I find it interesting as I slowly get involved into flying (sport pilot), that I
have NEVER seen an LSA aircraft on display at a shopping mall, community event, sporting event. The more thought I put into it, I begin to realize why practically none of my friends (circle of influence) have no clue as to what is taking place in general aviation.
I see motorcycles, boats, jet skis, automobiles displayed in a wide array of places for marketing that have nothing to do with their industry, other than they are positioned where there is trafffic flow. A sharp looking LSA sitting on display in a huge Bass Pro shop or on display at a big Gold Wing ralley or displayed in the middle of a large shopping mall would raise curiosity and interest.
Is this a strange business/industry?
Moderator: drseti
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flyingclay
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:12 pm
- Location: Tennessee
Chesapeake Sport Pilot had a Tecnam Eaglet at the Annapolis (Maryland) Mall last Thanksgiving - to kick off the Holiday shopping season. But, you are correct, there is a dearth of "publicity" for LSA and/or General Aviation.
--
<i>If you are too busy to laugh you are too busy.
Selling Personal Checks and Business Checks helps pay for the 'Coupe.</i>
--
<i>If you are too busy to laugh you are too busy.
Selling Personal Checks and Business Checks helps pay for the 'Coupe.</i>
--
Bill - any word on how, or if it effected their ability to get more to sign up to learn to fly? The flying group I'm involved with (which is primarily a instructional school) has a Remos that might be easy to move into a Mall for the holiday season. I am thinking of suggesting it simply because the wings are easily removable and re-attachable... and the nearby mall has an indoor/outdoor theme to it.
Sure would be a lot of work to make that happen though.
Sure would be a lot of work to make that happen though.
Brian Garrett
[email protected]
[email protected]
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flyingclay
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:12 pm
- Location: Tennessee
If something of this nature is measured on the results or effect from one event, the results will probably be measured as unsuccessful. The key is for these things to be a portion of a long term marketing strategy. A continual ongoing process of "raising curiosity" to look closer.
I see no current S-LSA company doing anything close to long term potential effective marketing agenda to the mass market that has a probability of a long term powerful benefit to bringing the age group with economic capability that might have an interest in this arena. The market coming now is (1) those interested enough to seek it out, (2) willing to do the homework to see what they want, (3) then figure out where they can travel to, for a closer evaluation. And then continue this process to evaulate the other options.
My observation as a business person that enjoys observing business strategy's, I see only PiperSport as edging slightly toward something close to moving beyond the traditional paradigm of marketing to hangars, flight schools, airports and those already interested in flying (Oskosh/Sun n Fun). I find it interesting as to how they have accomplished getting over 11,000 people connected to their FaceBook site. That in itself is a quite an accomplishment, but even that is only a minute piece of a much larger part of massive marketing and long term marketing puzzle and plan to really go the level I feel is out there.
I see no current S-LSA company doing anything close to long term potential effective marketing agenda to the mass market that has a probability of a long term powerful benefit to bringing the age group with economic capability that might have an interest in this arena. The market coming now is (1) those interested enough to seek it out, (2) willing to do the homework to see what they want, (3) then figure out where they can travel to, for a closer evaluation. And then continue this process to evaulate the other options.
My observation as a business person that enjoys observing business strategy's, I see only PiperSport as edging slightly toward something close to moving beyond the traditional paradigm of marketing to hangars, flight schools, airports and those already interested in flying (Oskosh/Sun n Fun). I find it interesting as to how they have accomplished getting over 11,000 people connected to their FaceBook site. That in itself is a quite an accomplishment, but even that is only a minute piece of a much larger part of massive marketing and long term marketing puzzle and plan to really go the level I feel is out there.
I agree with you flyingclay, however I'm very happy to say I'm not the person responsible for running a company having anything to do with aviation. In chatting with the guy who runs the club I learned to fly with, it's $2k for a weekend booth at the mall. Some quick math means that he's got to sell a LOT of rides and hopefully garner a few more students in order to see any return on that investment. And that $2k was for a 3x5 booth that people have to walk by. To add a plane into that mix - I wouldn't even WANT to think about how much that would be to consider.
Of course there are other angles to approach it from. Offer a partnership of some sort w/ the mall to display the plane in a prominent place, thus adding to their foot traffic might be one way to go. But if the mall already has a sizable amount of foot traffic, there's no way they are going to want to take away floor space from what could hold more bodies.
I guess my point is it's a fine-line balance between spending money on marketing to get the sale and turning a profit. There's no guarantee of any return for your money when you rent out a space like that. The club I've been with has relied upon volunteers to make things work. In my mind I enjoy volunteering, and anything that makes the club successful makes all of us in the club (including the owner), but at some point in time (hopefully) the club/company will become successful, in which case they hopefully can actually pay people who are helping recruit new folks.
It's a vicious cycle. How little money can I spend to bring in more money - and I don't envy anyone having to make those decisions...
Of course there are other angles to approach it from. Offer a partnership of some sort w/ the mall to display the plane in a prominent place, thus adding to their foot traffic might be one way to go. But if the mall already has a sizable amount of foot traffic, there's no way they are going to want to take away floor space from what could hold more bodies.
I guess my point is it's a fine-line balance between spending money on marketing to get the sale and turning a profit. There's no guarantee of any return for your money when you rent out a space like that. The club I've been with has relied upon volunteers to make things work. In my mind I enjoy volunteering, and anything that makes the club successful makes all of us in the club (including the owner), but at some point in time (hopefully) the club/company will become successful, in which case they hopefully can actually pay people who are helping recruit new folks.
It's a vicious cycle. How little money can I spend to bring in more money - and I don't envy anyone having to make those decisions...
Brian Garrett
[email protected]
[email protected]
Is this a strange business/industry?
My thoughts are similar to flyingclay's. There seems to be a real shortage of marketing know-how, and probably marketing budget, in this industry.
While one of our local DFW flight schools (not the same one mentioned by Bill) did actually display an SLSA in a large mall last holiday season, and reportedly had a good response, I question their ability to turn that into new students.
My own experience with them has been disappointing--they are extremely slow to respond to inquiries (phone or email) and when I actually enter their place of business they do their best to ignore me.
Eventually,I was successful in arranging a discovery flight. But when the day arrived, they had lost my reservation and had to scare up a CFI who happened to be on-premises on his day off to take me up. I like the CFI but I am VERY reluctant to commit to this flight school.
I have found only slightly better business skills at other flight schools I have investigated. My general impression, like flyingclay's, is that only the persistent and highly motivated prospect will find his way into a trainer. That should make for a good student pilot, but it really diminishes the business prospects for the flight schools.
By the way, I have been very impressed with the postings of Prof Schuch, one of the active members of this forum and the proprietor of a sport pilot flight school. He seems to 'get it'. Wish I were in his part of the country!
While one of our local DFW flight schools (not the same one mentioned by Bill) did actually display an SLSA in a large mall last holiday season, and reportedly had a good response, I question their ability to turn that into new students.
My own experience with them has been disappointing--they are extremely slow to respond to inquiries (phone or email) and when I actually enter their place of business they do their best to ignore me.
Eventually,I was successful in arranging a discovery flight. But when the day arrived, they had lost my reservation and had to scare up a CFI who happened to be on-premises on his day off to take me up. I like the CFI but I am VERY reluctant to commit to this flight school.
I have found only slightly better business skills at other flight schools I have investigated. My general impression, like flyingclay's, is that only the persistent and highly motivated prospect will find his way into a trainer. That should make for a good student pilot, but it really diminishes the business prospects for the flight schools.
By the way, I have been very impressed with the postings of Prof Schuch, one of the active members of this forum and the proprietor of a sport pilot flight school. He seems to 'get it'. Wish I were in his part of the country!
DAVE
We did display the plane at the Annapolis Mall from Black Friday to a few days after Christmas. We took the wings off, trucked it to the Mall, assembled it on my scissor lift and put it up 3' in the air. We sold a lot of intro flights, BFR packages and gifts. I would say it was a success.
Our marketing plan has not been as basic and traditional as others. We go to local fly-ins, boat shows, community events, etc. We host regular picnics, partnered with several Porsche companies to host an event and much more.
We have a very active student base. Right now we have 70 active primary students (51 before solo). I think the marketing plan is working well. I would agree that generating the lead is only half the battle. Having the infrastructure and business know how to train and graduate the student is just as important.
Our marketing plan has not been as basic and traditional as others. We go to local fly-ins, boat shows, community events, etc. We host regular picnics, partnered with several Porsche companies to host an event and much more.
We have a very active student base. Right now we have 70 active primary students (51 before solo). I think the marketing plan is working well. I would agree that generating the lead is only half the battle. Having the infrastructure and business know how to train and graduate the student is just as important.
We did display the plane at the Annapolis Mall from Black Friday to a few days after Christmas. We took the wings off, trucked it to the Mall, assembled it on my scissor lift and put it up 3' in the air. We sold a lot of intro flights, BFR packages and gifts. I would say it was a success.
Our marketing plan has not been as basic and traditional as others. We go to local fly-ins, boat shows, community events, etc. We host regular picnics, partnered with several Porsche companies to host an event and much more.
We have a very active student base. Right now we have 70 active primary students (51 before solo). I think the marketing plan is working well. I would agree that generating the lead is only half the battle. Having the infrastructure and business know how to train and graduate the student is just as important.
Our marketing plan has not been as basic and traditional as others. We go to local fly-ins, boat shows, community events, etc. We host regular picnics, partnered with several Porsche companies to host an event and much more.
We have a very active student base. Right now we have 70 active primary students (51 before solo). I think the marketing plan is working well. I would agree that generating the lead is only half the battle. Having the infrastructure and business know how to train and graduate the student is just as important.
I really like the scissor-lift idea to get the wings up and off the crowd-level and protects the plane AND achieves a higher-level of visibility... that'd be a win-win-win situation there.
I'll make sure to suggest that.
Now of course, do you think you would have gotten the same level of traffic had the plane not been there?
I'll make sure to suggest that.
Now of course, do you think you would have gotten the same level of traffic had the plane not been there?
Brian Garrett
[email protected]
[email protected]
I think with any marketing effort you need to ask, "what do I want to accomplish." For us at the Mall, we wanted a Wow factor for visibility with people coming to the Mall and we wanted press coverage for those not at the Mall. Not having a plane there would not have accomplished either. Our key is to get people talking about it.
We were concerned that with a plane at ground height. Not only would people accidentally hit it but it was more vulnerable to mischievous hands. 3' in the air solved that.
We were concerned that with a plane at ground height. Not only would people accidentally hit it but it was more vulnerable to mischievous hands. 3' in the air solved that.