Every product has a product life cycle. Usually this appears like a bell shaped curve. Unchanged the product travels the curve at different rates from other products but still has an introduction period where leaders / innovators participate first, a time of very rapid growth when the followers / masses come and use, a peak when very little growth occurs (basically, you've got what you're going to get), and a declining period as the leaders / innovators move on to the "next" product (in the category usually), then a period of rapid decline as the followers simply follow the innovators / leaders to the "next" thing, then a long tail declining to nothing as the product simply dies a slow death unable to sustain itself any further until all doors are closed and everyone goes home.

Now, where would you say S/D is?

1950's - leaders /innovators gathering
1960's - followers gathering
1970's - peaking @ 1976 National Convention (biggest ever)
1980's - start of noticeable decline / leaders moving out
1990's - followers leaving / left -- tailing to demise Is there no hope?

Depends -- WSD as we know it is soon dead, closing it's doors and all going home. We are witnessing this migration currently as callers quit / die and clubs fold / combine or simply disappear. Therefore, evidence that MWSD is soon no longer for this world (as we have known / structured it).

The important revelation to note is:
ALTER THE PRODUCT AND YOU BEGIN A NEW PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE.

This is exactly why you see the all new XX with bleach, the better than ever XX with flavor crystals, the bigger, bolder, brighter, whiter, fluffier, hereto unheard of, radical, phenomenal, stupendous, surprisingly delightful new XX. Alter the product (even slightly but perceived as new / different / exciting) and you begin a new product life cycle. Get it?

Now, what can / should we do to make MWSD new / reinvented??

The first thing to remember, if you are going to keep all the same "players" (i.e.- callers / dancers /clubs) then you need to change something(s) that don't automatically void their efforts while allowing for a major mindset shift for the non-dancing / targeted consumer public.

Is there some thing(s) that could be altered quickly / dramatically and then quickly alter the impression the non-dancing public has of S/D?

Let's take clothing as one issue.

Altering of the typical / normal WSD attire could:
A- Draw the attention of the typical non-dancer quickly (given some PR and Demo work by all) Yet, this could prove to be a major positive issue to the non-dancer (oh, normal people.. no longer "those people in funny clothes") Therefore, the entire activity becomes much more "relatable" (hum, yes, I could do that) when seen in advertisements, in person at demo's, etc.

B- This would also eliminate another factor in why we lose graduates from class to club transition. The "feel" and the "environment" changes dramatically from "casual" to "those funny clothes".

C- The issue remains very important to many dancers / callers within the activity. So, how do we address this issue with them without simply negating their opinions completely and beginning a "war" within the activity that would further serve to "kill" the activity?

We could introduce the "casual attire" focus while still approving of the "heritage clothing" for others. Thus, the callers / dancers / clubs may choose their preference while not being an "enemy" of the other.

What does "Casual Attire" look like?

Well, this brings us to an entirely new opportunity --- How do we view / perceive this "new, contemporary S/D"? And, even more importantly, what would the non-dancing public "buy"?

According to Ms.Faith Popcorn and other trend watchers / forecasters, the trend is definitely towards "casual" for many years to come. Now, our definition of "Casual Attire" and the non-dancers definition of "casual" need to mesh as closely as possible to achieve maximum potential interest in the activity. The non-dancing public's definition of "casual" ranges from active wear and t-shirts to polo shirts and jeans.

Can we find a happy medium?

I would suggest that we approach our definition of "Casual Attire" as a marketer / packager, that is, with an eye toward what is acceptable / accepted elsewhere... for instance, think sports, universities, teams, Nascar, bowling, other dance entities like clogging, country western, swing, etc. -- Thus, t-shirts, polo's, jeans, active wear.. all allow for imprinting of team logo's and designer lines. The same could be instituted for WSD with club shirts/ caller lines of clothes / etc.

1- It would / could be acceptable to clubs / callers within the activity.
2- It would be a major "new" factor to non-dancers.
3- It would be a definite PR focus to generate coverage.
4- It would be something we could all rally around in presenting a consistent, focused face to the world in 2000 and beyond.
5- It would be socially acceptable to all age groups /demo's / psychographic / geographic targeted segments.

Additionally, the current SD shops could still market "heritage clothes" along with the new "Casual Attire" SD lines that will rapidly sprout up.

Now, other "common ground" area's must be identified and acted upon in similar win-win manners.

For instance, the teaching of a year's worth of lessons is a major commitment issue with non-dancers. They really want to come somewhere between 3 and 10 lessons (the fewer the better) and then Go Dancing! Remember, this is the world of instant gratification -- they don't want to go to college to learn SD.

We need a place where the non-dancer learns what they "expect" to learn and maybe a little more, then they are on the floor as "regular dancers", not someone that is unacceptable because they don't fit some particular level criteria.

Let's say we took:
Circles R&L Thru Run Pass/Center Allemande Square Thru Trade Trade By Do-Si-Do Ocean Wave Circulate Alamo Swing Swing Thru Wheel & Deal Flutter Wheel Promenade Spin/Top Sweep 1/4 Ferris Wheel Slide Thru Bend/Line Touch 1/4 Lead r/l..circle/line and called it "Regular Square Dancing".

Now, in a few quick lessons (3 lessons or so at 2 hours to 10 lessons at 45 minutes each -- longer lessons for busy schedules like business people or school kids versus longer lessons for seniors and others with greater time availability in their schedules) and bingo! "Regular Dancers" doing "Regular Square Dancing"-- they feel good, they "fit" the "regular" mold, and realize there may be more available to them like there are other levels of gas octane or choices in coffee.

What does this accomplish?

A- The vocabulary of "Regular Square Dancing" is something simple, easy for all to understand, and thus, removes all level / vocabulary issues.

B- It gives the non-dancer what they "expect" of square dancing (swing, promenade, left allemande, do-si-do..) plus a little bit more.

C- It allows current callers ample latitude to call interesting choreography / formations without blowing the newbies off the floor.

D- It allows for quick "instant gratification" lessons structured into easy to swallow bite-sized pieces.. without demanding a year's time commitment of their life.

E- It makes for greater ease of entrance into the activity. 3 to 10 lessons and you're in! You don't have to remember much and it's not like learning a foreign language.

F- It is immediately age appropriate to all demographic / psychographic / geographic groups / segments.

G- Most importantly, PR/Media can grasp quickly and easily the changes, summarize quickly into a great news story, and allows news anchors, for example, to be on the floor and dancing within :30 seconds. KISS.

H- Many social clubs are not doing much more than that now, thus, it doesn't reject them but encourages a "new" attitude for and within the activity.

I- Plus clubs can still be Plus and that's OK. (no "war" issues here)

Themes like: "You all can come Square Dancing -- We're having FUN!" "You all can come back now -- Square Dancing's having FUN!" (for non-dancers / former dancers)

Another important aspect of "Regular Square Dancing" would be the flexibility in scheduling. Time schedules could now be altered / encouraged to change to gather more / different people to participate with new ease of entrance -- 3 to 10 lessons at 2:00pm is alot easier to garner people for than a year at 2:00pm given the mobility of the population (seniors going south, for example) and ease of booking locations, fit easily into school schedules, weather changes, and other factors affecting lifestyles.

Imagine, callers could have groups at 8:00am Saturday morning, 2:00pm weekdays, 5:30pm every Wednesday, 3:00pm Sundays, even 1:00am for shift workers, and still maintain calling schedules at "Heritage Clubs" without year long commitments trying the other times.

More versatility for non-dancers to enter equals more opportunities for callers to call / dancers to dance / and PR to market the activity! Lessons open nearly anytime, not just one short window of opportunity in the fall!

WE CATER TO NON-DANCER NEEDS / LIFESTYLES & THEY WILL COME!

Then what?

Now we have a "new, better, family fun activity that everyone can do in a matter of a few minutes"... That's when the $100K, $200K, $1M ad / pr campaign kicks in!

Considerations:
Obviously, the marketing materials we have now need to be radically updated to again stress the "new, casual, upgrades to our product"...

Plans can then be outlined and instituted to market to potential demographic / psychographic / geographic target groups... advertising can be bought... PR can be generated...

BUT, a "new, consistent, focused face" can be presented to the non-dancing public! Moneys can be well spent on a new product / new product lifecycle.

Corporations can then be included in a variety of ways, and, will want to be included, because this will be "the new...", "the hot...", "the happening place to be..."!!!

Imagine the activity we could be If we just refocus, retool, reinvent what we are and then, become better marketers of our product than consumers of our product! (We must renew continually for them, not for us within)

--bio--
Mr. Powell has two Bachelor degrees - one in Marketing the other in Business Management. He is available via phone or in person for consultations, seminars, etc. He is included in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World, among others. He has also won awards for his advertising work including a national award from Suzuki of America and others.

Eddie Powell, CEO - Group X, Inc. Marketing Services
PO Box 65, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-0065
614-755-9565 SqDncMan@aol.com

This article may be reprinted with no further permission from the authors and/or publications. Permission has been granted in advance for the reprinting with the stipulation that credit be given to the contributing author/publisher.

Square Dance Articles