why don't arms makers advertise

[tasco 74]

this has probably been covered before but i'm wondering why gun makers and ammo companies don't run ads on tv or radio or anywhere else besides gun mags... i think a s&w commercial or a remington comercial on the regular chgannels would be beneficial to our cause...... has there ever been ads such i'm talking about in prime time? i have seen a few on some of the hunting shows i've watched and they were always very well done with great looking scenes of outdoors and wildlife..... any thoughts on this??

 

[Wesker]

I'd wager that guns just aren't marketable like booze and cars are. They only appeal to a certain type of people. The gun industry probably makes way WAY less than the auto or alcohol industry, and mass advertising would not have any cost to benefit ratio. Sadly, the best scotch and biggest SUV appeal to a wider swath of people than the latest in high speed hole punching devices.

 

[.cheese.]

comes down to simple marketing really.

They've probably simply done a cost/benefit analysis and realized that it wouldn't bring in enough additional revenue to justify the costs - as well as that the advertising revenue could be used more efficiently through other channels, like gun rags, endorsements, or even ads on specialty channels.

The Outdoors Channel has become pretty mainstream these days and I see ads for various gun-related companies on there.

 

[JohnBT]

A few days ago Henry Repeating Arms ran a 1/4-page ad in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the major daily. It was on the back of the sports section under a 1/2-page of NBA stuff and next to a 1/4-page of some other sports write-up. It pictured 5 or 6 rifles and said a lot of neat stuff.

Yeah, I was surprised to see it.

John

 

[Kim]

Probably cause if they did advertise on TV there would be a hugh out cry from the LEFT to pass a law prohibiting it ----ie shut them up. They consider firearms like tobacco and transfats.

 

[Werewolf]

With the exception of the Outdoor channel I've never heard or seen a commercial for a firearm on radio or TV (maybe heard a S&W commercial on Guntalk but I wouldn't swear to that).

However, there is a local gunshop that advertises themselves on the radio 3 or 4 times a year. Straightforward ad stating what they've got, when they're open, where they are and an invitation to visit. They may have plugged specific brands but if so I sure don't remember which means if they did it wasn't too effective.

But that's it - in my 55 years that isn't much. I imagine that the poster who suggested a cost/benefit analysis has been done and that the costs outweigh the benefits of advertising firearms is correct in his estimation of why firearms just aren't advertised (much).

 

[Feanaro]

Don't forget that firearms are treated differently than most other inanimate objects. The negative publicity could discourage advertising(seen a cigarette commercial lately?).

 

[GreenFurniture]

The real answer is that gun store owners are too stupid to pick up the phone and place the ads.

The makers have money available called "co-op" dollars which covers advertising of their products. Doesn't cost the gunstore a dime.

 

[Geno]

I agree. It would be a good idea. I won't hold my breath.

 

[DWARREN123]

They do on hunting/shooting shows on TV.
That's where their audience is.

 

[redranger1]

I can understand not seeing an ad on tv, but i think that it is a great idea for gun shops to advertise on local radio. Its hard enough to find decent shops as it is, good advertising would make a world of differance.

 

[Owen]

A primetime ad campaign on a network would cost more than the annual profit of the vast majority of the gun companies.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

Because we are all hopelessly addicted to buying firearms....they don't have to advertise outside of shooting/hunting magazines.

 

[tank mechanic]

I think a gun manufacturer that made .22 rifles and made advertisements that reminded Dad to get on the ball and teach their sons how to shoot would have a huge impact. Fathers have a lot to compete with now that ipods and xboxs have their son's complete attention. I know for a fact that the average son would throw all their electronic devices in the bonfire if they had the oppurtunity to go shooting on a regular basis. The gun companies are missing a huge oppurtunity to address a large market. One well placed, well done ad on a saturday morning would reap tremendous benefits.

 

[Zundfolge]

Probably cause if they did advertise on TV there would be a hugh out cry from the LEFT to pass a law prohibiting it ----ie shut them up.

No, no matter how much you want to believe its an anti-gun conspiracy that is just not the case.

The entire US Firearms industry is about 1/6th the size of McDonalds (about $2 Billion/yr whereas McDonalds is about $12 Billion/yr.) National advertising on TV and in large circulation magazines (like Time, Newsweek, Better Homes & Gardens, etc) is REAL DAMN EXPENSIVE. A small ad in Time Magazine can run you more than $100,000! That's for 1 week of advertising. If you wanted to keep that ad running for a year, that would be $5.2 Million (assuming they don't have some sort of bulk rate).

Thats just magazine advertising (which is a bargain compared to national TV advertising).

When you compare that to rates for American Handgunner, you'll see that running a full page, full color ad is only $6,595, and that goes to a targeted market (gun owners) and runs for two months.



The best way for gun manufacturers to advertise nationaly (or globaly) aside from advertising in industry specific publications is via product placement. HK pioneered it and Magnum Research is still in business because of it, but if a gun manufacturer can get their guns placed prominantly in movies and TV shows, that will make them TONS more in return.

 

[SaMx]

You'll see gun ads in some magazines that aren't gun related, like Popular Mechanics, or pilots magazines. I think it's because gun companies think people who read those magazines are more likely to be into guns.

 

[rockstar.esq]

The firearms manufacturers and pro gun groups were prevented from advertising campaigns supporting any particular candidate through a nasty bit of legislation. The NRA had a column about it a few years back, in particular about how the leftist anti gun lobbies can and do run advertisements promoting some jag off candidate. The NRA's plan was to start their own channel thereby "calling their own shots" for a pay per view audience.

 

[obxned]

Simple economics. Advertising in other than specialty media costs too much for small businesses of any type.

 

[boredelmo]

Im actually taking several advertising classes at UT. ALL of the classes have touched on issues of alcohol, tobacco and firearms. and ALL of the classes refer to them as an ethical/moral issue.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

There are any number of niche markets that you don't see advertisements for. When was the last time you saw an ad for golf shoes outside of during a televised golf event? How about aquariums? Float tubes? Multimeters?

What you see also depends on your market. Here in Utah, we have billboards advertising guns shops and guns shows. One of the gun shops has been running radio ads lately. There's usually some gun shop ads in the big papers, more so around hunting season.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

I know some gunshops run commercials on local TV stations. Who's that sleazy guy in Indiana with the TV ads where he says "I don't wanna make money, I just wanna sell guns!" ?

Even seen them in California, up in 29 Palms. The local dealer "Hardrock Annie" ran these rather annoying ads with her and her pet dog. It was cool to see gun commercials, but I got really annoyed at the shop (just run a search for "Lock, Stock and Guns" to see my threads about them)

I don't know if many municipalities have rules against gun commercials on TV, but clearly some do not.

-MV

 

[50caliber123]

newspaper ads

In SE Michigan I believe the Detroit Free Press had an ad for Keltec on the bottom of the front page. I was very surprised to see it

 

[MD_Willington]

costs money.. hmm..

Well here's a open invitation.

50x75 foot lot adjacent to the highway here in WA state... they (any firearm manufacturer) can send me a banner and I'll put it up so people driving by all day long can see it...

Seriously.

 

[kd7nqb]

I think there is a point missing, its because firearms are not impulse buys. (Even the ones that feel like it) the process of firearms normally consits of looking at in the shop, talking to friends, find a review online or in a mag and many other steps. 30second TV spots dont help this.

 

[MattC]

MD_Willington, that's a generous offer and I hope you get some prospects. Check with your local ordinances first, though. Some places have considerable fines for placing signs or placards of certain sizes within a set distance of highways, even if on private property. There was a mess about it around here a few months back, but I don't recall the details.