In a message dated 3/25/2007 10:49:16 AM Central Daylight Time,
dezrat@copper.net writes:
As I understood the question, it was how to attract more hams to
contesting, not how to attract more people into ham radio.
It seems to me that Amateur Radio Contesting is getting to be way more like a
computer/internet game than it is (and was) a Radio Game.
For example:
Computer radio control
Computer keying (even .wav files)
Internet spotting
Computer deciphered CW
...Add your own stuff here.
The problem with computer games (I don't play them, but have in the distant
past) is that once you master the game - What's the point of playing it anymore?
With action games, over the internet, the big problem (it would seem to me)
is getting someone else to show up to play. Or at least getting someone else at
your level to show up.
If somehow Amateur Radio Contesting could be marketed as something like *The
Ultimate Computer Game* ---
Unlike the internet action games - A BUNCH of players show up.
Unlike computer games - You CAN'T master it.
Unlike those other games - You CAN WIN - but you CAN'T LOOSE.
Having never been in marketing it would seem, to me, that contesting as *The
Ultimate Computer Game* could be advertised over the Internet, or appropriate
venues, to a specific target "customer".
To be frank, I prefer to play it as a Radio Game with very limited computer
control, I don't even like the fact that contesting is becoming another
computer game and wish that the trend would reverse - but that's just me. I got
into
contesting while initially trying for WAS. Otherwise I really didn't know that
contesting even existed on a regular basis! Nor would I have if KE4OAR hadn't
sent me a QSL card telling me to check out TCG. Only then did I start
researching contesting... I had always thought of it as *The Big Gun's Have It
Out".
I had a TS-520 and didn't even know that I could play too. If I had seen *ads*
for contesting explaining that I could play with an HW-8, if that's all I
had, and have a bunch of fun, I would have been into it a long time ago. Radio
Contesting has to be advertised just like anyother "product", and it's just not
at present. Selling it as *The Ultimate Computer Game* might attract more
interest from the younger hams.
Any marketing gurus out there who would like to comment?
73, Don - K4BEV
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