Marketing: Are we ok, or do we need help?

[TSandM]

I honestly do very little "shopping" anywhere but on line any more -- although I do look carefully at the catalogs of a variety of companies which with I do repeated business. I simply DON'T ever go to a store any more, just to look around and see what they have. If I have a specific item that I want, I'll look on line to see who carries it, and then go to a store (if my need is urgent).

That change is probably in part that I rarely buy clothes, shoes, or other items where "shopping" is fun.

 

[RJP]

Keep in mind that the penetration of internet shopping is going to index far higher among people who spend every waking moment online.

I'm just saying...

:d

 

[carltona]

Bingo.

It's interesting that this went to a discussion of ego. Something Pete posted this morning struck me between the eyes.

I don't allow recreational doubles divers on a regular sport trip. Could I? Sure, they are a pain in the ass, but I could. I strenuously discourage sidemount divers, because I find it innapropriate on a liveaboard. Could I welcome them? Sure. A number of folks have written me to tell me what an ass I am, and someone's gear choice is their choice yadaa yada yada. Many of these fine PMers never paid to dive in their lives aside from quarry fees, but that's not the point. The point is that my ego has driven away some of the folks I would otherwise reach out to as customers. Even for someone who could give a damn about sidemount, my discussion (which I would keep private if I could only turn back the week) might turn them off. Why? Because they don't want my ego interfering with their ego on the boat. Sadly, big egos are a boat captain and instructor thing. Maybe they are prevalent in the diving industry. Maybe what's wrong with diving is that (in this kinder and gentler teens) customers don't want someone else to be in charge. In the "satisfy my wants, desires, and whims" of the current age, there is no place for a crusty old ass of a captain who thinks that's it's my liability, my rules, my boat.

Maybe that's what's wrong with the dive industry. There's a lot of evidence pointing that way. Just try to tell any of the members of the Board of DEMA how things should be..... The dive shop who thinks his customer is always right may very well do well.

Have you tested your bias against doubles and SM? Is it in actuality a big problem to you, your crew, or other guests? The last one being the most important to growth. What are the ACTUAL problems and if you worked to overcome them would it be better for your business than just saying NO. You are a self admitted "old dog" and maybe you don't want to learn new tricks BUT someday you are going to want to sell your business and maybe having an operation that embraces mixing singles with multis gives a better EBITDA. I submit this post respectful of the success you've achieved and the fact that you are willing question your current mindset .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Julieofthesea]

Here's a great article that speaks to what we were talking about earlier...
[h=1]People Don’t Buy Products,
They Buy Better Versions of Themselves[/h]People Don't Buy Products, They Buy Better Versions of Themselves - The Buffer Blog

 

[SeaHorse81]

Really good article (and graphic). Three snippets from the article that jumped out at me in terms of how to market more effectively:

"Here's what our product can do" and "Here's what you can do with our product" sound similar, but they are completely different approaches.

...why people buy quarter-inch drill bits: They don’t want quarter-inch bits. They want quarter-inch holes.

A feature is what your product does; a benefit is what the customer can do with your product.


Inspiring stuff, and nice prompts toward next-level marketing.

 

[flots am]

View attachment 181036

Here's a great article that speaks to what we were talking about earlier...
People Don’t Buy Products,
They Buy Better Versions of Themselves

It's a nice graphic, but I don't actually buy it.

I spend money on:

• Things that either keep me comfortable (heat/electricity/a home)
• Things that entertain me (scuba, internet, movies, etc.)
• Things that I need to carry on with my life (car, insurance, etc.)

I don't actually consider any of this stuff to make me a better "me".

flots.

 

[Doppler]

It's a nice graphic, but I don't actually buy it.

I spend money on:

• Things that either keep me comfortable (heat/electricity/a home)
• Things that entertain me (scuba, internet, movies, etc.)
• Things that I need to carry on with my life (car, insurance, etc.)

I don't actually consider any of this stuff to make me a better "me".

flots.

Marketing, like everything else in life, sometimes offers the promise of a silver-bullet answer, but in reality things are a bit more complicated.


At its core, a good marketing message essentially and usually DOES offer a better you (read the tagline on my website for example...) but when we deal with spend of disposable income, we also have to consider another "truth." Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is about as close to a Coles Notes explanation as it gets.

What you are describing, mate, fits right into the norm. No offense, but you appear to be balanced and normal! LOL!

 

[RJP]

It's a nice graphic, but I don't actually buy it.

I spend money on:

• Things that either keep me comfortable (heat/electricity/a home)
• Things that entertain me (scuba, internet, movies, etc.)
• Things that I need to carry on with my life (car, insurance, etc.)

I don't actually consider any of this stuff to make me a better "me".

flots.

The fact that you don't believe you fall "victim" to marketing simply reconfirms for me that our evil plan is still working.



The reality is though that the "better me" construct is largely used to get you to choose one brand vs another (WHICH car, WHICH insurance, etc) rather than trying to get you to make a purchase in a category that you're not already involved with...

 

[The Chairman]

The article addresses only push advertising: a one way media effort to get you to buy. While that has some effect on sales, social media can do a whole lot more. Let's look at Go Pro. Their advertising arm is called YouTube. There is no push. There are few promises. There are just lots and lots of non-paid fans showing you what they've actually accomplished with their GoPro. They've coupled that with a very simple push campaign that highlights all of their social media on YouTube. Who doesn't want to be a Hero?

Push advertising is only as big as your budget.

Social Media advertising can leverage your influence dramatically and even go viral.

Unfortunately, most companies think that Social Media Advertising is simply having a face book page and posting on it regularly or even posting here on ScubaBoard. That's just push advertising on social sites and is less effective than a banner ad on those same sites. If you want to get social, you have to engage your fans and turn them into your active advocates. Once you get your advocates posting about what they have accomplished with your product, then there is no need to connect features with benefits. The only need is to applaud their efforts, thank them for their kind words and process the orders. You might consider a small push campaign to synergize your efforts, but you still get your current customers to do the heavy lifting.