DZO's check this out! - Marketing Idea for Upcoming Travis Pastrana video

[chaospilot 6]

I am a DZO from Northeast PA. An Upcoming Extreme Video Event, the Red Bull athlete Travis Pastrana's "199 Lives" will be released on April 16th and 17th. I have put together a marketing idea outline to utilize this video event to promote Tandem Skydives. If your interested email or pm me, and I will pass them along. This will be a great season starter for getting potential skydivers interested in making their first jumps. I have done the leg work..you take advantage of it!

Here is the info on the Movie Premiere:
http://199lives.motocross.com/

Bryan Cavage, D-19100
AFF I, Tandem I, Vidiot
http://www.dropzonesolutions.com
-Social Media Consultant and Skydiving Gear Guru

[peek 21]

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... to promote Tandem Skydives...

Why only Tandem jumps?

[chaospilot 6]

Changed it up...my bad

Bryan Cavage, D-19100
AFF I, Tandem I, Vidiot
http://www.dropzonesolutions.com
-Social Media Consultant and Skydiving Gear Guru

[firstime 0]

Why only Tandem jumps?

it keeps us up jumpers from traveling, Not many DZ's can survive w/o tandems

[peckerhead 0]

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Not many DZ's can survive w/o tandems

We used to

[kefran 0]

I just can't see how pastrana can «promote» our sport. stunts are not what WE do, far from that. By using his image you're just saying to your tandem customers that they are going to jump with the first adrenaline freak available .... which i think is not the best way to make them jump and ... pay.

just my 2 Can cents anyway

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I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution !

[lippy 918]

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I just can't see how pastrana can «promote» our sport. stunts are not what WE do, far from that. By using his image you're just saying to your tandem customers that they are going to jump with the first adrenaline freak available .... which i think is not the best way to make them jump and ... pay.

just my 2 Can cents anyway

I'd liken a whuffo watching Pastrana's video to somebody who's never skied watching a Warren Miller flick. I hope nobody thinks they're gonna jump without a rig on their first jump, but it gets people pumped on the sport and talking about the sport, and if that's not promotion then what is?

I got nuthin

[AndyMan 7]

I don't see Pastrana at all being positive for skydiving.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[stratostar 5]

Exactly! There always has to be some asshat trying to cash in on the next beggest thing or trying to invent the next biggest thing(automonuti comes to mind), I think Mr. Peek had a thread about just that topic.

After watching the motor cycle stunt video, IMHO T.P. is a dead guy walking and is just to young & stupid to know it, only time will tell, but after seeing how he delt with getting the catus pulled out of his ass and the comments he made, it's was soooooooo cool dude! And to be so brazen as to claim 199 lives, far better a jumper/base jumpers thought they wouldn't bounce too.

Oh well, should make good video to sell to faces of death, real TV, inside edition, Spike TV.ETC. IMHO.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[chaospilot 6]

As originally stated, the video will contain Skydiving and BASE Jumping in a positive manner. Not an accident on the news, that the media is hyping up. This will be a limited release video with an audience of adrenaline junkies. As a DZO, this is a positive, and any positive marketing of skydiving, leads to more new skydivers. As usual, the dropzone.com junkies who need to put their two cents in, did. It's all good, when you run a DZ, you will see it different, until then post your opinions on an internet forum.

Bryan Cavage, D-19100
AFF I, Tandem I, Vidiot
http://www.dropzonesolutions.com
-Social Media Consultant and Skydiving Gear Guru

[kefran 0]

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when you run a DZ, you will see it different, until then post your opinions on an internet forum.

superb answer ... i wish you great success, and oh, by the way, did you asked T.P. about the use of his images for commercial goals ?

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I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution !

[NickDG 23]

>>It's all good, when you run a DZ, you will see it different
All I see is it's okay as long as you make a buck . . .

But it's all good, when you've been in the sport longer than ten years, maybe you'll see it differently.

NickD

[jtval 0]

Careflu what you say. They'll delete your post.
Speaking of which WHERE THE FUCK DID MY REPLY TO THIS GO?

It wasnt even controversial or flaming. I "clickied" The original link and reply to Plamers post.


Fukn mods don't make sense sometimes. Did the thread turn to a flame war or something?

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[PhreeZone 20]

JT, there are not any of your posts deleted on this thread. Are you sure it was posted?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[stratostar 5]

Yo, I understand where your coming from, but my comment "asshat" was in general about people & not about anyone person. It wouldn't be the first time one of my post was removed for being in the wrong, sometimes, like everyone else here, I fuk up.

It was not removed nor was I banned, so I assume the mods felt I wasn't out of line, other wise I would have heard about it. Dispite what some people believe, the mods play no favors to those they like or dislike, I have found them to be more then fair in their dealings with me when I have been out of line.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[jtval 0]

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JT, there are not any of your posts deleted on this thread. Are you sure it was posted?

Well It is possible this is a cross posted thread. I'll have to check but the first few posts are the same as the thread I replied to.


I replied to Plamer whose post is missing too.

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[mnealtx 0]

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JT, there are not any of your posts deleted on this thread. Are you sure it was posted?

Well It is possible this is a cross posted thread. I'll have to check but the first few posts are the same as the thread I replied to.


I replied to Plamer whose post is missing too.

If his post got chopped, then so would your reply, as they would be linked.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[bigway 4]

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As originally stated, the video will contain Skydiving and BASE Jumping in a positive manner. Not an accident on the news, that the media is hyping up. This will be a limited release video with an audience of adrenaline junkies. As a DZO, this is a positive, and any positive marketing of skydiving, leads to more new skydivers. As usual, the dropzone.com junkies who need to put their two cents in, did. It's all good, when you run a DZ, you will see it different, until then post your opinions on an internet forum.

I was marketing director of a company that had 4 dropzones. I would be interested in seeing how many people you get signing up for tandems or AFF from the results of this guys video.

In my opinion i doubt even one. Maybe over the next few years you might get a couple drigt in who have watched it.

I am not trying to put your idea down, just my opinion and i hope you respect that and i really hope you end up proving me wrong.

Keep us posted. I am very interested in seeing if it brings people to the sport. It is one of those things you want that bring people into the sport, I just dont believe it will.

If you think about it, we have one of the best BMX riders in the world (Matt Hoffman) who has a series of Playstation games, we have one of the best skateboarders in the world (Bob Burnquist), they both have more of a following than Travis, especially with the sport they are in and their playstation game, yet i do not hear about them bringing people into the sport.

You want to get people doing tandems? Goto the major hotels in the closest cicty, invite the bell boys/concergies(sp) out for an 'industry party', give them all a free tandem skydive, put some food and drinks on, then tell them how you will give them all 10-15% booking fee for every person they send out to you.

This does work. I know this because New Zealand has the biggest tandem skydive center in the world- over 100 tandems every single day the weather is good. Tourist bus operators pull in there all day long every day with busses full of tourists so the drivers can collect 10-15% per head.
This is how it is done. Expecting a video of some young guy who might sell a couple of hundred thousand dvds worldwide to bring your dropzone (one of hundreds around the world) enough business to be noticable.... in my opinion, not likely.

If i end up wrong then i congratulate you, It sounds like you want to get your business bringing in more jumpers and it sounds like you have the motivation to do it. Why dont give my idea a go? It is a proven idea that works every day. A country of only 4 million people and 600 miles long and 100 miles wide produce around 600 tandems a day if not more every day the weather is fine. Around 5 dropzones in this country who actively market like this do well over 100 tandems a day EACH. I am sure you have heard of Taupo in new zealand. Most cameramen and tandem masters at these dropzones do an AVERAGE of 10 jumps a day. Dropzones actually GUARANTEE their workers 1000 work jumps a year. They can afford to do this because of the results of this marketing.

You give the right people a free tandem and put a good day on for them they WILL send you many tandem customers.

We had contracts in place where the tandem master would do 1 or 2 freenon-paid tandems a month. They did this happily because they knew that the dropzone was giving these tandems out free to hotel owners and tourist centers so they could promote the dropzone and in turn the tandem master would get more money/work from it.
Phone up a major radio station and give the talk show dj AFF for free. In return tell him when ever he talks about the weather to mention skydiving, and for him to do a talk every monday after he has completed a new level to tell people what it is really like and what he is going through while learning. This will bring in many listeners. You have a radio host who is popular talking about skydiving all the time (as all new jumpers do) this is the best advertising you can get!

I have edited this many times to add additional things that are working for dropzones i know. I dont just mean working, I mean killing it!

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[bigway 4]

Anther way for you to look at this movie he is releasing is......

we are skydivers right... Alot of us will watch his video.... but that does not mean any of us will go and buy a dirt bike! Most of the people who get his dvd will be motocross fans or kids that live at home with their parents. They have bought it to see the motocross stunts etc. Just because he has thrown in a skydive with no parachute or a base jump off a bike over the grand canyon does not mean they will take up skydiving. they are getting the dvd for the motocross.

they will look at the extreme skydiving stunts like something they can not do and only travis can do. They will not then go and take up skydiving when what they really want is to either buy a dirt bike or spend more money on learnign to skydive when all they really want is to save their money for new motocross gear or a new bike.

People that could affor to go and take up skydiving who are watching this movie i am sure would already be in a sport such as motcross and would rather keep investing their money into that sport they are in, just like us skydivers do.


I would like to hear what your idea is and why you think a couple of skydiving stunts on a motocross champions dvd will bring people into the world of skydiving.

either way, good luck mate. However if you can not listen to people expressing their opinions in this SKYDIVING forum about your idea without insulting them then i cant imagine how you listen to what your customers want.

I would be more than happy to donate you some of my time and write up some marketing plans in full detail that i know are well practised for dropzones and are proven to work and proven to make dropzone owners very happy.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[tdog 0]

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I was marketing director of a company that had 4 dropzones. I would be interested in seeing how many people you get signing up for tandems or AFF from the results of this guys video.

I was going to reply to Chaospilots egotistical "I am a DZO, you guys are customers, you don't have the right to a valid opinion" comment... (Yes, I added my flare to that, mainly because I don't like the stunt because laws were violated and if it went bad I BELIEVE we all would have had bad PR with government officials... But don't argue that point in this thread, there was another one a while back I posted in you can resurrect).

I might not be a DZO, but I own a company that has more employees and revenue than probably most DZs.... If it was run like most DZs, we would have been out of business long time ago.

I just don't see how riding on the coat tails of a fringe stunt on a fringe movie designed to sell energy drinks is going to drum up enough ROI to make a darn for a DZO.

But your reply said it better than I could have. So much so. Good ideas.

Imagine... If every DZO was organized by the USPA to have a "Bring a friend tandem day" where every fun jumper was encouraged to bring a friend to do a tandem, and the cost was discounted, and the fun jumper got a reward if the friend stuck around for AFF/Static Line/Tandem Progression... We could market so well for our DZs...

But, most DZOs just don't get it.... I was told I could get a free jump if I brought TWO tandems... Value to me: $11 per person, with an average of 1 hour of logistical and marketing time for me, or more! I could make more packing parachutes, teaching the FJC, doing ONE aff jump, etc.... Not surprisingly, no fun jumpers at the DZ went out of their way to bring tandems.

This is how I look at everything... "Pick the low hanging fruit. When there is a drought, maybe look higher."

The low hanging fruit is your existing customer base. And the people around that can bring business, like hotel concierge and tour operators, who expect part of the pie when they bring you customers, but could send a lot of customers making it worth it.

I can give so many examples... Imagine a restaurant that is going out of business. True story. The restaurant could have paid big bucks for an marketing firm to get some PR out there (most news paper stories are not random, they are placed by PR firms doing their jobs)... Or television commercials...

No... They went to all the concierge at all the hotels and gave heavy performance based perks to the concierge for making reservations for their customers... All of a sudden - boom - people flow in.

If I owned a DZ or wind tunnel - EVERY concierge in the nearest cities would be offered unlimited free tandems and tons of tunnel time, and a bottle of wine or some cash for every appointment they make.

I would also go to the visitor's bureau and get the list of conventions and trade shows. I would personally call the destination management firm for each show and offer perks... Here is one. Almost all company business meetings (think an convention floor of 2,000 employees sitting in chairs hearing their CEO talk, and going to seminars, etc) - has a blooper's reel or a week ending slide show...

AND - these events are often "bonus" trips to employees, so the meeting planner works hard to make it fun. They struggle to subsidize golf and rafting out of the tight budget. Give them a free alternative instead!!! I would tell the meeting planner: "You bring me a bunch of your employees or customers for paid tandems, I will give you free video normally worth X. I will make a 5 minute video to show at your closing dinner that will include jumping, ground preps, and reactions upon landing. Tell your employees to bring something funny as an inside joke from the workplace. Maybe we can get it in freefall, if it is safe to jump with. Otherwise we will toss it around in the aircraft. I will get the funniest people I can to make the video funny. I need you to get me a few of your most wild, free spirited employees, who will ham it up for the camera so I can make this funny. Tell me who are the ones most likely to ham it up so I dedicate more camera time to them. And, tell these people to really ham it up because the video will be shown at your closing dinner if it is good. You bring me the business. I will bring your company something to remember and take back to the water cooler when everyone gets back on the planes and goes to their home offices." (You see, most of these business meetings bring mid level execs and expect them to 'download' to the folks who stayed home what was missed.)

Of course, not every jump is filmed... Only 25%. But you get 100% of the stuff on the ground.

I know this works, because white water rafting companies, and other adventure companies have done it, and I am in the business (part time now) of doing corporate events, concerts and meetings. Meeting planners are begging for free-to-them entertainment that is specific to their event to build team work, etc.

So how do you get the convention goers from the hotel in the urban downtown environment out of the city? Hiring a van too expensive? Well, give a jump for slots plus instructor fee to the hotel employee who takes time off work to drive the group out.

Working with the hotel and convention staff even works for Cessna drop zones in the middle of nowhere. Instead of the concierge at the Hyatt that specializes in convention business, go to the front desk clerk at the motel 6 and super 8. Less rooms - but smaller DZ too.

[SpeedPhreak 0]

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As a DZO, this is a positive, and any positive marketing of skydiving, leads to more new skydivers. As usual, the dropzone.com junkies who need to put their two cents in, did. It's all good, when you run a DZ, you will see it different, until then post your opinions on an internet forum.

Well, I do run a dropzone and I do see it different (than you).

I'm with the dz.com junkies and feel that what TP did was a self serving promotional gimmick that at it's best case scenario did no damage to the skydiving community, but more than likely just reconfirmed to the general population what a bunch of half-assed, immature, idiots they think we are for doing what we do.

I really don't see his stunt as a positive promotional tool for the skydiving community.

SkydiveAllegan.com

[peckerhead 0]

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Well, I do run a dropzone and I do see it different (than you).

I'm with the dz.com junkies and feel that what TP did was a self serving promotional gimmick that at it's best case scenario did no damage to the skydiving community, but more than likely just reconfirmed to the general population what a bunch of half-assed, immature, idiots they think we are for doing what we do.

I really don't see his stunt as a positive promotional tool for the skydiving community.

Not to mention the jump was illegal. I believe it is still being investigated by the FAA because the proper waivers were not obtained. I don't think using a criminal act is a very smart way to promote any business.

[chaospilot 6]

Hey guys what everyone does at their DZ to drum up business is their call. I saw it as a marketing tool, created a basic marketing campaign for it and decided to pass it along to any DZO's that wanted to take a look and possibly gain a tandem or two from it. With no charge or expectations, just good will of a DZO to DZO. Most of you posting, didn't even ask to see the idea, and are judging based on a post and Travis Pastrana as an extreme athlete. Not the original marketing idea itself. There are lots of positive and negative ways to gain more business in skydiving, and this was an isolated situation, and this was a chance for me to start working with my local Red Bull Distributor (In the marketing idea, in case you read it).

I was not planning on buying a new plane from the Tandems I received from it, but with a little bit of leg work, could drum up 20 tandems or so. Which ends up to be gross profit of around $1700 to $1800 for me, and then one or two from that and so on. So is 6 hours of my time worth that money, why yes it is!

It's all good..either way the trailer looks pretty bad ass, and I look forward to seeing the movie.

If anybody wants to stop by the DZ, make a skydive or base jump, and then shoot the sh&t about skydiving marketing over a beer, I'm sure the whole gammet of ideas we come up with will be pretty impressive!

-Bryan

Bryan Cavage, D-19100
AFF I, Tandem I, Vidiot
http://www.dropzonesolutions.com
-Social Media Consultant and Skydiving Gear Guru

[peek 21]

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Why only Tandem jumps? It keeps us up jumpers from traveling, Not many DZ's can survive w/o tandems

Perhaps I should have asked that differently:
"Why only Tandem jumps?"

Does that change your comment?

[jtval 0]

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Most of you posting, didn't even ask to see the idea, and are judging based on a post and Travis Pastrana as an extreme athlete.
-Bryan

I am not a DZO but I did ask about it in my first reply to this post...but it was deleted for some reason so I stopped posting.


If you wanna share the idea with a non dzo i'd be interested in seeing it.

What I said in the orig post was something like:

I dont know if the TP jump would drum up as much business as say BUCKET LIST. Since BUCKET LIST has a much larger audience.

My guess, though, is that the people who are inspired from the TP jump will more than likely be younger than those inspired form the bucket list.

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