Dive Center Business Features Article Supporting DEMA Store-Level Research Program

** AnySite Consumer Data Program Highlighted Throughout Article**

DEMA is pleased to announce that the March/April 2014 edition of Dive Center Business magazine has highlighted the benefits of DEMA Members using the AnySite Marketing Information System from Pitney Bowes, along with the MicroBuild Life Stage market segmentation system.

This marketing information system is designed to assist retailers in understanding the customers living near their stores and also benefits them by providing a method to reach new customers. The state-of-the-art system is the same tool used by retailers, hotels and restaurants all over the world to find new customers and evaluate customers living near their business locations. AnySite is available to all DEMA Members, making it possible for Members to locate and understand potential customers living near their operation.

“It’s no secret that new divers are the lifeblood of our Industry and creating more new divers is one of the critical tasks of a dive center owner and manager,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “By utilizing the AnySite Marketing Information System, DEMA Members will have access to a sophisticated but inexpensive and an easy-to-use system of evaluating their current retail store location, and finding more potential customers living nearby.”

DEMA’s colorful dive infographic posters that are based on information produced by AnySite on the Industry are also showcased throughout the article and featured as the magazine’s cover artwork.  There are five key infographics, which provide information on (1) Who is the Open Water Diver, (2) Who is the Diver Buying Equipment (hard goods), (3) Who is the Continuing Education Diver, (4) Who is the Diver Traveling to a Land-Based Resort, and (5) Who is the Diver on a Liveaboard Boat.  These infographics are available online at www.dema.org.

 “AnySite provides objective insights into today’s diving customer and more importantly, describes their buying behaviors, attitudes and beliefs as well as their demographics,” concluded Ingram. “DEMA Retail Store Members can now request a free evaluation of their store’s location, including an objective evaluation of the customers living nearby, based on specific criteria.”

To read the DEMA article in its entirety click here.

Dive Twerking, Celeb Endorsements, Customer Research, & Other Ideas Emerge From 2020 Vision Session

** DEMA Hosts 2020 Vision Session in Affiliation with the Beneath the Sea Show to Continue Gathering Recommendations for the Future of the Diving Industry**

How can we re-activate previously certified divers? What are the demographics of people who currently dive?  What does the industry have to do to bring young people into diving?  These are just a few of the question that were addressed during DEMA’s latest 2020 Vision brainstorming session, conducted during the Beneath the Sea Show in New Jersey. 

Conceived in 2011 as a means by which DEMA Member input could help steer the direction of the Industry, 2020 Vision Sessions are part of the strategic planning process used by DEMA’s Board of Directors.  Ideas and priorities from these brainstorming sessions help the Board understand the needs of Industry Members “on the ground” and help to shape the future of recreational diving.  At the most recent 2020 Vision Session, held in affiliation with Beneath the Sea, participants focused specifically on two topics: how to reactivate previously certified divers and bring young people into diving.

For those already certified divers who have not been diving recently, participants thought it was important to focus on the following key factors to entice these customers, already interested in and familiar with diving, to start diving again:

• Make it social and fun, and use social media, viral videos, celebrity endorsements, and local dive parties
• Since many divers take a hiatus to have families and are more available as their kids get older, focus on family connections and the health and wellness benefits of diving
• Highlight all the equipment and technology improvements and the ease of diving today
• Encourage a variety of eco-based activities, like local beach clean-ups or coral restorations

With data indicating potential for Industry growth by reaching possible divers in the age range of 11-17 years old, there was also a focus on developing ways to bring young people into diving. Ideas for reaching a young audience included:

• More advertising aimed at this 11-17 year old age range
• The use of mentor / guest lecturer programs within schools or youth groups
• Make diving look fresh, fun and exciting, focusing on the fun people have in the water and as a fun social experience
• Use celebrity kid-divers as role models
• Find ways to share diving as a family activity
• Integrate Open Water Scuba courses and some of the science and physical aspects of diving into public and private school curricula (e.g.: teach marine biology and physics using diving examples)
• Use social media to promote and engage kids with the diving culture and lifestyle
• Leverage viral trends to promote awareness and captivate attention (e.g. “dive twerking”)

DEMA encourages all Industry professionals to review the brainstorming notes from this session and develop their own thoughts to share with us:

• At the upcoming 2020 Vision Session being held at The Scuba Show in Long Beach, CA (details coming soon)
• By emailing us at 2020vision@dema.org

If you have any questions regarding DEMA 2020 Vision Sessions please contact us at 2020vision@dema.org or (858) 616-6408.

DEMA Hires Strategic Planning Professional to Help Guide the Future of the Association

**DEMA Board of Directors, Members and Industry Professionals will Work Together to Determine Future Goals **

Where do you see the Diving Industry in 20 years?  What is DEMA’s role in the future?  What do you want from your Industry Association?  These are questions that DEMA has asked often with a wide variety of answers from each of its five stakeholder groups.  It’s for this reason, and numerous others, that the DEMA Board has chosen to work with strategic planning professional, Jeff DeCagna, Chief Strategist of Principled Innovation LLC to help guide the Association into the future.

 

In 2011, DEMA began the process of “strategic learning,” by opening the 2020 Vision sessions at DEMA Show, Beneath the Sea and the Long Beach Scuba Show.  With input from a wide variety of industry stakeholders, the DEMA Board began implementing ideas raised in these sessions, including access to health insurance and programs promoting local diving.  In February of 2013, in preparation for the first face-to-face strategic learning opportunity in several years, the DEMA  Board began evaluating the Association and its programs in preparation for a strategic planning process that began earlier this year.  Under the guidance of DeCagna, DEMA collected data and industry feedback.  Now in 2014, additional feedback has been collected under the guidance of DeCagna using three different methodologies; targeted group phone conversations, an online data collector that is currently underway and a face-to-face strategic learning workshop that will be held in April in San Diego.

 

DEMA would like to thank all of those industry professionals that are working with DEMA in this process to help better our industry and Association.  We look forward to sharing information and progressing to help improve the industry overall.

 

If you have any questions about the planning process please contact us at info@dema.org.