It’s Not About the Diving

While the dive industry would like to have a lot more people in their 20s and 30s taking up the sport, the dive travel market is propelled by the older generation, people in their 50s and above with empty nests and disposable income. What kind of copy and images do you create to attract them?

Well, apparently not adventure, thrills or living on the edge. The photo below is from an advertisement placed by the Aggressor Fleet in Dive Business, a monthly periodical targeting dive shops. In this ad, the Aggressor Fleet is selling group travel to dive shops, but clearly they're not banking on what's below the surface.

In an accompanying ad for the Dancer Fleet, eight bullet points describe what they call the "luxury liveaboard experience of a lifetime."

* warm towels with a back rub after each dive
* morning beverage service
* delicious, chef-prepared meals
* all beverages, including sodas and alcohol
* digital photo centers with rental cameras and course instructors
* mid-week linen change
* nightly turndown service
* deck safety watch by our crew

Advertising agencies urge their customers to "sell the sizzle, not the steak." To the Aggressor and Dancer Fleets, that means back rubs, hot tubs and chilled chardonnay. And their customers seem to agree.