The Science of Communicating & Marketing Your Business

Mr. Pelieci wrote in The Ottawa Citizen Friday, April 27, 2007 on Page: E1, FRONT Section, Business Source:

The Ottawa Citizen The Guy Show muscles into Lansdowne Park this weekend, bringing men together to do guy-stuff like barbecuing, riding motorbikes and revving up power tools. Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor would be proud. Attendees will be able to watch golf demonstrations, speak with audio and video specialists, sample the products of a local microbrewer, check out fishing gear, take part in a strongman contest and watch a poker tournament in which the winner will advance to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

And because no guy's event would be complete without burning a little meat, they can get a taste of the wild boar that Capital Appliance and BBQ will be roasting. "If you believe it's guy-related content it's probably going to be at the Guy Show," says Chris Lamont, vice-president of business development for the Guy Show Media Group.

Yet despite its name, the event -- which is loaded with high-priced goodies for guys to buy -- isn't just for men. "Women are needed to be at this show, to allow the guys to spend money," says Mr. Lamont. "We recognize women influence purchasing decisions."

Studies suggest that women either make or are involved in more than 85 per cent of the purchases within a family household. So women will get in for free, if they're with a guy. And they also have access to an oasis away from all the engine-revving and golf-club swinging. "We have a spa area for women and a section just for women. It's going to be a very inclusive event," says Mr. Lamont.

This is the first Guy Show for Mr. Lamont's group, which hopes to take the show across Canada and hold another in Ottawa in the fall. While the lineup is certain to have something to wet every man's appetite, getting those guys in attendance to open their wallets and buy big-ticket items from vendors on the show floor may be challenging. According to Joseph Carrabis of NextStage Evolution, a company that specializes in researching gender-based marketing, ..."

(while it's true that NextStage does lots of advising in that area, we also advise clients in several areas)

"... the show just makes buying stuff too easy. "Men are hunters," he says. "Men have to find the prize and go on these great quests -- 'Look! I found the best price!' " But the show is more like a stocked fishing pond with no hardship or struggle associated with finding that great deal. Mr. Carrabis says the challenge of finding a deal is part of the allure for a man, which is why recreational anglers prefer the unpredictable weather, difficult terrain and inconsistent results of fishing in various lakes or streams.

"Clever marketers at this show will be the ones where, if I spend five minutes looking at a Sony PlayStation, they give me a $50-off coupon to go to a store when I am looking to buy," said Mr. Carrabis, adding that handing out coupons helps to feed a man's inner hunter-gatherer, urging him to continue the hunt for that coveted item. Still, Mr. Carrabis, the founder of NextStage Evolution, believes the concept of hosting a show exclusively for men is sound. "Guys do like to bond. Guys do like to be with guys," he said. "The social driver is, 'We are all going to go to the show so that we can do guy things together.' "

Mr. Lamont said the idea for the show came about, typically, in a barroom discussion. He was talking with friends about all of the shows offered to women: Bridal shows, home decorating shows, craft shows and on and on. But nowhere, they realized, was there an event that collects all of a guy's hobbies under one roof. The group went to work and soon had more than 100 exhibitors and 29 show sponsors lining up to be part of the testosterone-charged idea. The show takes over Lansdowne Park tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Admission for guys is $12.

Please contact NextStage for information regarding presentations and trainings on this and other topics.