It occurred to me today from a few posts I replied to that the billiards industry does not seem to do any commercials on tv. Is there a reason they don't? Advertising on network television might be way too cost prohibitive but what about local channels or cable channels? Brunswick used to have commercials a long time ago. What happened? It would be a great thing if we could get manufacturers to start pushing their products to the general public instead of just what they see as niche market. You see ads on the web and in specialized magazines occasionally but that is all.
Why don't we see commercials for pool tables and supplies?
- Thread starter Kevin3824
- Start date
To make money you need to spend money, and apparently the rate of return on advertising on those venues (broadcast TV, cable, and local) doesn't make it worthwhile.
Manufacturers, and others in the industry do get together to showcase their products to the public. That event is called Super Billiards Expo, hosted near Philadelphia, and its open to the public.
In order for pool to grow, you need customers who are willing to spend money to sustain the culture. All too often I see people complain about the price their local pool hall charge for bottle water, but don't bat an eyelash on $5 for a pumpkin spiced frappuccino from the outside.
Manufacturers, and others in the industry do get together to showcase their products to the public. That event is called Super Billiards Expo, hosted near Philadelphia, and its open to the public.
In order for pool to grow, you need customers who are willing to spend money to sustain the culture. All too often I see people complain about the price their local pool hall charge for bottle water, but don't bat an eyelash on $5 for a pumpkin spiced frappuccino from the outside.
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bingo.....same reason you don't see commercials anymore for pianos and organs....
It seems to me that i have sen commercials for Calloway Golf clubs. I have also seen commercials for Monday night football. Even if TV was too expensive what about web commercials as I have seen online for businesses as small as individual pool halls. Or even advertising on the am/fm radio stations. I hear many local businesses advertise so why can't an international manufacturer afford to do it? What about newspapers even it just seems the manufacturers make the products are not advertising them to the general public. The earlier reply mentioning the expo is far more like a taps / apa tourney with sponsors showcasing their products a few days a year. Brunswick used to promote their products but not lately yet they now sell their products at sears and kmart even thou the GC5 has been out for years they still retail at about 10k when you can get a Diamond Pro Am for thousands less. There is also a huge window of markup between the cost to make a GC and the amount you will pay to get it working right in your home. If table and accessory manufacturers advertised more it would generate more interest.
Did you just compare the revenue generated from Golf and the NFL with Pool? Brian.
The cost of commercials are expensive. Not enough return for the money spent. Pool is not a main stream sport (like golf) so there would most likely be very little interest from the general public.
Assuming they had the budget, This would make sense. Rule #7 of marketing is to go where your customers are. If I were advising a pool related company I would recommend creating a combination video ad/manifesto that could be multi-purposed for web, banner ads, cable and other non-traditional marketing channels.
The reason companies fund the cost of producing a TV commercial and airing it is because it makes economic sense i.e. it pays off. The target population of pool players (that's people who spend money on equipment, not the number of people who would respond to the survey question: Do you play pool more than once a year) is pretty small and simply doesn't justify the cost in most cases.
The logical avenue to make a return on such an investment, is to advertise like golf equipment makers do, primarily on telecasts of the sporting event in question. There is hardly any televised pool, certainly it's miniscule compared to golf, which is on network television virtually every weekend. Adding to that, a high percentage of golfers like to watch their game on TV. Generally speaking, even serious pool players do not care to watch pool on TV. It would make little sense for a billiard company to advertise outside the game, like on network prime time programming, because it's too much money to reach too small a target. Simply inefficient.
The fact of the matter (meaning my opinion, lol) is that as a group pool players are a bunch of nits that don't spend money compared to say, those who play golf. That's why in addition to Callaway and Titleist, advertisers such as Mercedes and Pacific Life flock to advertise on golf telecasts. Add to that pool is not perceived as technology sensitive like golf, where many people run out to buy the latest driver every time one comes out. And the few pieces of equipment that aren't durable goods, like chalk and tips, are cheap.
The logical avenue to make a return on such an investment, is to advertise like golf equipment makers do, primarily on telecasts of the sporting event in question. There is hardly any televised pool, certainly it's miniscule compared to golf, which is on network television virtually every weekend. Adding to that, a high percentage of golfers like to watch their game on TV. Generally speaking, even serious pool players do not care to watch pool on TV. It would make little sense for a billiard company to advertise outside the game, like on network prime time programming, because it's too much money to reach too small a target. Simply inefficient.
The fact of the matter (meaning my opinion, lol) is that as a group pool players are a bunch of nits that don't spend money compared to say, those who play golf. That's why in addition to Callaway and Titleist, advertisers such as Mercedes and Pacific Life flock to advertise on golf telecasts. Add to that pool is not perceived as technology sensitive like golf, where many people run out to buy the latest driver every time one comes out. And the few pieces of equipment that aren't durable goods, like chalk and tips, are cheap.
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Do you really think that a company like Brunswick has not done the math already?
I personally think that Brunswick got tired of supporting the industry of pool as well as Bowling when video game systems became popular. I also think that in our society the average person is on or within 50 feet of a pool table far more often then they are a gol course. It seems to me there are far more bars that contain pool tables in this country then golf courses. From the responses here it seems that none of the billiard supply manufacturers promote their product to new customers other then through conventions or sponsorship's.
I think that unless something changes and the sport gets more advertising it will fade away probably within this generation. There are teenagers out there that have never even heard of pool.
Banks
Banned
It's not fading any time soon.
I've been offering advertising right in front of customers on the tables, in bars, in front of casual, league and tournament players among others. So far, I've had luck with npr companies. Pool companies have thus far been a waste of time. It could be they want even more than i currently offer, but by then im not sure they could afford the rates. Advertise on tv? Not gonna happen.
There were two huge booms in pool in the mid and late 20th century.
Neither had anything to with advertising.
Dale