623  Tango and Marketing

Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 14:18:21 -0700
From: Trini or Sean - PATangoS <patangos@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Tango and Marketing

Marketing is an oft-misunderstood concept and rather complex. It is
not simply selling or promoting a product but also discovering what
needs current or potential consumers may have and then fulfilling
them. It can also be about creating a need but that s beyond the
ability of most of us. For tango communities, I find it s mostly
about listening to one's current audience because they are the most
effective marketers for the community.

First, define your marketing objectives and market segmentation. Who
do you want to attract (young, old, others like you)? Each one will
require a different marketing approach. It can also take different
financial approaches. This is probably the least understood concept
for non-marketing people.

Are you offering people what they want? Sometimes it s just a matter
of scheduling or venue that keeps people away. Have a class on a
different night or time. Some people prefer small classes over big
classes. Some want privates. What are people asking for?

What type of image do you want for your group or for yourself? Do
you want to be seen as skilled but inaccessible? Warm & fuzzy?
Friendly? Fun or intense? How are others actually perceiving you?

How well do these marketing goals match your financial objectives?
What s more important currently the marketing or the financials?
What do you want long-term versus short-term versus today.

Don't forget the advertising rule of three - the first "ad" for
awareness, the second for comprehension, and the third for
conviction.

These marketing issues will change over time and will need to be
addressed and analyzed again and again. Each communication (email,
flyer, website, demo) may have it s own marketing objective. Beware
that you can t be everything to everybody, but you won t know what s
needed until you understand what s really happening with your current
audience. You may need to run a focus group or brainstorming
session. Include dancers and non-dancers. It surprises me to see
how out of touch some organizers are with their community.

Happily, it costs more time than money to do these things, but it s
well worth the investment.

Trini Regaspi of Pittsburgh


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PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society . . .Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance.