NRA ... ARE YOU LISTENING?

[Ron J]

Rastus:
Stepping outside the membership base to push an issue most people don't know enough to support would play well into the liberals hands as in...see the NRA is run by a bunch of right-wing kooks who are not in touch with America or their members...that would help a lot, eh?  80,000,000 gun owners and it's important enough for...how many....to join to support?


Again … and just to try to make my point clear, my intent of this thread was not to bitch about the NRA.  Far from it.  Great organization that leads the fight for the 2nd Amendment.  And I would agree with several posts that we the members need to do more to help pull more people in to join.  A similar example, church outreach.  A church can spend a lot of money to market and attempt to "pull" people to their pews but the most effective way to increase membership and outreach is a personal invitation. Same with gun owners.  Reach out to non-NRA members to join and help the fight. Over the last two years, I was able to get six new people to join and two of the people don’t even own guns.  

As well, I am not saying that the NRA should extend this marketing effort to the non-shooter.  That would miss the target (pun intended) market and be a waste of their working marketing dollar. Go after shooters for their votes this November.  

For instance, like the grocery store “on-pack coupons”, get some rolls of 1.5” x 1.5” on-pack “coupons” printed up that can go on boxes of ammo, gun cleaning supplies, gun cases, guns (!) etc.  These coupons are peel and stick tri-folds that can hold a lot of information spelling out what this election means for their 2nd Amendment rights.  Maybe tie-in with a gun purchase like what S&W does.  Buy a new whatever and get $50 off when you bring in proof you voted.  Buy whatever dollar amount of ammo and get a free silicone gun cloth with proof of voting. Other examples, point of sale displays … you know, the little triangle up-rights that can go on a counter top?  Have these with a quick-look comparison of where the candidates stand on RKBA. Ever go to the grocery store to buy something and you look down at the floor to see an ad for something?  Floor art … “Want Your RKBA Stepped On?’  Have a 3’ x 3’ vinyl mat made outlining what the election means to someone who like to shoot and enjoys responsible gun ownership.  Have the candidate’s records on the 2nd Amendment.  Have facts about responsible gun ownership and self defense. Given that this election can mean a substantial loss in revenue for gun store owners, they should get behind efforts for gun owners to protect their rights and vote.  

The biggest gun fight of all time is headed to us this November.  We will not be pressing a trigger with this fight.  We are pressing a lever to vote!  Yes, it’s too bad we can’t double tap our vote!  My thought with this is utilize the NRA’s scale to initiate incremental marketing to pull people to vote and thus fight for our right to keep and bear arms.  As to the various organizations that Rastus and others have mentioned, maybe it's time for them to pull their resources together.  Fragmented efforts by similar organizations is not efficient nor effective.  Time to hook up and fight together. 

[ericire12]

Ron-

You make great points, but I think with the approach you are suggesting they would simply be preaching to the choir. Yes, it is important to get out the vote come election time and also to increase the membership numbers, but I think the cause would be better served focusing efforts on the non-gun owners. Number of members and number of voters is only important when you are talking directly to politicians.

We have to change the culture if we are going to win this war. The misconceptions are in overload because of the propaganda that has been spoon fed to the masses via the media. I think you have to launch a series of commonsense TV and print ad campaigns that would convince the American people that guns are not evil, and that the way to combat violent crime is to go after the criminals and not the guns. We all know the statistics because we are shooters and because this is all near and dear to our hearts. The average American knows nothing about this issue other then the misconceptions that the media tells them.

When that is the only voice they hear, we should not be surprised by what they believe. 

[Ron J]

Ericire12:  "... the approach you are suggesting they would simply be preaching to the choir."

Not exactly.  For instance, the Democratic Party has a huge base of "silent" gun owners.  These people are part of the votes we need to capture.  To this, only about 57% of gun owners polled say they would not vote for Obama.  Subtract margin for error and there's a lot of votes to be had.  Point is to launch a marketing campaign that mobilizes the choir to insure that Obama is defeated. 

As we know, there are several issues from fiscal sanity to national security that have people troubled over B. Hussein Obama.  Hitting the 2nd Amendment could well be the critical competitive edge needed to defeat him in November. 

[MikeBjerum]

We have just now reached the point that we know who the two main players are, and we are still waiting to who will run with them.  I believe that the NRA will be right there when they know who the players are so they know what issues to campaign with.

It has been said by many that we are the NRA, and we are responsible for the word getting out.  How many here help distribute the information to clubs and ranges, how many make sure their local gun shop posts the information, how many are recruiters and promote the NRA (you would be amazed how few dealers and ranges are members), and how many here actively work on NRA events to raise awareness?

When I ask or search on my own I always find that the NRA has plenty of materials available for the asking.  Isn't it better for me to get the information and distribute it to where it will do the best rather than the NRA sending it blindly where it will usually get trash canned (even by those that could and should use it) because it is just viewed as junk mail?

[Ron J]

m58:
Isn't it better for me to get the information and distribute it to where it will do the best rather than the NRA sending it blindly where it will usually get trash canned (even by those that could and should use it) because it is just viewed as junk mail?

Absolutely right.  That would be a bad approach to take and not one that I would advocate.  For retail placement, would need to organize direct calls to the decision makers at retail to implement.  This would likely require volunteers to do which I don't think would be a problem. 

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

Ron, the only part I disagree with is going through the NRA, NOT because I have any major beef, but because they will only be able to do what YOU can do, Find some one with contacts in the industry (MB for example) who is talking to the appropriate people anyway and pass the idea along.
Regardless of how much I dislike McCain, the more B ho talks the easier it gets for me to hold my nose and fill in the circle beside McCains name (paper Ballots here )

[Ron J]

Ron, the only part I disagree with is going through the NRA, NOT because I have any major beef, but because they will only be able to do what YOU can do, Find some one with contacts in the industry (MB for example) who is talking to the appropriate people anyway and pass the idea along.
Regardless of how much I dislike McCain, the more B ho talks the easier it gets for me to hold my nose and fill in the circle beside McCains name (paper Ballots here )

You bring up a good point.  I mentioned the NRA because they have the expertise and in-house capability to do such "incremental" advertising and to do it quickly.  Given their sizable industry connections, they would also be able to secure effective distribution of materials.  Lastly, such an effort could be well used as a tool for them to attract new members. 

To your point, it would be IDEAL if five or six manufacturers partnered together (possibly with the NRA and/or GOA) and put something spectacular out.  And ... in case any of the manufacturers are reading this ... I have 20 years of sales and marketing expertise and am willing to work for this cause!!!