Although it may not be feasible for most custom builders, direct mail remains an extremely effective means of advertising. In fact, it may still be the most cost effective advertising around.

Case in point is the direct mail campaign I've been doing for the 2006 National Rod Builders Show. I've spaced the mailings out and have done my best to track the response. For instance, the official show website ( home.earthlink.net/~nationalrodshow ) has received an average of 184 individual (unique IP addresses) views each day since it went online last March. The first round of postcard mailings went to 5,000 people. On the 10th day after the mailing, I noticed a jump to about 225 views per day. By the 14th day, the daily totals were showing about 280 views per day.

By week three after that first mailing to 5,000 people, the site was receiving over 400 unique views each day. This went on until about the end of the 4th week at which point it quickly dropped back to the earlier average number of views.

I then sent out another 5,000 cards and the scenario repeated itself almost verbatim. This has been true with each successive mailing I've done since then. Tomorrow, the last 5,000 post cards will go out and I'll continue tracking the response. But there's no question that those spikes in the numbers of views were prompted by folks receiving those postcards.

Now most builders might have a hard time buying mailing lists of fishermen in their own area. And printing and mailing thousands of cards or brochures isn't cheap. But it's something to think about. No, it doesn't guarantee sales, but it will get you noticed. Selling is then up to you. But you can't sell until people know you're in business.

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Hi Tom - In addition to the direct hits, there might be something to be said about colateral hits as well. For instance, I've forwarded the link to the Charlotte site to 12 fishermen that I work with and 2 others that build rods but who do not subscribe to RM nor frequent the RBO web site - some visited the site and expressed interest in Charlotte ...they were not on your direct mailing this go around; and they might forward it to someone else, and so on. While I'm guessing this sorta thing would improve rod building interests and demand for supplies and thus business for distributors and builders alike which in turn would eventually benefit me with more competitive pricing on supplies I have to buy as well (maybe thats a stretch), my immediate selfish side cant help but wonder how all this added attention will increase the competition and elbow bumping and decrease raffle odds and the breathing room and the personalized attention that one might otherwise get with smaller crowds at the show.

There is an upside and a downside to having a larger crowd at the show. Sure, more people is just that - a larger crowd. A little less elbow room perhaps, but the show is twice as large in physical size this year and the number of vendors is up by a third. So you may not have to worry about the greater numbers of people having any real effect on your ability to browse and buy.

A smaller crowd, on the other hand, would be quite bad in several ways. First and perhaps foremost, the manufacturers and dealers aren't there to support the show, they're there to promote their products and make sales. Fewer people usually equals fewer sales and at some point, manufacturers and dealers have to read the bottom line and decide that something is either making money or losing money. If they lose money, they don't come back and you no longer have the chance to see so much product in person, in one place and at one time. Any event that only draws a coupple hundred people (or less) is just not going to be able to draw many vendors. It's just too costly for them without any hope of recouping their expenses.

Prices are already cut to the bone and most dealers don't make much margin as it is. So I don't know how much lower prices can go. On average they're certainly lower overall than they were 15 years ago.

A smaller crowd might make the seminars easier to view. Although, we have good private rooms for our seminars and not everyone attends the seminars anyway. With better audio-visual equipment, which I hope to have next year, the size of the seminar crowds won't really make much difference. Regardless, everyone can get individual attention. It's really just a matter of asking! The notion that a large turn-out somehow negates any sense of comraderie or ability to receive individual attention has been solidly disproved at both the previous events in Charlotte.

The type website hits you mention are all welcome, although they probably won't have much overall effect on the attendence. But we won't turn them down - a few here and a few there add up over time and I don't think there's any question that we'll have a record attendence again this year. I doubt such a large crowd will have any true negative effect on the event. It'll only make it more popular and even more manufacturers and dealers will want to attend next year. I really doubt you'll be disappointed.

The bottom line, is that many of the companies and many of the rod building personalities that you'll see at this show, just don't turn up at smaller events. They can't afford to.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2006 01:28PM by Tom Kirkman.

The exponential growth of the Charlotte event in the three years since its exception is a true wonder. To make a show such as this a total success the fishermen, builders and suppliers all need to have their needs met. It has been a success! There has been no doubt that both sides of this swinging door are getting their hinges adequately oiled. As this thing matures and the numbers of attendees and suppliers continue to increase it may be necesssary to think things like extended hours or adding another day. If the Show had an all nighter I wonder what Andy's price for the "Blanks in the Can" would be? The funny thing about all this is that I don't think anyone has determined as yet what the final growth potential for this Show will or can be! The growth of this show can be attributed to excellent contents, thoughtful promotion and a lot of hard work by the guy with the initials TK.

Gon Fishn

Individual "personalized" instruction is easy to come by around every corner in Charlotte. You just ask and you receive. Another plus of a larger event is that by having MORE rod builders you also have access to MORE information and MORE knowledge than at smaller events where only a handful of builders may be very knowledgeble. Everybody I talked to or questions from last year was more than happy to help. One guy even took me back to the rod building casting area and gave me some casting tips!!! Spent 20 minutes with me.

The seminars are great and easy to follow. If you have a question. Just ask! The fellowship at this show can't be beat!

We may move to a three day show next year, or at the very least extend the hours into the early evening.

I have some idea how big it could get, but we haven't reached that point just yet. And, there are some other avenues this show could also serve. Planning for the 2007 event is already under way.

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Don't know about the numbers. Only know it's the greatest show on earth! apologies to PT barnum.