Archive for October, 2005
The FAA 2005-2016 Aerospace Forecasts for FY 2005-2016 predicts that there will be 15,410 registered light sport aircraft by 2016. However, approximately 10,000 of the total will be due to the registration of existing ultralight aircraft. The report goes on to project roughly 300 to 500 newly manufactured light sport aircraft to enter the fleet on an annual basis beginning in 2007.
Why is this number so low? In comparison, Cirrus has already delivered 447 airplanes year-to-date. Can’t the sport aviation industry do better?
Yes. I believe the sport aviation industry can leave the FAA sales prediction in the dust. Hopefully the industry believes that as well. However, a fundamental shift in approach is desperately needed.
The real potential for sport pilot lies in expanding the market. How many times, when discussing aviation with someone, have they said “I always wanted to learn how to fly but I never had the…” and insert either TIME or MONEY. The requirements for sport pilot, in essence, cut both the cost and the time in half. No more excuses. We need to reach out to that segment and pull them in. Now is the time.
Currently, nearly all marketing efforts by the sport aviation industry are geared for pilots. As I’ve said in earlier posts, we need to reach out beyond the current market to pull in the potential market. The companies that successfully accomplish that are the ones that will truly benefit from the sport pilot rule.
[tags]Aviation Marketing, Online Marketing, Light Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot, Cirrus [/tags]
October 25th, 2005
The sport pilot rule is simply a framework. Whether or not it is successful, whether or not general aviation grows, whether or not any of the 15 currently certified SLSA aircraft ever sell, is completely dependent on how sport aviation businesses approach the market.
We recently clicked around the websites of the fifteen certified SLSA aircraft. What we found was that the websites focus on aircraft features, specs, production issues and certification status. This approach makes perfect sense if the target audience is current pilots and other manufacturers or distributors. However, for someone who has always had the desire to fly, but isn’t already a pilot, these things don’t matter much. And in terms of the larger goal of capturing a new market, this isn’t going to accomplish much at all.
For example, take a look at the StingSport site. That is a beautiful airplane and the view must be absolutely stunning! Currently, the messaging on the StingSport site is optimized for an insider audience. The first paragraph is all about distribution and the risk of flying. The second paragraph describes compliance with LSA ASTM standards. The third paragraph is about certification and production. The fourth paragraph is about the ESLA market, maintenance and bi-annuals. It’s not until the fifth paragraph that the incredible canopy and resulting view is mentioned.
Perhaps this is intentional. Perhaps Sportair USA is targeting current pilots. If so, the copy may work well. However, if the intent is to capture a new audience and grow the market, the emphasis should be changed. In that case, it’s the view out of that amazing canopy that will capture the imagination of someone that is dreaming about becoming a pilot. That is the potential that the sport pilot rule has given us.
Nike and Reebok sell shoes by making you believe you’ll be able to run faster, jump higher, or win the Tour de France. They don’t approach the market with the durometer of the rubber soles or a count of the eyelets on each shoe. They are selling an idea as much as a product. The same is true of Starbucks coffee, Ford trucks and Apple iPods. The sport aviation industry needs to begin thinking in those terms
It’s not just Sportair USA. It’s all the SLA manufacturers. And it’s not just the aircraft manufacturers. It’s the engine and avionics manufacturers. It’s the parts and tools manufacturers. It’s the pilot supplies and training providers as well.
Current marketing efforts in sport aviation are pilots talking to pilots and manufacturers talking to manufacturers. This approach will likely result in a few converted ultralight pilots and planes but probably not much more. The real potential of sport pilot will go unrealized.
Aviation is powerful. It’s exciting, challenging, rewarding, therapeutic, fun, breathtaking, electrifying, overwhelming, spine-tingling, intriguing, awe-inspiring, impressive, thrilling, dynamic, powerful and a thousand other adjectives - all positive.
Further, pilots are knowledgeable, interesting, captivating, compelling, histrionic, responsive, fascinating, passionate, spontaneous and a thousand other adjectives - all positive.
It’s time to capture the imagination of the thousands of individuals who want to fly but don’t think they can. We need to stop talking to ourselves and capture the attention of those who have wanted to fly since they were little kids. That is how sport pilot will succeed.
[tags]Sport Pilot, Light Sport Aircraft, LSA, Blue Ocean Strategy[/tags]
October 18th, 2005
Aero-News.net has a story today about the success of Seawind. With certification of the 300C nearly complete, Seawind has 46 orders, including sixteen orders placed during or shortly after Oshkosh. Wow.
In the article, Seawind President and CEO Dick Silva is quoted as saying, “Through our marketing efforts and attendance at aviation shows, we have added over seven hundred new enthusiasts and followers to our community.” What is interesting about that statement is that such prominent credit is given to the “community” that has grown around Seawind.
Anyone who has ever spent a night in the campground at Oshkosh understands how critical community is in the sport aviation industry. While Seawind is proud of the 46 orders (and rightly so), they are also very aware that 700 hundred new members have been added to the Seawind community. What I’m sure Seawind understands, that all other sport aviation businesses need to understand, is that the NEXT 46 orders are going to be from members of that community.
Beyond the campground at Oshkosh, the Internet is hands-down the best place to build community around a business or product. The proliferation of email groups related to aviation is evidence of this. When I ask around it is not uncommon for a homebuilder to subscribe to a half-dozen or more lists. Many production airplane owners subscribe to lists from multiple type clubs. There is a hunger for aviation-related online communities.
It is also worth noting that online community is beginning to extend beyond simple email groups. Due to the proliferation of spam there are exciting alternatives gaining prominence online everyday. As an example, there is tremendous opportunity in promoting community for sport aviation products through the use of Wikis. To learn more about this technology see the definition of “Wiki” on Wikipedia, the best example of the technology. Wikis present an incredible marketing opportunity in that they engage your customers (and potential customers), can be setup very quickly using low cost or free open source software, and are easy to maintain.
What is amazing (and surprising), is that sport aviation businesses are not leveraging the opportunities that exist in online communities. In our analysis of sport aviation industry websites, only 33 of the 179 websites analyzed offered more than static customer testimonials as part of their content. In terms of customer advocacy, the companies that succeed in the new sport pilot environment will have to do better.
Much more to come on this topic…
[tags]Sport Aviation, Aviation Marketing, Aviation Website, Online Community[/tags]
October 5th, 2005
Most of the pilots I know got into flying from either a family member, close friend or the military. When I ask around at the airport, I could count on one hand the number of pilots that said they got into flying just because they always wanted to.
For those simply interested in aviation, becoming a licensed pilot is a big jump. I think the reason is that it just seems impossible to those who aren’t exposed to it through their life experiences. When it comes to actually owning or building an airplane, the sense of impossibility seems to increase exponentially.
That’s why the Sonex approach to marketing has been so effective. All of their marketing materials reference the “Sonex reality check.” Right off Sonex instills a sense of belief in their potential customers that it can be done. The Sonex reality check is a bridge - converting a potential customer to a paying customer - by creating an emotional connection. It is a very effective approach that has contributed to the sale of nearly 1000 kits.
Tech specs for sport aviation products are also critical, but the industry as a whole needs to look beyond them. Strong marketing messages that resonate on a more emotional level, like the Sonex reality check, will differentiate the the leaders in the new sport pilot environment.
While that may sound simple, it is not. In fact, it is worth noting that according to their customers, Sonex truly delivers on their reality check. So, what is your company’s equivalent? What did you set out to deliver when you started your company and how can that be transformed into a message that will resonate with the more emotional side of your potential customers?
October 1st, 2005
