Has "Be a Diver" gone awry???

[friscuba]

I hate to go against the crowd... but if you take it at face value, DEMA and a few other organizations (albeit with strong DEMA ties) took part in a video produced by Delta Airlines if I get this right.

It was mentioned earlier that other companies were offered a chance to sponsor the video...and most didn't. It's really easy to find out who those companies are, took me all of 20 seconds following the link "deadly risk" posted to find out who was approached by Delta http://www.dema.org/associations/1017/files/Dive Contact List Delta-IMA.pdf. Did anyone bother to take the time to find this list? Sure it's not everyone on the DEMA rolls, but did DEMA even put this thing together?

It's been my experience in the past going to various marketing and travel seminars/forums, ect. that most of those participating have already been fairly successful in that particular area before. I've been to travel seminars where most in attendance already had successful travel programs, to marketing seminars where most of the attendees were quite successful at what they do - in general the ones that really need the information the most don't even participate. So here you have 6 or 8 organizations that feel there's value in what Delta was offering and another 190 something that passed. It doesn't surprise me that several of the organizations that participated also are heavily involved in DEMA. There's a lot of old addages: Success breeds success. Those that can, do. If you want something done find a busy person, etc. Those are the guys that seem to get involved in this kind of stuff. If DEMA footed the entire bill, and only it's board member were offered a shot at the "sponsor" placement mentions, then something would be amiss... but my impression is that the organizations that tend to get involved in promoting their field of business also get involved in the flagship organizations that represent their industry and in advertising programs that advertise their industry.

Seems like a whole lot of nothing to me.

 

[The Chairman]

Seems like a whole lot of nothing to me.

That's the real problem... we only have speculation at this point as to the mechanics of this. However, by some happy circumstance, only organizations with representation on the Board of Directors participated.

As one of the publishers who called me pointed out, many of these projects are done by the producers contacting the trade organization and getting recommendations on who to approach. There are a lot of possible scenarios here and a few of them reek. We would simply like to know.

Bottom line: DEMA is suffering an identity crisis whether they accept that or not. The "little guys" who give the organization their clout are not happy with the current marketing scheme largely due to the fact that they are not getting ANY discernible benefit from it at all. None, nada, squat. I would suspect that if there was NO discount for booths at the DEMA show, then DEMA membership would drop dramatically. Precipitously. I know of no other benefit for belonging to DEMA. You can be sure we are giving our participation at DEMA next year a hard long look. DEMA has lost its focus and a good bit of its luster.

 

[cerich]

Kinda makes ya go hummm.

Tobin

and the forth is Divers Alert Network, also on the DEMA BOD, in fact EVERY sponsor on the commercial is on the DEMA BOD (if you count Sunset and Cayman as both being represented by Keith Sahm of Sunset House)

What I find the MOST damning is the final couple seconds of the video, when the voice over makes the following statement at 5:01 into the video "for more on participants featured on this episode visit www dot beadiver dot com", that website is a DEMA website, paid for by DEMA, thus by the members, ALL OF us. DEMA funds are for the use and benefit of ALL DEMA members not a extra slush fund for marketing of companies the members of the BOD work for,end of statement.The video does NOT say "for more on diving and how to get started" it says "for more on the participants".

It is a ridiculous argument as to the value of the video, it has GREAT value, for diving in general and Brand awareness for those companies marketed on the video in specific, if you want to argue that the diving is the "take away" that's fine, however to dismiss the value of branding is silly, it flies in the face of reality. Don't believe branding is important? Heck watch NASCAR, TV or even a bike race. In fact this year at the DEMA show I will be introducing new products for resorts with the entire focus on gear thsat allows the resorts to reinforce THEIR brand with their rental gear, not the brand of the scuba gear. (how is that for irony?)

The issue is why only the organizations that happen to have members on the DEMA BOD participated. The comments that have been posted on the DEMA.org website simply seem to be a CYA move and IMHO proves nothing at all. I suspect that top layer of the onion is rotten because it sure smells bad and has some mold and left over manure on it....

Sometimes, no matter how much people may try to add layers and complexity to an issue the TRUTH is most often the most obvious.... If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

 

[cool_hardware52]

The really silly thing is how easy it would have been for DEMA to have achieved the same end, i.e. preferential treatment of few at the expense of the many, and still maintained a defensible position.

Offer the chance to participate to EVERY DEMA member, but price it so that damn few will.

The raw "ham handedness" is simply stunning. You'd think the BOD was trying to piss off the rank and file.

Tobin

 

[sluggo]

Am I missing something here ? these{ this}video is a commercial for diving who cares who paid for the AD 1. DOES IT LOOK OK ? 2.does it promote diving ? yes or no? 3. whether or not dema padi or anyone else is featured who cares as long as there are no safety concerns .4.when I read the dive mags most of the reviews are only of the paid for sponsors products 5.did the sponsors have the authuority to pay for the ads' ? talk to who runs the company 6 are they trying to do something positive ? please my nerves can we not be positive sgo

 

[cerich]

Am I missing something here ? these{ this}video is a commercial for diving who cares who paid for the AD 1. DOES IT LOOK OK ? 2.does it promote diving ? yes or no? 3. whether or not dema padi or anyone else is featured who cares as long as there are no safety concerns .4.when I read the dive mags most of the reviews are only of the paid for sponsors products 5.did the sponsors have the authuority to pay for the ads' ? talk to who runs the company 6 are they trying to do something positive ? please my nerves can we not be positive sgo

so you are saying it's Ok for DEMA members to pay DEMA dues and have DEMA only promote the companies that have members on the DEMA board of Directors as long as there are no safety concerns? i disagree, STRONGLY.

 

[deco_martini]

Am I missing something here ?

Yes. The advertisement seems to be a DEMA one since it uses the "Be a Diver" marketing campaign, but it contains product placement for several specific companies. That seems to be the basic issue that some people have.

Either it was a DEMA promo and should have not had specific product placements, or it was a PADI/Sunset/etc promo and should not have looked like DEMA was endorsing those specific products/companies above others.

So yes, you probably missed that somehow.

 

[siikik]

... Perhaps this thread will be a move toward some real change.

I'm not going to hold my breath.




Ken

 

[cerich]

PADI Diver Acquisition Efforts Expose Millions to Diving



Exposure on Delta Airlines flights, university campuses and the BMX circuit target untapped markets for PADI Dive Centers and Resorts.


Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – 30 September 2009 – PADI Americas continues to identify and target huge potential diver acquisition markets to bring even more consumers to PADI Dive Centers and Resorts. The organization’s latest strategic marketing efforts include a collaborative effort with several dive industry stakeholders targeting Delta Airlines patrons; a Gen Y public relations effort focused on bicycle motocross (BMX) enthusiasts; and the continuation of the PADI X university and college program:


Delta In-Flight Video Promotion
Beginning 1 October, travelers on more than 17,000 domestic and international Delta Airlines flights will learn why they should be divers. PADI Americas -- in collaboration with DEMA, Sunset House, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Divers Alert Network and Sherwood Scuba -- helped develop a five-minute video segment for Delta Airlines In-flight Entertainment. Airing throughout October, the Delta Destinations video will showcase scuba diving to more than 2.6 million travelers during the first hour of their flights. This is a prime audience comprised of affluent travelers -- 78 percent of which hold a valid passport -- indicating a propensity for international as well as domestic travel.


“This is just one more way PADI Americas is investing in dive industry growth by recruiting new participants to the sport,” says Kristin Valette, PADI Americas’ vice president of marketing and communications. “The Delta In-Flight video will reach an affluent audience and refer them to the Be A Diver website to find a local dive retailer. The goal is that they will become certified, undertake dive travel and make diving a life-long habit.”

BMX Public Relations Campaign

A recent PADI certified diver survey identified bicycling as a significant component of “other activities that scuba divers participate in”. Capitalizing on this information, PADI Americas targeted the rapidly growing BMX industry by working closely with high-profile BMX riders (including the 2009 Summer X Games BMX Freestyle bronze medal winner, Gary Young). The new public relations campaign spotlights these athletes as they pursue their newfound passion for scuba diving.


While still in its infancy, this cross-marketing effort is already attracting BMX industry media attention. A similar cross-marketing effort, Drop Zone Tahiti, which spotlighted professional surfers as they explored the world of diving, virally generated more than 13,000,000 online links throughout the surf industry.


PADI X University and College Campaign
The PADI X momentum continues this autumn as a new group of eager and excited interns help turn their peers on to the sport of scuba diving. The new PADI X representatives are harnessing the power of peer-to-peer marketing as they gear up to revolutionize the dive industry’s marketing capabilities.


Well connected within their college communities, PADI X interns are living examples of the adventure and fun associated with diving; and their influence expands with each passing semester. Working closely with local PADI Dive Centers and Resorts, PADI X interns are hosting Discover Scuba Diving events with as many as 100 participants and helping increase entry-level diver certifications in areas surrounding their campuses by as much as 30 percent.

PADI X campuses for fall 2009 include the University of Oregon, University of California at Santa Barbara, Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, Arizona State University, Colorado State University, University of Central Florida and Ohio State University.


Expanding an arsenal of existing diver acquisition efforts -- including the Boy Scouts of America partnership, a wedding and honeymoon marketing campaign, DEMA Be A Diver support, and the Scuba Connect™ diver referral program – the PADI organization continues to help grow the dive industry by exploring and investing in new consumer markets and initiatives. If you have questions about any of these diver acquisition efforts, email PADI Americas marketing consultant Ashley Atkin or call 800 729 7234 800 729 7234 (US and Canada), +1 949 858 7234 +1 949 858 7234, ext. 2237. If you would like to add these efforts - and much more - to your arsenal of successful dive business tactics, email PADI Americas International Resort and Retailer Associations manager, Jeff Nadler, or call ext. 2260.

 

[MANTA III]

Looks like PADI is certainly doing it's share for diver aquisition... What are the other agencies doing?