In article ,
"Frank Dresser" wrote:

"-=jd=-" wrote in message
...


Too true. Poor marketing can also doom an *excellent* product that
may have been a big hit.

Although my example isn't radio related, it serves as a fair
example of the impact (or lack of impact) resulting from good
marketing. Allow me to moan the blues for a bit...

Bar-B-Que in this town is worse than "average", and for no good
reason. "Average" BBQ isn't difficult at all. "Good" BBQ isn't
really all that difficult. "OH-MY-GAWD!!!" BBQ may look easy, when
done by those who know what they are doing, but is not as easy as
it looks.

A guy opened a small BBQ restaurant that was *behind* a local
Italian restaurant. He had a couple of big problems - his
establishment wasn't out front where you could see it, and he
wasn't allowed to put a sign up on the street-side of the building.

His BBQ was incredibly good. You could shake (just once) the big,
meaty ribs he cooked and the meat would just fall off the bone onto
your plate. He made his own sauces (three different styles) and all
were outstanding. His prices were about 5% to 10% less than the
other BBQ places in town. His restaurant was clean, neat and the
service was great.

He was in business for 6 months before he had to cut his losses and
run. Why? Not that many people even knew he was open for business
and he held the opinion that (quote) "paid advertising is
over-rated"...

Most everyone has a "benchmark" restaurant for whatever. The best
steak you ever had; best breakfast; best dessert; etc. This guy was
my benchmark for great ribs. And, for lack of a bit of marketing,
he's out of business...

There's one comparison which comes to mind. The BBQ joint generated
interest among BBQ enthusiasts, but that interest didn't translate to
a broader interest among the general restaurant consumers. Good
marketing would certainly have helped.

DRM doesn't seem to have much interest even among radio enthusiasts,
if the responses on this forum are any indication. Expecting DRM to
generate interest in shortwave radio among casual radio listeners
looks like somebody's pipe dream.



DRM may or may not be a (good, better, best) broadcasting service.
But without a decent marketing plan, it would be pure luck for
*any* product to succeed (IMHO).

-=jd=-


Monopolies in vital services don't need marketing. Marketing becomes
increasingly important as the markets become more competitive.

DRM has the monopoly on shortwave digital modulation for
international broadcasting. If people want digital SW broadcasting,
DRM is the only game in town.

So, what's the best way to market digital SW radio? With a gimmicky
name? If the DRM wizards asked me, I'd suggest they need to develop a
low cost, easy to use, long battery life portable radio. I don't
know if such a radio is possible.

Or the old line international broadcasters could broadcast programs
which the casual radio listener would want to listen to. But, since
the Cold War and colonial era have both faded away, I don't know if
that's possible, either.

If Alex Jones and the Prophet of God go to DRM, I'll be right there
with them.

They have taken their shot at marketing and blew it big time. They came
out and presented DRM as an open system, which it is not. They state
that it will sound better in the same bandwidth, which it can not. They
state that it can stay in the current channel assignments but does not
spreading out beyond + / - 5KHz.

DRM = Deception Radio Mondiale

It is just a different system with some pluses on one side and
drawbacks on the other side of "better than the current analog system."

For digital to be unquestionably better it would take another approach
than DRM, which would use digital signals to better adapt to the
resultant distortions HF of propagation.

Newer and different does not equate to better.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California