Press release: UTD -X Program

[Unified Team Diving]

Press Release

RE: UTD Releases UTD-X Program
09/17/2012

Unified Team Diving is once again changing the dive industry through the release of the new UTD X-Program. A truly innovative marketing program focused on consumers, instructors, dive shops and the dive industry. Our goal is to be more than a “publishing company;” we are investing in the success of potential divers, current divers, instructors, dive shops and the scuba industry as a whole.

We have always offered the highest standards in the industry combined with an innovative and complete set of student and instructor training materials. Now we have created a progressive marketing model, the UTD-X Program, that drives students and new customers to our instructors and facilities.

The UTD-X Program redefines the Instructor/Agency relationship. As a UTD Instructor or Facility – or potential UTD instructor or shop – we will help you build your local community of divers through our innovative marketing campaigns, creating a team of committed divers that will continue to support you by taking more classes, purchasing equipment and attending your adventures.

As a UTD-X Program member, you choose from five different promotions (Open Water, Refresher, Extreme Scuba Makeover, ZUBA Junior Open Water, and ZUBA Supervised Diver), then run them locally as often as you like. UTD then works closely with various social media marketing companies to provide the best marketing campaign, providing incentives to drive new customers to you in your particular market. We use our international reach and strength to negotiate the best marketing campaign for our X-Program members.

UTD then provides the new customers and students with the classroom materials, certification cards, and other support materials that students need to get started on their education. The UTD-X Program instructor provides the local training and equipment as needed. Finally, UTD pays the UTD-X Program member to teach each of the new customers we send them.

We have been piloting the UTD-X Program this year with huge success. In recent promotions, in one west coast market, we sent 230 new students to the local UTD Instructor while on the east coast we saw 150 new students go to our UTD facility. In fact, that UTD facility owner said, “We are now fully booked for our winter teaching schedule, which is great news.” This is exactly the type of results we are looking for. UTD will continue to grow the dive industry, sending customers to our instructors and stores to become well-trained and well-equipped divers.

For more information on the X-Program (click here) or how to become a UTD instructor or facility (click here) , please contact Jeff Seckendorf at jeff@unifiedteamdiving.com.

 

[Submerged Inc]

Instructors and dive shop owners,

Submerged Inc. was a pilot center for the UTD X Program and simply put, the program works. Andrew at UTD drives customers to your facility. This program is not a “try scuba” or “just something to do for the day/weekend” but a great way to actually build a base of new divers and get access to already certified dives so that you can introduce them to the UTD philosophy of diving. Before starting the X Program, our store had a very heavy teaching load for our upper level courses (technical, trimix, etc…) but our entry level program was not exactly at the level we wanted it. We had one or two students in every entry level course but they were not full. The goal for our store was to have it so busy that we actually had to schedule courses months in advance and to make new instructors to support the heavy course schedule. We wanted to have our recreational instructors as busy as they wanted to be. Submerged wants to create a place where we can have instructors that make teaching diving a primary career instead of just a part-time job if they want that. Also, we wanted to keep our part-time instructors teaching as many courses as they want.

The X Program did exactly what we were hoping it would do. Our instructors wanted more classes and classes that were filled with people while still maintaining the highest training standards in the industry. The schedule for the rest of the year and into next year is packed with students taking all sorts of courses. We are rapidly building an enthusiastic student base that wants to further their training, travel, and just get involved in diving. Our instructors at all teaching levels are very happy because the upper level training is being funneled from this huge student base.

Submerged is very happy with the X Program and it has been a great experience for us. If we grow then UTD grows. The unique feature with this concept is that UTD is actually vested in the success of its training facilities and supports the facility.