Our One Trick Pony Is Out of Tricks. Now What?

According to the latest Nielsen reports, Americans spent an average of 33 hours per week watching TV and about 17 hours on the Internet.  In many cases, these activities were done simultaneously.

With our industry's infatuation with all things "Internet", we have largely ignored one of the popular mediums available to us to get our message out.

The reasons for this are many, but here are a few, "it costs too much", "can't measure it," and "don't know enough about TV busying to feel comfortable doing it." Couple these reasons with the omni present reason of  "tired it and it didn't work" and you have an industry, for millions of potential customers that remains invisible.

And invisibility creates empty bowling centers.

So instead of using cable TV or radio, proprietors are pounding their data base with price off promotions and other "coupons" to get consumers to go bowling.

Yet open play across the country is STILL down.  Given that less than 15% of consumers open their email, it is no wonder. Our one trick pony may have run out of tricks.

Maybe, instead of each of us working our data base dry, we got together in our local markets and developed a multi media campaign that included TV (or radio as well as Internet marketing and direct mail) we could collectively get to where we want to go.

With gas prices projected to go to $5 a gallon, isn't it time a group of local proprietors talked about bowling's benefits of being a "close to home affordable entertainment value" and then demonstrated it with specific offers that would be relevant for each of our important segments.

It would then be up to each proprietor to implement his/her own efforts in regards to Internet marketing, outside sales and inside sales?

Isn't it time we worked together and developed this type of effort?  Maybe the BPAA could help subsidize it?

Why not do it? What do you have to lose?

Nothing else is working.

If there is a group of proprietors out there interested in developing this type of approach, you got me for a free teleconference strategy session and to act as your guide.

Yup, I have been doing this for over 30 years so I know a little bit about integrated media campaigns.                     914 592 2836 (office) or email me at fredkaplowitz@gmail.com