Patter coverage and promotion. - Take the challenge

[Keith Black]

Those are very good points Eric. In the business world companies don't just sit around waiting for the press to come do stories on them, they have PR departments whose mission statement is to get the company noticed. Does the NSRCA have a sub-committee or officer that is dedicated to PR? If not that would be something to consider. 

And speaking of drawing more participation to pattern, Jim Oddino was right on the money last week regarding ARFs. Has no-one noticed the recent explosion in the RC hobby? What is this attributed to? Could it be that everyone is suddenly bored with the Internet? No! ARFs are driving this because they open the door for the masses to fly RC planes without the time commitment or skills needed to build a model!! If pattern is going to grow dramatically we MUST have plenty of affordable ARFs because we will never have a huge run on builders that suddenly become interested in pattern (all those guys migrate toward scale). Why do you think you see so many Focus pattern planes around? Cheap and easy. And by the way, did any of the top three guys from the team trials physically built their own plane? 

When I go to the flying field with my gorgeous new Aries (that took me 8 months to build), I always have people come up and admire the plane and ask questions. Quite often they'll make statements like "I'd really like to try pattern, but it I don't have enough ______". Usually that blank is filled in with "time to build" or "money". Are they just blowing smoke? Some may be, but those who are serious can easily be turned off if I tell them they can have a nice plane just like mine and it only took me eight months to build it. 

Does this mean that everyone should stop building? Of course not, but if every guy that played football had to sew his own uniform and pads together and mold his own helmet there would definitely be a lot fewer football players.

What's the solution to promoting ANY product or activity? 
1. Good PR to get the word out and make the product appealing. 
2. Low barrier of entry.

This is true for everything from AOL, to buying a car with no interest and nothing down, to picking up that new Sport Flier ARF. And yes, it also applies to Pattern. 

Keith Black
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Henderson,Eric 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 10:12 AM
  Subject: Patter coverage and promotion. - Take the challenge


   I think we are way beyond the "If you build it and will come" stage. The NSRCA tends to dwell and focus upon specifications, rules and regulations.

  What's in a name?? NSRCA - NATIONAL SOCIETY for RADIO CONTROL AEROBATICS. It does not say ruling body, it does not say marketing agent, it does not really say what the purpose of the society really is.

  This is what the bylaws say : 
  ARTICLE III - OBJECT AND PURPOSE OF SOCIETY.Section 1 - Object

  The objective of this society shall be to promote the construction and competitive flying of radio controlled aerobatic model airplanes. To aid, insofar as possible, the Academy of Model Aeronautics and other AMA activities, to further the advancement of model aircraft aerobatics in all of its phases.


  Section 2 - Purpose of the Society

  a. Act as a focal point for rules development and progression. Gather intelligence from the AMA precision aerobatics community to provide the basis for AMA rules change proposals 

  b. Promote precision aerobatics in the general R/C community by providing leadership in all of the objectives of the society. .

  c. Enhance model precision aerobatics as a recognized sport.

  d. Develop and provide high standards in judging for competitions and provide qualifications and achievement recognition for judges.


   Most of the mission is about promotion and growth. If we are honest with ourselves we probably think about promotion but act most on regulation.

  The discussion on coverage made me think a lot about how the society works with columnists. We were not very good in the Allison days. We never send anything to Dean Pappas - Flying Models, Jim Oddino - RCM (the nearest we have to a pattern pundit in that mag) has to scavenge from places like this list. We have nothing in MAN. 

  My bridge only exists because I had a dual role for a few years. Now the NSRCA is a "dry well" as far as anything that is sent to me about pattern. This list is a good source and I use it, but it is not an"official" channel to any columnist. Do I get upset when the NSRCA complains about the AMA not publishing and covering events? You betcha!. It is one of those JFK moments,  "Ask not what the AMA can do for you, ask what you can do for it!" You are members of a society, (actually both the AMA and the NSRCA)  that should be leading the charge. You are all the solution !!!!!!!!!!!! 

  I hear the cry, far too often, that the AMA takes no interest. Guys you have it backwards. We need to bombard the "THEM" with what we are doing, how we are doing it etc. etc. We also need a much bigger approach to cable TV and other media, websites etc. A coordinated plan to capture the younger mind, the older mind that is ready, the mind looking for a challenge or some direction, needs to be built and put in place.

  (FYI - The MA columnist can write about almost anything pattern related and gets first refusal at covering the Nationals)

  You might not be aware but there are new positions in the NSRCA bylaws that some of you might like to volunteer for!

  Regards,


  Eric.

  Contact info.

  Eric Henderson
  AMA District-2 AVP - South Jersey
  Columnist - Model Aviation
  Precision Aerobatics.
  303 Shady Lane 
  Marlton
  NJ 08053
  (856)988-9184 Home.
  (856)764-4564 Work.
  (609)410-3194 Cell














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