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International Drum Month “Got Sticks?” campaign connects over 400 beginners directly to retailers

PMC launched its 15th consecutive International Drum Month campaign in November of 2010, focused on creating more drummers and driving them into retail stores. Through its national advertising campaign, a free Beginners Pack was offered, consisting of a pair of drumsticks and an educational instruction book with CD.

The 15th Annual IDM campaign was so big we brought tit back for 2011 with our updated Goy Sticks campaign. With all new ads that will run in trade and non trade publications we are excited about the current promotion that will bring new customers into retailers around the country and attention tot eh importance of playing drums and recession.

We are pleased to report that we received and processed over 400 qualified coupons for the 2010 IDM campaign, each requiring the consumer to obtain and attach a retail music store’s business card and receive a store validation signature. In many cases, we received personal letters with the coupons from parents, grandparents and Boys & Girls Clubs for example, thanking the PMC for providing this package to the hundreds of want-to-play people just needing this free incentive. We received coupons from every state in the U.S., as well as Canada.

The PMC reports that the requirement of attaching a music retailer’s business card made a definite connection for the merchant to start a brand-new customer relationship while the visitor was in the store for the very first time. Beginning in November through the end of the year, full-page advertisements targeting both consumers and retailers ran in all trade and consumer publications, both in and out of the music arena. The consumer coupons were in the actual print ads or downloaded from the PMC’s website www.playdrums.com

It was our intent for the music retailers that were approached by these first-time store visitors to use this new customer introduction to ignite interest in drums and drumming. Once the PMC got the new customer into the store, it was up to the music retailer to nurture the new business opportunity the PMC created for them.

A benefit to all PMCMembers will be access to each consumer’s contact information and dealer validation so that these new drummers can be added to each of our member’s data bases. That list was recently distributed. Please contact the PMC if you did not receive it.

A special THANK YOU to those members who provided the Beginner Pack components. This included instructional material from Hal Leonard Corp. and Alfred Publishing, and drum sticks provided by Pro-Mark, Vater, Los Cabos and Zildjian. Your generosity in supporting this industry-wide market development initiative is greatly appreciated.