Drum Corps vs. The World

[dallasburgess]

Why can't we do both? Growth of the activity isn't only going to come from the kids and visionairies. In todays society, you have to think outside the box. Sure we need to market to HS marching bands. But that limits growth. In order to have more corps, you have to have support outside the corps. Being open to more marketing ideas to promote the activity can do nothing but help. If we ONLY focus on the PRIORITY market, we stop reaching out. Everyone says that they support the growth of the activity, but they want to limit the growth by not truly reaching out. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.

[CrunchyTenor]

A couple of comments...

1) The idea of doing a weekend/regional only format would not work. The corps are going to be out there for 6 weeks anyway. The smaller shows help pay the bills along the way. Plus, the corps need to get off the practice field and compete to improve their performance chops, and to get comments to help refine their shows.

2) Marketing is a dynamic thing. DCI only sanctions the regionals, finals week, and a couple of other shows. They only have the budget to advertise thos shows. The majority of shows have local sponsors. DCI does a seminar for show promoters every year. What they do with that information is anyone's guess, and what kind of budget they have for advertising, and how effective it is, is another guess.

3) It would be good if the corps had more opportunities (and time) to help promote the local shows. That's something else the local promoters would have to arrange with the performing corps early in the planning process. The clinics that some corps provide are one good vehicle, as are the few parades (mostly on July 4th) on the individual corps' schedules. What are DCI and the local promoters doing to interest the local band directors and students?

4) Dan Vanatta and his Danny Boy Productions promoted the Las Vegas show last summer. Though not an official DCI sanctioned and judged event, it is an interesting idea. I know they planned to expand the schedule, and hopefully I'll learn more about that as I've contacted them regarding helping in some capacity. I'm not afraid to get in my car and visit as many HS's, MS's, and music stores as I can in April and May, to promote the show including presentations to the students, distributing flyers, selling advance sale tickets, etc. Last summer's show was not very well attended, but with the right marketing it just might take off. Yes, the judging is different (50% judges score/50% audience response via text), but if it gets the audience invested in the results, why not? Sam Boyd Stadium has quite a few seats. It would be nice to see the home side filled.

Garry in Vegas

[VOReason]

In all seriousness, we have a small, niche activity that is not going to appeal to the everyman. DCI has a limited marketing budget. Is it smarter to throw money into a very broad marketing pool, hope that it will get a few newbies to a show, and call it a year? Or continue to market to the audience that they KNOW is aware on some level of the industry, push Championships (where they make the most money, I'm sure), which also helps push the CD's and DVD's, and then try to get MORE of their core audience in.

Exactly. Spending a lot of time, effort and money to attempt to advertise drum corps to a mass market would be similar to an attempt to advertise ice fishing. As much a WE all love it, it is just not a product that will ever appeal to a mass market. Edited December 27, 2009 by VOReason

[Blackstar]

One and probably the main reason regional won't work is the lack of corps. Back in the olden days you could have 10 shows see different corps in each shows. Now you have 10 shows and you HAVE to have the same corps at each show. 50 corps can only be spread so far. And its not 50 because most people only know about 13-16 of the top corps. Which is anbother marketing issue all together.

I've talked about this before and it piggy backs my one time a year issue. Have local broadcasting. Alot of area have cable stations for public use. If a band can't afford the 10K+ fee sell broadcast rights and let them sell advertising to a show. Say an early season Cali show sold for broadcast on the east coast. This gives you another revenue stream and helps broaden the audience. Howmany channel surfers would find drum corps...guess what, thats how I fgound drum corps. Channel surfing and coming across the DCI East broadcast in 1980

Put together a package of Open Class or whatever thier being called now and sell that for broadcast. A package of 5 could be 1-3k depending on the demographic. I know I could sell enough advertising on cable to make a profit.

[isortoflikemusic]

Exactly. Spending a lot of time, effort and money to attempt to advertise drum corps to a mass market would be similar to an attempt to advertise ice fishing. As much a WE all love it, it is just not a product that will ever appeal to a mass market.

I disagree. How many times have you tried to describe drum corps to somebody and they were like, "Oh like the movie Drumline right? I loved that."

Take a look at what Gap is doing right now, because I think that this is a great model of viral advertising that DCI could be doing for cheap.. or even have other companies doing a similar campaign

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2009/12/17/look-...n-the-bay-area/

Gap is taking around a cheerleading squad and drumline (made up of DCI drummers) to major cities and just performing on the streets. Now imagine if DCI did this in a way that wasn't cheesy and minus cheerleaders, emphasizing that these are the best drummers in the world. Everyone always stops and watches that guy playing bucket drums on the street. I guarantee you that people would go crazy if they saw a really great drumline playing some good stuff. Theres no way to ignore that. Even do the same thing with a horn line. Then you advertise the hell out of DCI, what this is, where you can watch it, when it will be coming to your town.

Then you partner it with a website designed for people who don't know what DCI is that has really well produced short documentaries and playing videos that make drum corps look AWESOME!

Meanwhile somebody pitches the athleticism of drum corps to Gatorade.. they put their logo on some drumheads and there you go.. DCI has some more money.

After a few months of success, Gatorade puts out a commercial where a snare drummer is attached to a machine that measures his work output, he starts sweating orange gatorade, and it shows people that this isn't just standing around on a football field at halftime, it takes some real athleticism.

http://www.youtube.com/user/youtheducation#p/u/5/0JNiP25dlNc

All of the sudden, people know what drum corps is and they start going to shows. Bam... DCI is actually making money.

[Jimisback]

What DCI really needs is a DCI blimp. It can travel the country advertising DCI from the air and it can be used for overhead camera shots at the major DCI shows; Allentown, San Antonio, Atlanta, Indianapo...uh...

I have mentioned this many times Micheal. Atlanta has a catwalk that you get very good video from. Other have the floating camera. They have the equipment there. No need for a blimp. What is in need is when and where to show it. NFL games would be Ideal. But we are not in season. Figure that problem out and we have it solved.

[Adrian]

What DCI really needs is a DCI blimp. It can travel the country advertising DCI from the air and it can be used for overhead camera shots at the major DCI shows; Allentown, San Antonio, Atlanta, Indianapo...uh...

[Jeff Ream]

Jeff, not bashing what you said but using it as an example of what DCI is doing wrong. How many people know about DCI outside of the band world.

Better yet take dinner theatre. How many people go to a show because of something to do....no this is wrong. The issue with DCI is that lets say there is a show in Wilmington DE. We hear about it for a couple of months, then the show, then nothing. Theres not another show until next year. Yes there is a simulcast but thats once a year also. What, buy DVD's or CD's, why?

Its hard to have a following with a once a year product. Imagine going to McDonalds once a year, Sears, the movies is a better analogy. What of the movie industry only put out 10 movies but only showed them once a year. Once again you can buy the DVD or CD but again why?

To most people Drum Corps is a once a year event. Yeah you have that $15-$20 but do you really have a life long fan or someone who will follow the activity. Alot of people at shows are already fans and maybe 5-10% a new to the activity (bought by a friend) and if we're lucky 1% will stay interested. I took my daughter (HS guard member) to the simulcast and while she enjoyed it she hasn't even bothers to ask about the activity or try to find anything about it since. This is what DCI needs to overcome.

again, selective reading at it's best. They are marketing smart to band kids. at all levels of the band world. Why? Because of the ties to MENC which has ties to every school in America.

if you want to blame people in the local markets for not knowing about shows, yes DCi gets some blame, but let's be honest...so do the local promoters. In fact moreso.

In fact, here's one area I'll give yEA huge props on:

last year for the show they ran in Chambersburg, two weeks out the market was flooded with print and radio ads. On stations of all types and papers far and wide.

end result...even with the ( IMO) high prices, the place was pretty full...i'd say about 90% capacity.

so...bash DCI all you want, but the local show promoters in most areas don't do jack #### to spread the word outside of "the band world"

but again, thanks for reading all I said and taking it in your own direction

[Jeff Ream]

One and probably the main reason regional won't work is the lack of corps. Back in the olden days you could have 10 shows see different corps in each shows. Now you have 10 shows and you HAVE to have the same corps at each show. 50 corps can only be spread so far. And its not 50 because most people only know about 13-16 of the top corps. Which is anbother marketing issue all together.

I've talked about this before and it piggy backs my one time a year issue. Have local broadcasting. Alot of area have cable stations for public use. If a band can't afford the 10K+ fee sell broadcast rights and let them sell advertising to a show. Say an early season Cali show sold for broadcast on the east coast. This gives you another revenue stream and helps broaden the audience. Howmany channel surfers would find drum corps...guess what, thats how I fgound drum corps. Channel surfing and coming across the DCI East broadcast in 1980

Put together a package of Open Class or whatever thier being called now and sell that for broadcast. A package of 5 could be 1-3k depending on the demographic. I know I could sell enough advertising on cable to make a profit.

and a local broadcast opens up copyright issues, which means more fees for all involved

[VOReason]

I disagree. How many times have you tried to describe drum corps to somebody and they were like, "Oh like the movie Drumline right? I loved that."

Take a look at what Gap is doing right now, because I think that this is a great model of viral advertising that DCI could be doing for cheap.. or even have other companies doing a similar campaign

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2009/12/17/look-...n-the-bay-area/

Gap is taking around a cheerleading squad and drumline (made up of DCI drummers) to major cities and just performing on the streets. Now imagine if DCI did this in a way that wasn't cheesy and minus cheerleaders, emphasizing that these are the best drummers in the world. Everyone always stops and watches that guy playing bucket drums on the street. I guarantee you that people would go crazy if they saw a really great drumline playing some good stuff. Theres no way to ignore that. Even do the same thing with a horn line. Then you advertise the hell out of DCI, what this is, where you can watch it, when it will be coming to your town.

Then you partner it with a website designed for people who don't know what DCI is that has really well produced short documentaries and playing videos that make drum corps look AWESOME!

Meanwhile somebody pitches the athleticism of drum corps to Gatorade.. they put their logo on some drumheads and there you go.. DCI has some more money.

After a few months of success, Gatorade puts out a commercial where a snare drummer is attached to a machine that measures his work output, he starts sweating orange gatorade, and it shows people that this isn't just standing around on a football field at halftime, it takes some real athleticism.

http://www.youtube.com/user/youtheducation#p/u/5/0JNiP25dlNc

All of the sudden, people know what drum corps is and they start going to shows. Bam... DCI is actually making money.

Difference is that the GAP is selling clothing, which everyone wears. Drum corps is an extremely niche activity and will attract a niche audience regardless of the advertising dollars that are spent. Renting ad space on the freakin' Goodyear blimp might be a tad bit overkill. And BTW, does anyone on these forums actually think that DCI is not making money? And let's see...Gatorade has a choice of where to invest their advertising dollar....a Lebron James TV spot or a spot featuring a snare drummer. Tough choice, huh?