Firearms Marketing... meh
I spent a few days walking the floor of the SHOT Show, looking for companies that are driving innovation and change. I also like to look at how brands represent themselves, What is their message and what do they do to make an impact on a visually overloaded trade show floor.
The take away.... so many companies use their most valuable visual real estate to tell me how old they are. In the title image "Quality since 1853". I read that and my first thought, (I am a bit of a smart ass) Jeez, if you got one in 1852, was it a piece shit?
What a waste of resources and what a total lack of skill and imagination on the part of the marketing department. This is a brand, I am sure it has a story, If I stopped in the booth, I'll bet a company rep would enthusiastically tell me the new and exciting things going on and how they are superior to the competition etc. etc. Yet their big marque tag line? We're old! real old!
Dear marketing departments, We don't care! we do not care how old you are. It makes no impact in our purchase decision to know that in 1922 grandpa Samual made these with a twin screw treddle-press and a Handi-Dan signature series drill.
Signed: Buyers under the age of 50....
领英推荐
Are the marketing departments too old? Are they afraid to make a statement? Is it possible that, do to the nature of the products and what they can do, the firearms industry as a whole is just too risk adverse? Many are wrapped up in “heritage” and the old wild wild west and appear unable to move.
While I love vintage firearms and frequently buy interesting lever action rifles, I also shop in the real world. A world where highly skilled marketing teams with sufficient budgets get my attention, educate me on their core values, product advantages, story and brand promise. This type of marketing happens all the time in all the cool innovative brands out there. I am talking about the rest of the world... not firearms. It is the rare exception to see quality marketing in our industry,
This creates a huge opportunity. The brands that “get it” and take the time to learn or hire the talent to leverage the new world of digital marketing and modern branding will see amazing results.?Look what Sig Sauer has done. They have gained a ton of market share against companies that keep doing the same thing. Pounding the heritage drum.
As the boomers age out and the younger generations move into their peek disposable income years, these old “we’ve been doing it like this for 40 years” mindsets and companies will stagnate…. They will remember the good old days, and wonder why all these younger buyers are going elsewhere.?
Director of Sales at FORMATECH Exhibits
3 年Tom, the short answer is NO it is not that hard, but we need to look at who is advising on what are the goals for the events and how an effective booth/event design/planning will help. So with that, I put some of this on a qualified AE with the exhibit builder, and after all that and we should have a great plan, then the next question is if the staff properly trained and able handle the needs of the show floor to tell their story and effectively qualify attendees as turnable lead or gawkers. A touch of heritage is always good, it's part of their story, but it is not the selling point. In todays market its is a wagon wheel, Trade (in-person events) / Social Media / Visual Media / Digital Media it all comes into to play and to really move forward you have to dabble in them all and find that mix that works best, but the undeniable fact is you need to be present in all of them or you will get left behind sooner than later. JMO