Thread: TV: Gearhead show phenomenon

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Well TC there's probably good news/bad news. What you're contemplating is no different than any other prospective business person/entrepreneur. Projecting market need, number of current suppliers, availability of raw material, and what it takes to keep up with evolving market demands. That last point is the key to long term (whatever that means) survival, and is what normally "kills" a good number of businesses. I offer Polaroid as a classic example. At one point in time they represented a unique product that swept the marketplace. Eventually a different product came along to displace it (digital cameras) that offered many of the same benefits, plus many more. Polaroid is now nearly extinct because they didn't evolve sufficiently. BTW, for those that lament the turnover of jobs in various industries, this is a microcosm of what goes on in our economy all the time, it's just that in election years this dynamic is politicized to complete distortion. I digress.

The gearhead shows are an interesting phenomenon. We have a wealth of choices now. Speed Channel has just released at least four more shows that have a similar format. Not all aim at rods, but do target enthusiasts of various stripes. This is one of the benefits of cable TV. As many have pointed out in other threads we've had on this, these shows are a better choice for us than a lot of the pap the networks offer up. But I think that our thoughts on it building a large base of new enthusiasts is ill founded. It's similar to the mistake of most advertising. Ad firms sell their advertising content, and marketing media (radio, TV, print ads, etc.) based on view count..............not on actual sales. It's assumed that the more views the more sales. A real shotgun approach. Sure, some extra sales will be made if there is a major blast, even a dead fish will go downstream, but will it be cost effective while stimulating additional consumers. Likewise in measuring the growth of vehicle modification based on total viewership for these shows. I would suggest that the viewership is a lot like the crowds at a local car show, especially an outdoor, no entry fee, venue. A lot of those people have a passing interest in the cars. They admire the glitze, or the style, or perhaps the promise of outrageous performance. It may tickle some of their fantasies, but it's pretty unlikely that they will be stimulated to acting on those fantasies. Yes, some small percentage of them will be moved to participate, but not a number near as large as the attendance whole.

Now, I'm not trying to be totally negative here. Your stated objective could "easily" succeed, especially within a 10-15 year horizon. Particularly if you pay attention to electronic management systems. But it will take your marketing whatever you're doing effectively. Potential customers will need to be aware of you and what you do. You'll need to convince them you do it better than your competitors. And, if you want to be profitable, you'll need to convince the customers of the VALUE of your product, not just price competiveness (again, a point missed by most businesses). If you choose to bridge the market, i.e. Ford V8s, and rice shooters, that will take two distinct marketing streams (Edelbrock for instance is doing just this). The logistics of what your product/service is/are is the easy part. Marketing it effectively is the challenge.