Awareness is good. So I suppose trailer stickers are ok. But I
have the sinking feeling, that like most things the SSA does, they
won't do any good, and are more designed to justify the SSA staff
and fill up some space in soaring magazine. If I saw a big trailer
with a sticker "lets go cave diving" it would not cause me to
contact my local cave diving club. I already know that cave diving
exists, and I don't care. I don't have the passion for it, like most
people feel about flying. The passion has to be there, and it won't
be magically created by trailer stickers or coffee mugs or
whatever. Those unfortunate people who do have the passion for
gliding.....they are destined to spend a lot of time and money, and
will already be bugging their parents, visiting airports, and on the
internet looking for local gliding clubs. We could tear off all the
trailer stickers, paint them in camouflage and string barbed wire
around the airport, and they'd still sneak in. All we can really do,
is make sure those new people can easily find us, and welcome
them when they come.


At 15:42 06 May 2012, Bob D wrote:
Hi, Bob DeLeon here=85creator of Let's Go Gliding. There is but
one
objective to the campaign: AWARENESS.

Our sport has resided way off the radar in comparison to the
other
recreational choices. So LGG is designed to elevate the
awareness of
this choice. This objective needs to look: exciting, adventurous,
challenging, and the opportunity to be involved with a great
group of
people who love the sport. That's why I made the choices in how
it's
designed and what it says. That was the creative brief driving
the
imagery and words.

Yea, it would have been fun to have imagery like the Cool Hand
Luke
scene previously described. But that would have been dis-
ingeniune to
what soaring really is. It would be a "hook" that once swallowed
would
have cut off a lot of support (female) and been regarded as fake
to
those who are the target audience.

AWARENESS of this sport--and what it offers-- is the key. The
more
people see the campaign, the more they'll sense that the guy
sporting
the bumper sticker or showing the brochure will be a source to
get
their questions answered. And if not a person, then the web
address
(LetsGoGliding.com) will be the other source to influence their
thinking and impressions.

It's not likely that in the next two years we'll see a growth in the
sport that will be ascending, but if worked enthusiastically by
those
who fly gliders, with the SSA's backing, we can arrest the
descent of
declining numbers and hold the line on those flying. Adding in
numbers
right now is that objective. Otherwise, the sport will slide into a
category that will effect manufacturers of gliders and glider
equipment, the ability of some clubs to remain active, and the
value
of your used glider. Trust me: no business or entity wants
decline.
You want some kind of growth. And getting active with a
supported
marketing campaign that puts a "cool" and inviting spotlight on
the
sport is the answer.

And as previously stated, this campaign is going to need
unbridled
support from the soaring community. With this year's World
Gliding
Championship being held in the U.S. we have a superb chance to
arrest
the descent of glider pilot numbers in the U.S.