Where Is There A Need For Drum Corps To Evolve

[bawker]

This thread is entirely too deep. :P

[dckid80]

What benefit would those organizations derive from shepherding our little activity. Sorry Mom but that is just not realistic. DCI is a blip on the radar screen. It always has been and always will be.

As far as evolution, IMHO the biggest challenge facing the activity today(outside of financing of course) is a scoring system that is wholly inadequate.

The system that is currently in place no longer has the ability to draw meaningful comparisons between competing units.

I would go as far as to suggest a consortum between ESPN, The Olympic Commitee, and a portion of special funds from the top 10 College Endowments to take over DCI or atleast be assimulated onto the board.

A summer season broadcast of regional competitions broadcast on cable.

Music Olympics that tours 2 weeks at the end of Summer to a differnent part of the World every 4 years.

[davidp]

Forget ESPN and the USOC; drum corps is music and marching, not sports. Go for A&E, or somebody like that. It's time that drum corps be seen for what it is, and not packaged into something it's not. It's art, not sport.

[Snapettes Mom]

'Adding more grease' is just a matter of aligning the Four P's. A marketing term that stands for Product, Place, Promotion and Price. That alignment of the Four P's need to be arrayed to surround the target customer. As well buffeted by the Marketing Intermediaries, Competitors, Publics, and Suppliers. This all sits into 4 quadrants represented by the Demographic Enviroment, Economic Enviroment, Technological Enviroment and Cultural Enviroment.

The above sits within a Touchpoint Wheel model that aligns the Four P's across all of the customer touch points. Starting with the Pre-Purchase moving clockwise to the Purchase, finally with the Post Purchase.

The Pre-Purchase encludes the Advertising, Website, Collateral, Events and Demand Generation.

The Purchase encludes the Product Assortment, Point of Purchase, Sales Force and Channel Partner.

The Post Purchase encludes the Billing, Delivery, Servise/Support, Ease of Use and Loyalty Programs.

Basically if anyone drops the ball on anyone of these touch points if will be impossible to retain or even think about growing the activity much beyond the way it exist let alone evolve a successful program like DCI Pass.

What I see going on with the DCI brand is strong tendency to make decisions that that have minimal risk. This is ideology is sucking the it's own brand soul dry and causing corps out of frustration to be more homoginized than ever. Here's to the likes of The Cadets (last year) or the Renegades for having the kahuna's to create a real and unique identity.

Do I think Globalization will help DCI? No, is my official answer. I do believe it WILL consume it in slow motion and turn it into whatever is next.

The point about BD going to Europe and destroying the competition. Sarcasim on. Is correct for now, but if your competition had to ride bicycles while playing music and doing drill you probably wouldn't get the credit you deserve under current judging system to compete very well. I think that actually happened. Sarcasim off. I think it's only a matter of time. I can watch DW from Germany in several languages here on the web and learn to appreciate Europes culture. As well people can watch NPR from here overthere. The current media here in the States unfortunately is caught up in the most negative news possible while you can watch quite the oppostite on DW. The broadcast from DW are far better in quality and content for that matter or check out stations that broadcast from China and the news is 'Sunny & Bright' If your economy was growing on average 9% a year for the past 20 years you would be feeling like a Google employee on a good day. These areas I speak of have what it takes.

Does Gatorade know how much of their product is consumed by performers in drum corps?

Has In & Out Burgers targeted every touch point a corps is at on tour?

Or would it be better to have Whole Foods. It's the same price to feed an organization organic vs. radiated, genetically altered so called 'fast food'.

Does Walmart have any idea how much corps depend on their products to feed them?

Has Coleman have a clue that every member requires sleeping bags and coolers for members to survive?

I think Disney has helped and hurt at the same time. They have helped to homoginize by inforcing there culture over the DCI activity but have provided a venue for more exposure. One difficulty it will be to expand the ESPN relationship much further when ABC and Disney are essentially the same company. Definite two edge sword.

How much a can instrument, uniform or footwear company grease the wheels?

Not nearly as much if they can partner together with larger forces.

Here's a hypothetical but possibly risky partnering solution. Jones Soda's. Kinda wacky and irreverent drink. They made a special 6 pack last fall that included all the flavors you would find in Thanksgiving Dinner, like gravy, turkey, mashed pototatoes etc. A big hit if I heard correctly. What if DCI partnered with Jones Soda's to create 6 pack that had a different photo from from DCI's section called Forzato? The drink would be sold in stands to the audience (and sneaked into the busses after the show). That kind of thing would cause a buzz. Especially if it was launched at the beginning of the Summer. What's the benenfit. It helps tell a story about what drum corps is from a behind scenes perspective. From what I have heard those behind the scenes stories are very compelling selling points.

If the companies or others like them would like to broaden their potential targeted markets abroad what better asset to take along than a marching band/drum corps to hype their product at the same time while sponsoring a localized event in return. Sure it would mean risk and there are brands that have the kind of culture willing make it happen.

BOA and DCI can co exist as seperate entities but would be better off by creating an unbrella organization that also included WGI and DCA as well. There are all employing relatively the same resources. As a unified force they would represent far greater focused segment that could leverage larger scale sponsorships to it's advantage.

On a personal note regarding education. I live in a neighborhood that has Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese, German, Italian, Irish cultures represented Everyone of their children attend private schools. They know better and are willing to make what ever sacrifice it takes to make it happen. Several of these children are prolific on the piano but have zero awareness of DCI, BOA etc. They'll have to settle for overly polite Saturday soccer match instead.

Mom

[sleggs]

First, when I was talking about Apple I meant by putting DCI on Itunes, so people could enjoy the music, and even be able to watch shows. In no way did say anything about drum corps being animated, that would be stupid. But as it stands now Apple/Mac is one of the leading media outlets at this time. Selling 3 million songs a day, and god knows how many Ipods. I think that DCI should try to some how partner up with apple and release that kind of stuff. DCI may not be as big of a market as say mrs. spears. But it still has a big enough profit to benifit DCI. Think about it you could have '91 Star or what ever show on there Ipod to watch and listen to. DCI embrace the digital community for it is becoming the future. Look at what we're doing right now. Oh my GOD we're on a computer.

Second, I also put Disney as an example since DCI and Disney had some sort of relationship, whatever it may be. But either way they are a strong program that supports the arts.

Third, Drum and Bugle Corps is a sport, you tell me how it isn't. But it also is music and marching. But I can't see A&E or really any other channel put DCI finals on TV. Heck if poker is considered a sport, why can't Drum and Bugle Corps be considered a Sport. Plus I would like to see who gets more people to watch their station ESPN or A&E/Bravo. Just because Bravo seems to be the new artsy channel, heck like Hopkins said, they are thinking of making a reality show of Cadets and Phantom. I'd Watch.

Last, to sum it all up, I think DCI is not trying hard enough to get their organization out there. To me ESPN is just one step. They need to think out of the box and find new ways of getting their stuff out there. Even if it involves making a myspace page. Its amazing when you bring new people to shows for the first time, they are always blown away from the talent, and how much fun it really is. And it has place in all of our hearts, otherwise I don't think we would be posting things about it. We just need to bring those strays out there into our world, for it is a fantastic activity.

Thats it!

[Snapettes Mom]

Apple is a good idea!

I have a friend who's sister just went to a factory in China that assembles the iPod. She said there were 100 million in production at that facility alone. If I remember correctly.

Mom

[dckid80]

I'll ask you again Mom.

What benefit (hint:$$$$$$$) would any of these potential sponsors or organizations realize from taking up with our activity?

The reality is that the amount of money involved from all aspects:

Corps budgets

DCI budget

etc...

is a blip.

There is no incentive for corporate America to get involved.

Globalization for a product that has 30,000 attendees(in a good year) at it's championships?

This discussion reminds me of all the the sports trades that are bandied about on local sports talk radio which only serve to benefit the local team and do not take into account the realistic needs of the trading partner.

You can throw Marketing 101 around all you want but you are missing the main point.

The product does not have a mass audience.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade but we need to be realistic here.

[MikeD]

In particular, I'm interested in the claim that the advances in drum corps are nessesary to make it sound and viable in the business world. In fact, in my experience, nostalgia can be a VERY successful business venture.

The alumni corps provide a great outlet for nostalgia.

The DCI compettive corps will never succeed if they go that route. You won't have young people want to audition to perform in the "1971 Whoever's"...as much as I myself loved marching then.

For me what has kept the junior corps so much fun to be in and exciting to watch are the constant advances that have happened since I started in 1964.

[MikeD]

I hope you and your friends continue to have fun.

I loved most of the shows and there were many very cool ones; most of which did not use amped voice or gimmicks but relied on drum corps long time draw: great brass and percussion playing.

I loved most of the shows and there were many very cool ones; some of which did use amped voice and props and also relied on drum corps long time draw: great brass and percussion playing.

There...that's better. :)

[MikeD]

I totally agree that it is a delicate balance. Balance is, unfortunately, often derived by much pulling from both extremes of the issue and usually takes much trial and error. It currently feels like so many want to bury their heads in the sand and not change to keep pace with life while many others want to change too much too quickly for the average fan to absorb/accept. It's a good thing that any changes in the activity are discussed at length and then voted on by a large enough group of very dedicated and involved individuals and not by a few on either extreme of the ideological direction.

Nice points....it took over a DECADE for amps to pass. Hardly a whirlwind change.