People are still reading print media, so for some, advertising in, a dive publication, and other print media, may not be a waste of money if done right.
MANY DIVE OPERATORS, whether they are located within a thriving tourism destination or their local hometown, can be defined as a small business. While any smart business owner should look closely at the outcome of any promotional investments regardless of their size, typically, a small business does not have the marketing, advertising and promotions (MAP) budgets of their large-scale counterparts. Nevertheless, all businesses must consider developing MAP budgets that work, and any expenditure the business faces must relate directly to mission statements, business goals and a defined return on investments. Undertaking MAPs in this way provides a rationale for the development of relevant tactics leading to a successful and sustainable business.
On the other hand, I have written many times that I feel our industry is unfortunately full of ‘factoids’ – items of unreliable information that is reported and repeated so often that it becomes accepted as fact. For example, and in the context of this article, some in the diving industry think advertising in printed magazines is a total waste of money and that print media is dead now that we have the internet. But is it just another factoid? The fact is the global print media market size reached $327.79 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $379.99 billion by 2030. It seems, therefore, that people are still reading print media, so for some, advertising in, say a dive publication, and other print media, may not be a waste of money if done right. Unfortunately, many small businesses do not have the expertise to do it right. Yes, big businesses can employ an agency to overcome perceived hurdles, but a small business can still do it right on an appropriate scale if they follow a few golden rules.
The consideration by a dive operator of the specific audience you want to reach is more than just a no-brainer. For example, a dive operator usually has multiple products and services worthy of promotion. This means you have multiple audiences each with their own needs, wants and desires. So the big question is: “Can you reach and do justice to them all with a single MAP strategy”? I think not!
Unless you are simply trying to build a relatively unknown brand, most effective MAP strategies cater to just one market segment, or in our case, to groups of dive consumers sharing similar, but specific needs at a definable point in time whether it be the need for a new BCD or where to go on the next dive trip. A MAP strategy that says little more than you are a diving business, is highly likely to be lost in the clutter / digital noise of other similar declarations. That is, you risk the consumer thinking: just another dive store, dive boat, dive destination, etc. Furthermore, these types of MAPs, especially in print media, frequently become a waste of money. Thus the factoid lives.
To get the most out of your MAPs, try choosing a specific item within your product and services mix you wish to promote and build effective communications specifically around that offering. It could be a short-term special on gear, trips, school starting dates, etc., but to try and effectively promote all your offerings at once to a broad audience has those clutter issues and is likely to be less successful. Again, the factoid lives on.
You must choose where you will place your MAPs. Each involves using different media and requires different tactics to reach a specific audience. To follow is a discussion of just some apparent possibilities, but there are obviously more we could consider. Since we mentioned print media earlier, let us talk about it first.
Commonly when dive operators think about print media, they think dive magazines and the factoid is it is a ‘waste of money.’ So how do we make print media work? What should be of overall importance to the small business operator is having a high reach at a low cost per engagement. So choose your print media wisely whether it be in that dive magazine or the local newspaper.
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Once you have properly identified where you can get the best bang for your buck, think about the finer details when creating advertisements. For example, can you secure high profile right-hand pages, the inside front cover or back pages? Create a catchy headline with a call to immediate action. Use images that make your potential customers feel like they want to be the person in those photos. Frankly, feature/benefits is a secondary consideration to the modern consumer who is more interested in spiritual engagement with products and services than they are in the aerospace materials used in their manufacture. For example, Nike is famous for blending inspiration, storytelling and culture into their ads. It is no factoid; this form of effective advertising is not at all new as Nike (and others) have been using these themes since the late 1980s (Ref: Nike’s “Just do it” advertising promo 1988).
Don’t discount radio and even TV as these are still alive and kicking with the global radio advertising market expected to reach $53.5 billion by 2032. Radio advertising costs are not one-size-fits-all and depend on factors such as location, time of day, ad length, single spot versus campaigns, and station popularity. While rates can vary widely based on these factors, you might be pleasantly surprised by the bang you can get for your buck, especially with regional stations. Again it is all about the finer details including choosing those time slots to most effectively capture your audience, keeping the messages simple, using easy-to-remember details (i.e. listeners may be driving), and making sure your brand name and website are at the front and end of the ad.
Beyond traditional radio, the digital audio market is booming. The latest data shows significant growth in podcast and streaming ad revenue, with many agencies increasing their investment in these formats. The key takeaway here is the radio market is adapting, providing both traditional and digital avenues. Along with other forms of MAPs successful businesses are striving to find the right balance to reach their audience at the right price. That last point is super important as an effective MAP must involve more than just your website and social media posts. These days they are full of clutter and digital noise.
Meanwhile, TV global ad revenue is expected to reach $1,101 billion by the end of this year (2026) and $1,780 by 2035. North America leads with 37% market share, followed by Europe (32%) and Asia Pacific (31%). Don’t let these figures scare you. TV offers, arguably, the highest-profile, non-online and persuasive advertising opportunities available to small business through regional channels. Shop around for a professional company offering both creative production options and affordable placement rates they can negotiate on your behalf with the station(s).
The ‘Outdoor’ advertising market size was estimated to be $48.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $82.2 billion by 2033. So why is it almost a rarity to see billboards and other signage promoting diving? Is it a waste of money – or just another factoid? Outdoor advertising has the potential to reach a massive audience, especially in high-traffic areas. Alternately, if your business is a ‘bricks and mortar’ operation, is your business premises also a stand-out Outdoor attraction in its own right? Here, the options are endless, from pavement notice boards to giant live action screens and obviously comes down to budget and those finer details of creativity. With outdoor advertising, the takeaway is to Keep it Simple and Straightforward (KISS), plus attractive messaging.
Finally, and my favourite factoid, is that many think exhibiting in dive shows is a waste of money. The fact is the global events industry market reached $1,338.77 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $2,086.73 billion in 2030. It seems many other businesses – many of our lifestyle competitors – still see shows and events as important in reaching their current and potential customers. So why do we see so few dive businesses attending and/or exhibiting in dive consumer shows and events? Furthermore, what impact does our absence have on the overall view the dive community and the broader public have of our industry? Just think, each time there is a boat, a car or tech show in your local area it is all over the media. So if we are not in the game, or if our shows are, to be kind, ‘basic,’ we are all the losers in the bigger scheme of things. That is, attending dive shows is not just a matter of turning up as a visitor and looking around or for exhibitors to place a few posters on the booth wall. Dive show participation incorporates all the MAPs discussed above and a reflection of the businesses’ mission statement, business goals along with a defined return on investments mixed with high degrees of excitement.
I guess with all the MAPs thrown out there by our competitors for the consumer’s purse, it all comes down to one thing: “are our heads in the 2020s or stuck back in the 1980s?” If the latter is the case, even as small businesses we should stop pondering why our industry is not growing and start developing effective MAP strategies to turn things around.
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