Is it good that scuba diving is not popular!

[RJP]

Hi Ray,

Both diving and skiing are generally, reasonably expensive activities.

And I guess that's the main point I was making vis-a-vis the economy. Whichever is more expensive is immaterial; the fact that the best-ever year for one (skiing) coincided with the other's worst year in decades tells us that there's something more than cost explaining the decline in scuba popularity. And that cost is somewhat less of an obstacle for skiing.

No one goes skiing to save money.

 

[Z Gear]

And I guess that's the main point I was making vis-a-vis the economy. Whichever is more expensive is immaterial; the fact that the best-ever year for one (skiing) coincided with the other's worst year in decades tells us that there's something more than cost explaining the decline in scuba popularity. And that cost is somewhat less of an obstacle for skiing.

No one goes skiing to save money.

Since we are in agreement that the cost is not the main reason for the decline or flat line growth. Then what do you think needs to be done to effectively get the right message out and by what means. I think we have evaluated the situation and determined that this would require some change. Are there any other ideas that can be reasonably implemented or may be considered at this time?

Any thoughts?

 

[Redshift]

Skiing, fancy clothes, a nice resort, carrying just skis and poles or snowboard, goggles and helmet, getting a suntan and taking selfies.
Diving, smelly undersuits or peed-in wetsuits, staying in some caravans shared by eight people, full of drying gear, hauling tanks, weight belts, regs, BCDs, etc, etc, etc, being wet, cold and miserable, coming out of a dive with snot running down your nose and seal marks on the face and neck...
What would you choose? Obviously the second! But many people don't

 

[RJP]

Since we are in agreement that the cost is not the main reason for the decline or flat line growth. Then what do you think needs to be done to effectively get the right message out and by what means. I think we have evaluated the situation and determined that this would require some change. Are there any other ideas that can be reasonably implemented or may be considered at this time?

Any thoughts?

Main thing would be to do some market research to find out what is ACTUALLY keeping people from diving, and what will motivate them.

The second phase of the research I did tested a fairly standard "Adventure" message against a different message I'll call "Possibilities" with non-divers. The differences in terms of the impression non-divers get about diving from these two different messages is quite interesting. I would say "surprising" but it's not really, as far as I'm concerned.

The purpose of the research was not to see if this specific alternate message is "the right answer" but simply to find whether varying the message can change people's impression of diving. In the research 219 non-divers were each randomized to one of two different groups. One group saw a message about diving that was focused on the adventure of diving. The other group saw a message that did not emphasize "adventure." Both groups were then asked to rate their perception of the accuracy of a series of statements describing diving.

For instance, a message that emphasized "Adventure" has a tendency to convey "danger" to non-divers more than a message that does NOT emphasize adventure:

Read this chart in terms of "percent of people who REJECT the idea that diving is dangerous" (So more people who saw a message that did not emphasize adventure REJECTED the idea that scuba diving is dangerous.)

And this difference was even more pronounced when you look at subgroups of people within each group. (For instance, the gap is even wider for people with an income >$50k. And take a look at skiers and golfers for something interesting.)

 

[scubadada]

Skiing, fancy clothes, a nice resort, carrying just skis and poles or snowboard, goggles and helmet, getting a suntan and taking selfies.
Diving, smelly undersuits or peed-in wetsuits, staying in some caravans shared by eight people, full of drying gear, hauling tanks, weight belts, regs, BCDs, etc, etc, etc, being wet, cold and miserable, coming out of a dive with snot running down your nose and seal marks on the face and neck...
What would you choose? Obviously the second! But many people don't

You make diving sound so attractive, you missed your calling in marketing.

I do most of my diving in South Florida, the conditions are considerably more favorable

 

[Z Gear]

Main thing would be to do some market research to find out what is ACTUALLY keeping people from diving, and what will motivate them.

The second phase of the research I did tested a fairly standard "Adventure" message against a different message I'll call "Possibilities" with non-divers. The differences in terms of the impression non-divers get about diving from these two different messages is quite interesting. I would say "surprising" but it's not really, as far as I'm concerned.

The purpose of the research was not to see if this specific alternate message is "the right answer" but simply to find whether varying the message can change people's impression of diving. In the research 219 non-divers were each randomized to one of two different groups. One group saw a message about diving that was focused on the adventure of diving. The other group saw a message that did not emphasize "adventure." Both groups were then asked to rate their perception of the accuracy of a series of statements describing diving.

For instance, a message that emphasized "Adventure" has a tendency to convey "danger" to non-divers more than a message that does NOT emphasize adventure:

Read this chart in terms of "percent of people who REJECT the idea that diving is dangerous" (So more people who saw a message that did not emphasize adventure REJECTED the idea that scuba diving is dangerous.)

And this difference was even more pronounced when you look at subgroups of people within each group. (For instance, the gap is even wider for people with an income >$50k. And take a look at skiers and golfers for something interesting.)

These charts are an excellent source of reference to initiate a good market strategy.It is better than I expected to see and even provides strong indications on exactly what to do, and what not to do to achieve the desired goal ( which should be a favorable not dangerous stigma towards Diving) You have adequately answered the question as to, how important it is to send out the right message, which can leave an opening of interest. Which we can be happy to deliver to them.

Thanks for sharing those charts, its a great example of how this can be valuable information which can be used to create an effective marketing campaign.

Ever think about trying to create a marketing campaign model to present to some key people in the industry?

I am sure you are more than qualified to do so. Perhaps if it is any help, I am sure scuba board members like myself or manufacturers and others around you would rally around this, they would not turn their back on someone attempting to tackle a cause such as this. Someone has to lead and be confident/knowledgeable on these matters who better than yourself. You have a passion for the industry/scuba diving, and at least you shared some great ideas on how to approach this. You have a lot of years in the industry plus you love being on scuba board (super poster). This just means you have a lot of passion in this field and that's good! Your a great candidate, for what ever its worth I think in this case I believe the scuba board members would have your back, and would be glad to support the cause in some way or another.

 

[RJP]

Ever think about trying to create a marketing campaign model to present to some key people in the industry?

The thought has crossed my mind... once or twice.

:d

The problem is the "create a marketing campaign" part is what I do for a living. I say problem because that means getting someone to agree for the need... and PAY for the creation of the campaign (research, development, testing, etc) and the industry doesn't like to pay for marketing strategy. They seem to prefer to assume they already know what to do - or simply guess - and hope for the best.

That approach is very [-]cost-effective[/-] cheap.

 

[Centrals]

Tradition and Snobbishness!!!!
The rich and famous have been skiing for yrs eg. The British Royal family routinely go skiing on Swiss Alps.
You can put anything on your face to make you look glamorous on ski slope but you have to remove the makeup and false eye-lash for diving!! You might as well ask them to stand naked without make-up!!! I have seen one female diver who refused to remove her mask after the dive and immediately disappeared into her room once the boat returned to the resort!!!!!
You cannot really hide your vital statistic in a tight wet suit!!!
There are no book to read and calculation to make and who care about Boyle's Law!
Surface interval on a rocking boat with rain pissing down and a cold sandwich is no match for a sumptuous meal under the sun and wash down with a bottle of wine!!!!

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I never thought of it but you are right. I've only met one lady who looked good in a wetsuit. I have seen some who are too worried about breaking a nail and fix their makeup between dives

Nobody looks good with diver oysters hanging from their nose and mask marks imprinted into their faces.

 

[mjrob]

The thought has crossed my mind... once or twice.

:d

The problem is the "create a marketing campaign" part is what I do for a living. I say problem because that means getting someone to agree for the need... and PAY for the creation of the campaign (research, development, testing, etc) and the industry doesn't like to pay for marketing strategy. They seem to prefer to assume they already know what to do - or simply guess - and hope for the best.

That approach is very [-]cost-effective[/-] cheap.

Aaaaarrrgghhhhh. You guys are killing me.

The market EXISTS. We don't have to build it, we simply need to address and fulfill it. I've built markets that didn't know they were there before...this is much more addressable/achievable.

I had no idea how much I'd love diving until I found out about it. One shouldn't have to work for that introduction.