Corps, want to make money

[TerriTroop]

Design has alot to do, most of us cannot afford a designer.

I am all ears for sugestions...I just want to break even, forget making profit.

I'm not sure if you've tried this, but you might see if you have an alum out there with graphic design expertise willing to donate some time and talent. It's worth a shot, and they'll likely do more and more for you as long as your corps is good about recognizing and thanking volunteers who put out that kind of effort.

[magicdirect]

Just get the MC to keep pushing the human factor and to support the groups and sales WILL be better! What you sell, how much it cost and the type of product is only possible if people get thier ### out the the seat and spend sometime in the sales area!

DCI MUST HAVE EACH SHOW SPONSOR PUSH SALES EVERY NIGHT!!!!!

[JOHNNY_A]

I visited every booth that was present this year at every show I went to. I bought osmething from most of them, but I have to say they really need a marketing person in charge of their products. Make products at a decent price and sell more. Not only do you sell more, you then have a bigger presence in the eyes of kids looking to march the following year. More product out seen, more memory retained. Train your volunteers to be HAPPY. I was at a few booths where all I heard were grumblings. Scared me right away. Market yourself in the past tense as well as the present tense. Make a remember when shirt for the 70s, 80s, 90s etc. There are a lot of us out there that would jump on a peice of our history if it was available. Break a drum head, SIGN it SELL IT. Posters of your show, CHEAP with a high profit margin. Quit trying to sell one thing per show to make a million dollars. Sell lots and be seen lots. A smaller profit margin doesn't always equate to a smaller profit. Sell more make more........ Last but not least. REALLY invest some time and talent into your present shows concept shirt. Most were REALLY boring. Phantom, coming off of a championship year, you should have had a plethora of got to have souvies, but you were, IMO, lacking. Sell mini amps....kidding..., have a member in uniform at your booth WHENEVER possible. Kids EAT THAT UP, and autograph shirts while you are thre. Especially DMs. Someone with a marketing degree tell me if I am wrong, but I saw a lot of wasted chances at making the extra buck this year. Here's my last idea. Raffle off a UNIFORM at the end of the year. Can you imagine taking home a peice of history such as a BD chair or a Vanguard plume?

PS, I am for hire, CHEAPLY, I want you all to make money.

Earn a quick nickle over a slow dime analogy. I do think a huge part of the issues were, indeed the economy, but people were more apt to drop a 10 or 20 dollar bill in the gas "gerry" cans at the souvie booths. For most corps running 2 semis 3 buses , cook wagon and support staff sleepers the gas bill would be right around the $5000.00 mark PER FILL UP...PER. That = 20-25 stops for the west coast corps.

[Marching Mallets]

Allow me to provide perspective because I assume you are not currently "marketing" for any DCI drum corps. Now, I have looked up, down and sideways at the issues you present and also have had conversations with Bob Jacobs, who I feel has the best marketing background of anyone I've met at DCI.

You should meet Sean King from YEA!, he is without a doubt the best at Marketing a corps and this activity.

[Jeff Ream]

Having the on-line store is pretty much standard fare for all DCI WC corps. What is lacking is the interaction and the vehicles driving the consumers to use the store and spend money.

Having a static store on your website...bravo....but, what are the corps doing to drive traffic there?

Case in point...I consulted with a WC corps who was announcing their encore song a few years back. I wrapped an entire marketing effort around this to drive traffic to the store and have people driven toward action.

It was not implemented.

Ce la vie. I won't quit offering. Every message has to be heard in at least 7 different ways to penetrate.

oh i agree...that was where my untapped part came from. DCA corps could really learn from this.

[Jeff Ream]

I have been invlolved with a corps suvi booth for the past 5 years. When we started we had 5 items, today we have 65

There are two levels of customers Adults and kids.

Each have very different tastes of what they want, including price.

Adults have credit cards kids don't.

A kid goes to a show, ticket already bought, parents probably give them 20.00-25.00 to spend, they buy food $10.00, that leaves them aprox 15.00 to spend. There is no much you can buy for $15.00

average tee shirt is $18.00, average hat $20.00, sticks $11.00, so what can they buy not much.

Adults scenario is different, if they like the corps they will pay no problem, if not they may look, say a certain item is cool, then walk away.

but you can't sell a thing if they don't even come to your booth.

breaks are too short, suvi placement is crucial, In Allentown probably 80% of the people don't even come into the suvi area. Its out of their way.

finals had the same problem, after awards it has a gost town in the suvi area.

popular corps sell almost anywhere, they have big fan base. Example Cavaliers, Cadets, SCV, Troopers; My world clase corps sold $133.00 at the Georgia dome.

we keep tabs of what people want and we don't carry, if a lot of people ask for an item, we will order for next year, that's how we have gone from 5 items to 65.

Cadets had tee's for $10.00 and not even the flies were looking. I had tee's for $13.00 and did not sell.

This year money is real tight..people think twice before buying

Design has alot to do, most of us cannot afford a designer.

I am all ears for sugestions...I just want to break even, forget making profit.

it seems whenever i go to the area in Allentown, it's always packed.

[84BDsop]

it seems whenever i go to the area in Allentown, it's always packed.

Maybe some corps should pay you to hang around and draw customers.....

[lindap]

I'm not sure if you've tried this, but you might see if you have an alum out there with graphic design expertise willing to donate some time and talent. It's worth a shot, and they'll likely do more and more for you as long as your corps is good about recognizing and thanking volunteers who put out that kind of effort.

this be truth imo :-)

if they know the activity

then the heart is in the art

[84skyrydr]

Allow me to provide perspective because I assume you are not currently "marketing" for any DCI drum corps. Now, I have looked up, down and sideways at the issues you present and also have had conversations with Bob Jacobs, who I feel has the best marketing background of anyone I've met at DCI. My entire family owes it's living to following a few basic marketing principles so, I do have some expertise in this area. Finally, I've worked with several drum corps organizations over my life and am familiar with the general nature of how this work is performed at the "corps" level. With this, I offer my comments...

Statement 1: Corps really need a "marketing person" in charge of their products.

Yes, in a non-real world that would be ideal. A merchandising marketer is what you are speaking about here. Someone who would contract the design team, work with them and the corps management, alumni, members, and dedicated fans to develop the message, the look, the logo, the product "touch and feel."

In addition, you'd need other members of a "marketing team." Someone to research, to determine the target audience for each potential item. Other members of the team would help determine the "Value matrix" the cost variables and pricing variables once each item is determined. A lower cost item can have either a higher potential profit margin or a lower retail cost depending if it has been determined whether it is profit or branding as the ultimate goal. Oh, I didn't mention that marketing team's ultimate duty to their client...what is the purpose of this venture?...what are you trying to accomplish? what is the priority of each goal in relationship to each other?

See, I'm guessing I've pretty much made my point. Corps get what they pay for. Most corps work with volunteers in almost all capacities and do not have a marketing firm at their disposal for pro bono work. The better ones, have at least some marketing ideas, thoughts and related products and they do a better job than others of accomplishing their goals.

But, I would imagine some of the corps I have worked with don't even ask the fundamental question...what are we trying to accomplish with our souvie sales? if you don't know that, then don't do it. If it is as simple as "make a profit." My next question I'd ask as a marketing professional is simple. "How's that working for ya?"

I could go on and on. Corps work with volunteers and they do as good a job as they can. Maximizing this effort comes at some cost. Is it worth the extra expense?

Very god explanations. I just see simple things to improve cash flow. Tell me that if Pioneer has their drum major there, that kids wouldn't head that way? Get some exposure. Shirts really don't cost that much. I have had my own band shirts done for less than three bucks a shirt and they sell for 10.00. More people that aren't drum corps nuts, but patrons at a show might spend ten., but get into the 25 range and they will pass on it. Same with DVDs and cds. Not that expensive to reproduce and sell, but 25 to 50 a shot and average people will walk away. I did at the Championships. I wanted the Band and colorguard championships, but wasn't going to spend 50 for each. Not worth that much.

[84skyrydr]

Here is my free marketing advice to the Blue Devils. Get a plain white shirt or black shirt. Blow up a version of the 09 championship ring and put your Blue Devil name under it or above it, but make that ring really stand out. Or instead of the name put, " Got Bling?", just an idea and its free. I wanted so bad to get a Regiment championship shirt but they were simply to bland and high priced. So no go. I do however put money in all corps gas can. Even if its just five bucks, they can use it. I am not a marketing genius, but I am a fan willing to shell out for the right product.