don't go to the opera.

[Triple Forte]

I would not want to see it but there are jazz charts that could benefit from the voices.

DCI corps don't play jazz anymore.......for the most part

[Lance]

For the general population, all of this stuff about differentiated whatever doesn't mean a thing. Differentiating food service at different stores works well because it's something that just about everybody uses in daily life, and like somebody else said, it's been that way for decades. Same with computer companies and such. There's already a huge portion of citizens who have their ears already pricked up for any cool new little feature that differentiates Dell from IBM, or Microsoft from Apple, or whatever. That's simply NOT true with things like Drum Corps.

Again, as a reminder, people running around on a football field is geeky to most people. To people who are really into marching music stuff, DCI is the creme de la creme, but to everybody else, it's geeky marching band no matter what you call it.

Take that into account when talking about marketing. The only way for people outside marching music to "get it" is to go to a live show and experience it. Most people don't want to be barraged with a detailed explanation of just how different DCI (or any drum corps org) is from regular marching band...good luck even getting them to pay attention long enough to understand they aren't school affiliated.

It takes one little phrase to get people to know you're talking about Nike, McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, etc. That's what DCI was trying to do with Marching Music's Major League, and in my opinion, it's the best thing they could do to try to get the attention of John Citizen.