The 11th Frame: Bowling industry poised to create $20 million annual marketing foundation, group says


https://www.11thframe.com/news/article/7531

Basically a group is attempting to unite all the Bowling companies and have them levy a surcharge (let's call it a "Bowling Tax") on all bowling products.

The money collected will be used to fund a "Bowling Marketing Foundation"

This bowling tax will be payed by the consumers (Bowlers) and proprietors that use their products.
(Of course the proprietors will just layoff the tax on the bowler by increasing lineage.)

They don't know what the percentage will be, but gave a example of say 5% (percent) or how the money would be used.

"The group has no interest in figuring out how to spend the money raised.", They'll leave that to someone else, “There’s people way smarter than us to figure out the best way to spend the money,” Johnson said"


And if a company doesn't want to participate in this, they'll shut them out and/or have the mfg. that are participating apply pressure on them to join the group.

"“The big concern we heard is, ‘What if one company doesn’t participate and suddenly a competitor’s prices are 5 percent cheaper?’ ” Stubler said.

The answer would be that any company not participating wouldn’t be able to take part in any of the group’s programs, he said.

And, added Johnson, there likely would be peer pressure to participate: “I think it’s a big negative if we’re promoting industry unity and one doesn’t get involved.”"

In answer to Strider's question, the RV industry generally regards the Go RVing promotional campaign as a major success.  When the economic downturn hit hard in early 2007, it was on the heels of a record sales year for new RVs in 2006.  When RV sales bottomed-out a couple of years later, total sales units had fallen to slightly less than 50% of sales in 2006.  Likewise, new boat sales mirrored that of the RV industry for the same period with sales also falling under 50% of the high water mark set in 2006.  Now, fast forward to 2014 -- RV sales have recovered to nearly 90% of what they were in 2006....but not the same is true for the boating industry which has enjoyed some small gains but is still only 65% of what it was in 2006.  Many credit the well managed and executed Go RVing campaign as largely responsible for the dramatic turnaround while some in the boating industry complain that the Discover Boating effort just hasn't produced the results they had hoped for and question whether the surcharge monies have been well spent.   

No matter what this fund does, there will be some who disagree with its intentions.  Bowlers can't agree on how to decide the handicap for a league with no prize fund yet we expect them to understand what it takes to "grow" the sport?

Depending on who the biggest contributor is to the fund, that is who will probably dictate how the money is spent.  If it is BPAA, then we can guess it will be similar to what has already been done.  If Storm is the biggest, then perhaps they will want more say.

Bowlers are just too cheap for this to be viewed positively.  Bowlers expect $20 of value from their $10 membership fee.  If this group gets $20 million, then bowlers will be pissed if they don't get $40 million in value.

That's what everyone wants in a bowling center.  The problem is longtime bowlers think your stealing from them and getting rich when it costs them more than $2.00 a game to provide it.

The bowling industry has had many promotional tries at bringing back bowlers over the last 23 years. It has been nothing more than a downward spiral. The alphabet soups of our bowling organizations ABC, BPAA, AJBC, WIBC, USBC and many others have all ever so desperately tried to throw money out for advertisement promotional gimmicks like Swansons frozen foods with a free game of bowling. Every body likes a free game. The promotion was a dismal failure. Yet every couple of years they try it again. Professional Wrestling Even had a try at getting bowlers back into the centers.
 There are so many reasons bowling is on downward slide in America. Property values on land many centers occupied became more valuable to lease owners. It was more profitable to triple a centers lease if it wanted to stay in business. If not it was time to bull doze it for strip malls and make tens times what the bowling center paid to occupy ground. Most of the real bowling alleys left in communities are owned by property owners who want to upgrade, keep up with new trends. They have a personal stake in continuing giving something for their customers to come back to for personal and professional reasons.
 Bowling will never again appeal to the masses as it once did. All of its competitive appeal disappeared when the Gorrilla that now hampers Professional bowling was let out of the bag. Take for instance Professional Baseball. Since the early 90's salary contracts have gone crazy high. Yet there has been no technical advancements to the baseball itself for a bigger hook.Or a slider that drops 6 feet. Maybe they should use wiffle balls to hook a ball 30' away from the pitchers hand and back to the catchers mitt at 90 mph. Wouldn't that be fun to watch. The audience numbers would drop off like someone left a hot and turd in the bleachers.
 How about that other sport called FOOTBALL. Not the American version. The soccer ball hasn't had changes to it's core every month. Just uses AIR. Still takes two legs to kick a round orb around.
 The All American Sport of Football. Still called a pig skin. Just some leather hide wrapped around a bladder and sometimes filled with the proper amount of air. Sometimes a little water for a faster thrown ball. Illegal as all hell. No new tech for football except for the safety gear which many Pro players don't fully wear. It slows them down.
 Bowling has lost a lot of Credibility as a Professional Sport. It's ability to govern has diminished. Since 92' all has been lost. Honor scores have gone thru the roof since that time period. Not enough manpower to check all those scores since. So a proposal was adopted to blanket sanction. Wow. Since then bowlers left. Over the last 15 years approximately 86% of 300 and 800 games have been bowled by the same bowlers. Sure it does take a little skill to consistently keep a ball on track to the pocket. I should know. I bowled a 300 drunk off my ass. Drank 2 30 oz pitchers in the 9th and tenth before tossing my 2 last balls.
 Bowling has only entertainment value left in it's tank. Ball manufacturers may be on board for a short time until the newness of tossing good money out for bad to BMF. Will wear on the what's left of the profit. Gott'a remember there is only around 2 million sanctioned left to sell to as opposed to 17 million 23 years ago. 11 million 15 years ago. 5 years from now. Maybe 1.4 million. Bowling centers that will survive will own the property and the BOWLING CENTERS. The others will be ENTERTAIN ESTABLISHMENTS charging for an hour of throwing plastic glow balls down an alley more than they make for 3 hours of labor after wage taxes. ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS will be the among the survivors if such a tax was accepted. Just look at the commercials for AMF BOWLMORE. It's all about the PARTY with a limo ride, loud funky music. It's alright if you can afford it. They give you open bowling party atmosphere to get you excited. They don't league bowlers. That is no longer the TARGET CUSTOMER. All your Lucky Strike centers frown upon bowlers walking with their own gear. They bring no value to ALCOHOL SALES. AMF BOWLMORE adopted this concept as well.
 I read the article from 11th frame on how on board the small ball manufacturers were eager for this tax. I really think they had alot of questions as to how they will survive. Speaking of survival. Did you know that over the last 23 years, 200 BOWLING CENTERS have closed the doors to never reopen again in California. Over 100 in New York. Over the last 40 years less than a 1/3rd of the total centers are still open.
 The PBA still has a small window of chance to do the right thing and become a sport again. It would be somewhat of a poison pill to start. But, it would take considerable patience and effort from Ball companies and pros alike for it to transform into a class sport.
 Getting into the Olympics has been a joke to Olympic Leaders. It will only be an entertainment venue as it was last time. Ball makers have to propose a single competition class ball. The same for the PBA. If it ever wants to have real Professional recognition. Otherwise the name and dye patterns have only ENTERTAINMENT VALUE.