wishbonecav Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 A parade, by the way, is an idea. Not every idea is a GOOD idea. Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Parade = coverage, announcements in the newspaper, tv cameras, hype for the event, an opportunity to reach out and touch... Look beyond the first layer of the onion. What draws more viewers? A 30-second tv spot or a parade? "Honey, what's that thing on tv?"; "I think its a commercial about some band show." "Oh. I wonder what they paid for that. pass the salt" People make PLANS to go to a parade...."hey look, honey....there's a parade tomorrow with the drum corps....let's take Mikey and Susie to it....and call the McGillicutty's....see if they want to go, too". Making plans to actually see the drum corps in person is the concept. And the news crew that does a 90 second story with a few interviews (and airs it for free) is three times the attention for lower cost. Awareness = opportunity. Parade leads to the Dock....that leads to a big party where we are the host....that leads to an opportunity for us to make an introduction...that leads to conversation and invitation.....that leads to a few of those comps outside the 20's.....that lead to upgrades...that lead to an opportunity to impress with our field product...that lead to satisfied customers.....that lead to repeat customers. I nominate Vice President Biden to be the Grand Marshall. PS it would be a real shame to have a conversation with actual drum corps fans in Baltimore/Annapolis/DC after the fact and hear the words "I didnt even know it was here...I would have gone." An announcement in the Baltimore Sun would alleviate a bunch of that. Vince didnt miss too many drum corps fans in Rochester96...EVERYONE knew the corps were coming. You'd have had to be on Mars to miss it. whatd raws in more viewers? well.....not sure. because unless theyrun a ticket deal for locals, how many locals will see a parade and want to shell out $80 per butt 2 days later? Plus, as stated, what you get in a parade is not what you get ina show, so what if it backfires on you? You want to really reach the area? I've said it before. There are at least 4 band circuits running within 2 hours of Annapolis. Work with them, give them deals for discounts. Get more than one regular season show within an hours driving distance and entice say Bucs to come down, maybe Cabs too. Some great highschool stadiums to use down there. Now consider one thing...Rachacha aint the Baltimore/DC market. You're going to need TONS of coverage to make a dent, especially for baseball season getting into pennant races ( aka Nats and O's), Ravens and Redskins seasons starting, plus Navy football and all the D2/FCS schools, and anything else I missed down there...oh, yeah....the beach and bay attractions. I'd also look at promoting in the VA Beach area as well as Delaware, Philly and Harrisburg areas Plus...more and more newspapers are going online and not printing as much, aso you're better off going online, which may be cheaper, than putting it in print. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amysnook Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 My aunt lives in California, Maryland, about 1.5 hours from Annapolis. Until I called and invited her to stop by Bucs rehearsal in her backyard, she didn't know anything about DCA being in Annapolis. She was a teenager when the Reading Buccaneers came into existence, so would have gladly come to the show, but had already made other plans. Knowing how much it costs to put a small ad in the Reading Eagle (over $600 per publication), I can appreciate how it would be difficult to put ads in every paper in a 100 mile radius of Annapolis. I've heard from people in Harrisburg and Lancaster, PA asking why there was no ad in their paper. Big Sounds has an advertising budget of $2,500--Reading Eagle, WEEU Radio and Drum Corps World. People buy tickets from as far as Ohio, Massachusetts, North Carolina and even Florida to Big Sounds. If they can find out about the show, how can people from Lancaster not hear about it? There are many older spectators who do not use the computer, so if it's not in their daily newspaper, they don't know about it. Thus, the importance of a mailing list. It's old fashioned, tedious and expensive, but it ensures your older folks are aware of the event. I like Fred Windish's idea of PSAs, comp tickets to media, group sales to high schools. Bill Powers, Bucs Business Manager, had put a letter out to all the high school marching bands in the circuit he works with promoting the inaugural Downingtown Classic. We didn't get a single response. Are high school band directors not interested in drum corps? Because it's summer, do they not want to bother contacting their band members? I'm at a loss as to why they'd turn down seeing six good drum corps for a group rate of $10 a head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I've heard from people in Harrisburg and Lancaster, PA asking why there was no ad in their paper. You mean the daily Harrisburg paper that next year will be "daily" as in three times a week? No idea what it costs to run an ad there but sure a halfway affordible one would be buried. Hate to say it but IIRC the only Reading or Annapolis event/place that was ever in the Harrisburg paper was ads for Als Diamond Caberet (strip club). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shenandoahsound Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Bill Powers, Bucs Business Manager, had put a letter out to all the high school marching bands in the circuit he works with promoting the inaugural Downingtown Classic. We didn't get a single response. Are high school band directors not interested in drum corps? Because it's summer, do they not want to bother contacting their band members? I'm at a loss as to why they'd turn down seeing six good drum corps for a group rate of $10 a head. We have the same issue here for our show. We mail free tickets to band directors to encourage them to come and at least check it out and we usually have very little response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shenandoahsound Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 (edited) accidental duplicate Edited September 13, 2012 by shenandoahsound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishbonecav Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 My aunt lives in California, Maryland, about 1.5 hours from Annapolis. Until I called and invited her to stop by Bucs rehearsal in her backyard, she didn't know anything about DCA being in Annapolis. She was a teenager when the Reading Buccaneers came into existence, so would have gladly come to the show, but had already made other plans. Bill Powers, Bucs Business Manager, had put a letter out to all the high school marching bands in the circuit he works with promoting the inaugural Downingtown Classic. We didn't get a single response. This cant happen. DCA 2013 is already on the calendar. There's no reason for any of us to wait to get the word out. Word of mouth is free, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 We have the same issue here for our show. We mail free tickets to band directors to encourage them to come and at least check it out and we usually have very little response. one of the things that has worked for us is securing sponsors at level where they are not just buying an add in the program, but we align them with a school, church group, senior home, etc......... if the show tickets are 10 bucks their $300.00 add included something like 40 tickets, getting us NEWBIE butts in seats,..............who otherwise would have never attended,.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 You mean the daily Harrisburg paper that next year will be "daily" as in three times a week? No idea what it costs to run an ad there but sure a halfway affordible one would be buried. Hate to say it but IIRC the only Reading or Annapolis event/place that was ever in the Harrisburg paper was ads for Als Diamond Caberet (strip club). ahhhhh Al's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 We have the same issue here for our show. We mail free tickets to band directors to encourage them to come and at least check it out and we usually have very little response. how do I say this delicately as someone who emails band directors almost daily... in the summer, unless it's marked urgent, it will maybe get read eventually. Having talked with some, they get so slammed with email daily, it's hard to keep up and teach. I know more than few will print stuff up and hang it outside the door, , but if you really want to reach band circuits, getting it on their web page and facebook pages is the way to go 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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