DrumEatDrum
Platinum Member
Hi guys, first time on the forum, I,ve been reading with interest. Re: endorsement marketing lies; having never considered it as important or at all I agree with what drumtechdad said. It's really up to the individual buying the equipment to be informed about the sound they want. Having admired lots of drummers for many years, never felt moved to purchase their brand.
Honestly, when a company grants an endorsement and puts that drummer in an add, they're not really planning on the public to buy that players exact set up or even anyone just buy their product JUST because so and so uses it.
What it does is create brand recognition and keeps that brand name in the eye of the buyers, and creates a certain level of trust that people understand that said brand is reliable.
Case in point, from any basic marketing class: Coke is biggest name in terms of global marketing for a soft drink. Coke could stop advertising, and people would still buy their product in droves. But they don't stop advertising, they continue to pour millions into advertising, even though they don't need to, because they want to KEEP their image over the long term.
Same thing with drums. Tama/Pear/DW whomever isn't really thinking thousands of people are going to buy a their kit just because Lars/Chambers/Peart/whomever uses them, but if you're looking at two products, and one is a brand name you know and recognize, and one isn't, you'll go with the name you've at least heard of before.
Ringo made Ludwig a household name. Pearl and Tama went from small obscure foreign brands to two of the biggest names in drums by getting name players to use their products. Ddrum went from a company who had never made an acoustic kit before to a brand many drummers now give serious consideration to when making a purchase by getting drummers with a high profile to use them. Meanwhile, dozens of small name brands have come and gone over the years without nearly as much success.
The endorsement game clearly works as a sales tool, or else companies wouldn't bother doing it.