Jeff Ream Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 9 hours ago, BigW said: Know a fellow who competed professionally and now builds boats for competitors. There's big money in that. Also college courses on Fly Fishing, Dad took one many years ago at Penn State. So yes, it's a pretty serious activity, but also a much bigger one for companies to be attracted to. DCI is pretty small with a small fan base. When the whole thing with PBS went under, really the awareness dropped and the impression it was a bigger deal than it really is. PBS went under because drum corps fans didn't follow up with their pledged amounts 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 7 hours ago, garfield said: Something about this math didn't add up in my head. 44 corps times 150 MM's each equals 6600 MM's per year. Even if we figure eight people per MM as "the fan base" (Mom, Dad, 3 siblings and 3 grandparents or band friends [don't ask me why, I don't know]), that still adds up to only 53,000 "Friends and Family Fans". I'm not sure if DCI's annual "eyeballs" has changed much recently, but I remember when they had a public video on their website (from a decade ago) claiming that more than 400,000 (IIRC) fans saw shows in that year. Something like 13% of the audience seems to be friends and family. Sure, that's substantial compared to other measures, but I think band kids in general are the biggest audience segment. Vaticinate (still my FAVORITE corporate name, evah) did a study some years ago that showed the "average life" of a fan is about 3 1/2 years. That tied in with average MM tenure and with average-age progression from HS into college. Three-and-one-half years, on average. Compared to some of us here, that number is insignificant. Obviously, if a MM's entire band comes to a show to see him/her, that skews the "friends" part of the equation a little although, again, band kids. I think DCI made the right decision to change to band instruments and market to MM's through equipment brands and exogenous activities like Indoor, instead of PRIMARILY marketing to fans; usually, marketing to fans is little more than public show announcements and "image" is created by the corps themselves. What they did wrong, IMO, was to cede the role of innovator to the "...line" shows. They once led the entire marching activity. Now it feels like they play clean up and are expected to produce each August a homogenized version of what kids see in the "line" shows from November until April. to touch on your last part, the problem there is DCi's continued tap dance for years to balance moving forward with appeasing fans who refused to let go of the past. In the band and indoor worlds, there was no tap dance, everyone dove in headfirst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 6 hours ago, Stu said: And I counter with see posts looking outside the box. Sure securing sponsors takes time, skill, and investment. But if the non profit music minded would get busy and seek out non music sponsors, they would find many who would want to market their products/services to DCI folks in exchange for sponsorship. It just takes eliminating the artistic snobbery and being fine with a sponsor like Boudreaux's Butt Paste!!!! https://www.buttpaste.com/ i referred to any sponsors, not just music ones. reading skills fail you when seeking to be right all the #### time...cause it usually leads you to being wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 6 hours ago, garfield said: Of course you're right, Stu. It takes a long time to develop good and sticky clients. It's also true that clients/vendors are sticky until they're not. Clients/Sponsors come and Clients/Sponsors go. I'm not making excuses for DCI's seeming inability to keep a client/sponsor. But, in this case, the client/sponsor didn't go. It just went from DCI to the corps - decentralized. As it was intended, IMO. Maybe a better M.O. is if DCI hooks 'em and lands 'em and the corps filet and fry 'em. Or maybe sponsors are the realm of the corps themselves. It takes much effort to not only secure and keep sponsors at the organizational level but to replace those which leave. However, most other national youth organizational bodies have sponsorships at the corporate level. Note the sponsors that have no connection to the activities whatsoever other than their sponsorship. (example: Bubba Burger) Little League World Series: Canon Chick-fil-A Cigna Dick's Easton Gatorade Honda Lance Musco New Era National Varsity Cheerleading: Fabletics Helios Great Wolf Avis It Haircare Herff Jones Gatorade Youth Soccer USA: TA/Petro Bubba Burger Fusionetics Target Expand-a-brand Bag Tags Nike AmericanEagle Sun-made Raisins Yokahoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 17 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said: i referred to any sponsors, not just music ones. reading skills fail you when seeking to be right all the #### time...cause it usually leads you to being wrong I started to say that you would have not thought of the Boudreaux's Butt Paste idea, but your correct, I would be wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 4 hours ago, Jeff Ream said: PBS went under because drum corps fans didn't follow up with their pledged amounts I'm not surprised. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 My guess is, the greatest amount of meaningful sponsorship dollars is derived through conversations on the golf course, chats at the country club bar, major board meetings, and Ivy League fraternity gatherings. Many deals are acts of courtesy between familiar faces. Doubtful DCI can compete in many situations. Agree, a connection to music is not required, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weaklefthand4ever Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 On 3/14/2019 at 10:57 PM, Stu said: You should go fly-fishing with me sometime. It will teach you patience, rhythm, and a mind-set deeper than most people have ever experienced (not kidding). And I will even let you borrow one of my UA shirts (ok that was kidding... sort of) My project once fall starts is to start making Fly Fishing rods. Pool cues are a little tough to build in the fall and winter because of the exacting tolerances and the humidity is much harder to control here in those months. A lot of the southern builders supplement by building very high end rods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weaklefthand4ever Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 3 hours ago, BigW said: I'm not surprised. Nor am I, however, it's still such a shame. And DCI tried ESPN2 (every time I see ESPN all I can think of "ESPN 8 - The Ocho") for what....2 whole years plugged into some horrid time slot? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 8 hours ago, Stu said: It takes much effort to not only secure and keep sponsors at the organizational level but to replace those which leave. However, most other national youth organizational bodies have sponsorships at the corporate level. Note the sponsors that have no connection to the activities whatsoever other than their sponsorship. (example: Bubba Burger) Little League World Series: Canon Chick-fil-A Cigna Dick's Easton Gatorade Honda Lance Musco New Era National Varsity Cheerleading: Fabletics Helios Great Wolf Avis It Haircare Herff Jones Gatorade Youth Soccer USA: TA/Petro Bubba Burger Fusionetics Target Expand-a-brand Bag Tags Nike AmericanEagle Sun-made Raisins Yokahoma Wondering the number of fans for these three as compared to DCI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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