The Average DCA Fan who goes to Finals

[LegalEagle50]

All this name calling from group to group, north to south, east coast to west coast, and now the potential pissing contest of who travels more than the rest, it got me thinking. i was starting to format the concept right before i left work, thought more about it on the ride home and as i made dinner. yes ~ anyone who smelled really burnt steak within the tri-state area ~ this is what caused it. :P

Who is the average DCA fan who goes to DCA Finals weekend?

Is it someone who just saw an ad for a show one day and decided to go check it out?

IMO no. The average DCA fan who is willing to spend money for a trip to finals is someone who deeply cares about the activity, usually a former marcher and/or staff member. Often that does not cross over to being any particular former marcher either, but someone who marched a senior or DCA corps, not necessarily a junior or DCI corps. The reason i use all four terms is that they are not the same. Some people who marched junior or senior corps, who attend DCA finals, did so before there was a DCI or DCA. I learned this the first time i went to DCA as a fan, in 1993.

I learned alot that particular DCA finals weekend as pre-lims had rain delay after rain delay and I was pacing between the front desk, lobby and hotel entrance waiting for the weather to clear or word of when the show would go on. I met many an old-timer that morning and they were more than happy to fill me in on so many things i had missed before i had ever set foot on a marching field, or in ome cases before I was ever born. These were not casual fans. Some may have only been able to attend one or two shows during the regular season, but they faithfully looked forward to attending DCA finals weekend. A fear of alot of the older people I spoke with that day was expense. I know that alot of people talk about saving for the year, and ways to do it. That works well if you are working with an incoming coming in. Alot of these folks were already in retirement and on set incomes, pensions, social security, etc. These weren't world travelers out spending their retirement in luxury. They were staying at a meager Holiday Inn. Yet thy were ecstatic to spend their one vacation a year going to see drum corps. Every time people talk about well if the fans can't make it, we'll get new ones, I admit, I wonder if we are too willing to throw the baby out with the bath water. I.E. ~ forget about our history and disgard DCA's longest, most loyal fans.

Over in the Junior Forum we hear that DCI takes fan surveys in order to know what the fans want, what they are willing to pay for, where they want finals to be. To my knowledge DCA has not done that. I realize it is probably way too late for such a survey to be done up for this year's finals as the set up committee probably will be arriving about this time next week, BUT I think it is something they should seriously take into consideration. Maybe mailing a survey to all the people who pre-ordered their DCA finals tickets this year?

I don't think moving DCA to an untried area just for the sake of expansion is a good idea. I don't think that you will get a huge walk in audience that decides to try DCA for the first time with no knowledge of what it is. Even moving it to an area that hosts DCI regionals is questionable as many DCI fans are NOT DCA fans. Also, how many of those walk in fans would be willing to say "lets do it again next year" and follow DCA to where ever the following year's DCA sight is? Unless there are more regular season DCA shows to keep them interested in the activity, I see it as being a one time passing fancy for them. It was a fun way to spend a weekend this year, but it's not in our back yard again, let's find something local to do instead. The walk in fans have no vested interest in any of the corps. They may politely clap for the shows, but they don't have any distinct favorite corps.

The people who jump up out of their seats, know where the hit will be and cross their fingers that it's done as close to perfect as possible, those are your loyal DCA fans. They are the people who spend hundreds of dollars on souveniers, buy the dvd's, the videos, the cd's. They are also the people willing to drive an hour or two to the closest local DCA regular season show.

Please don't get me wrong and think that I believe every former marcher goes to every regular season show or even every DCA finals. I am well aware they don't. Not every former marcher can afford it, nor do they necessarily have family members who find going to a show interesting. But IMO they are still more likely to turn around and buy the merchandise if they can't get to finals. How many first time walk in fans do you think will do that the following year if they don't go to finals?

These are just my opinions. I am curious to hear what others have to say. I know alot of people who are fans don't post in this forum. It is primarily marching members and staff. For the longest time after DCp opened i'd make a humorous comment or two but for the most part felt my opinion was not welcomed because I was no longer a participant, and just an alumnus fan. This year I decided differently because I realized that without the fans, the corps are nothing. I know I wouldn't have bothered to come back if all I did was play to stands with almost no crowd weekend after weekend, who didn't show any appreciation for what it was I was sweating like mad and sacrificing my summer for. For some of you this may be your first DCA and for others this may be your 10th or 20th or more. Next weekend take a few minutes from your busy schedules if possible and talk to the fans up in the concourse. Not just to hear the accolades about your performance. IF you can, ask them where they came from, why they keep coming back time and time again. See what feedback you can get about the future. Take a minute to learn about who the average fan of DCA is. :)

[kiltiekemo]

SNIP

"Who is the average DCA fan who goes to DCA Finals weekend?"

Right On Liz!! Who are we "average" fans. This will be my 12th DCA since 1975. I'm 52...started marching in 68...now marching with my son who is 15...still married to my drum corps babe...marched finals...missed finals...dreamed about WINNING finals...will spend more money on drum corps than any sane person would spend during one weekend and LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

What makes me feel good about the rest of you is you most likely feel the same way. Bringing a new senior corps to DCA this year from MI and can't wait to be part of the Greatest Show On Earth. Seeya at Scanton.

b**bs

[drumlaw80]

While both Liz and Lurker made great points, I disagree with some of what both had to say.

But in either case, a fan survey would be a great idea.

I would also add that if DCA Finals is ever moved out of the Northeast for one year, there should be a corresponding "super-show" Preview of Champions in the Northeast that summer as well. This super-show weekend should include alumni corps and I&E as well.

Marketing other huge weekends outside of the actual championships is something that DCI has gotten very good at over the years, and something we should give serious consideration to.

My .07

[guard mom]

I don't know if we are average fans or not, but this is the story of my husband, my sister and myself. We first learned about drum corps when our son was in his highschool band. We attended many shows in the late 70's and early 80's. After our son moved to Hawaii for school and we moved to Michigan, we saw no shows for several years. Later we moved to South Carolina and tried to attend shows in Winston Salem every summer. I had never heard of DCA until four years ago when our son joined the "San Francisco Renegades". We went to DCA finals in 2002 and that is where it began again. With us it isn't just about the music and the marching. It is about the corps itself. They are not just the "Renegades", they are now our family. This began the first day that we arrived in Scranton. We only see these "kids" once a year, but when we meet in Scranton, it is like a family reunion. We are called "Dad and Mom, and Aunt Sonnie" by most. We love it. Our son didn't get to start the season with the Renegades this year, but we still got tickets for prelims and finals in case that stuation changed. While we were at the Winston Salem show, we were asked to "please go to Scranton", that we are "their biggest fans" and just had to be there to cheer them on. How could we say no to "our family". The next week,our son was ask to march the spot of a fellow Renegade who had been called to active duty serving our country in Afghanistan. Now we knew nothing would keep us from Scranton. We have met fans and members of other corps over the past four years and look forward to seeing them each time we go. This is why we continue to be "The average DCA fan. We love drum corps, but most of all, We "LOVE THE SAN FRANCISCO RENEGADES"! See you in Scranton!

P.S. Does the "Average DCA Fan" drive two days to get to Scranton, decorate their van, hang signs around the hotel, greet the corps when they first arrive at the hotel and have other fans ask if they can take their picture? If so, we are just that and love every minute of it....."God bless you, Al" Be safe and know that you are in our prayers.

[Jeff Ream]

i think several nails have been hit on the head here.

the key is really simple:

if you move finals, a good chunk of the traditional fan base won't go, at least until time has gone by and they are accustomed to travelling a lot.

the other areas need to be built. You aren';t going to get huge walk up with $40 or higher ticket prices. if you build the region, when they DO get finals, they will come.

but trying to force it before the regions are built is a recipe for disaster.

say we go to NC and the crowd sucks. does that help DCA and it's corps?

no

does that help NC ever have a shot at finals again?

big no.

slow and steady wins the ship. a fan survey is the way to go, and if the results aren't people out of the NE want, then i say this:

BUILD YOUR REGIONS...BUILD YOU REGIONS SO WELL YOU CAN LOOK AT THE NE AND SAY "HEY ########, WE GOT IT RIGHT".

Til then it's a huge roll of the dice, and if it comes up craps, DCA, the fans, the host city and the corps will all feel the effects for a long time to come.

[guard mom]

It was said that if they move finals somewhere else that the traditional fan won't go. I truly believe that a "TRUE FAN" will go where ever the show is being held. B)

[drumlaw80]

It was said that if they move finals somewhere else that the traditional fan won't go. I truly believe that a "TRUE FAN" will go where ever the show is being held.  B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, but will a true fan join Crunchy Frog?

What do you say? :)

[MDempsey]

This debate will stay heated for a long time. I like the WS idea SOLELY because its closer to Florida. I LIKE that new venues are being discussed(and amazed the Cals arent lobbying harder LOL) B)

BUT sorry... if I actually get logical...the NC site may represent a nice missionary approach to drum corps but it is a huge inconvenience to most of DCAs members and fans. PLUS I dont think DCA is so financially flush that it can stage the finals off the beaten path as an experiment to see who will show up. Why take the chance? :(

Edited August 25, 2005 by MDempsey

[guard mom]

A true fan HAS to join Crunchy

Frog in his final year.

[Jeff Ream]

It was said that if they move finals somewhere else that the traditional fan won't go. I truly believe that a "TRUE FAN" will go where ever the show is being held.  B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

let's be realistic a second.

a "true" fan may not be able to haul ### for 6-10 hours at this stage...gas prices. job issues. expense. age. family.

I know a few families who won't go because packing up the kids for a 9 hour ride to W/S is akin to death until the kids get older.