Having been a buyer at a big box store in the last 10 years. Zoom doesn't do near the advertising they did when they began, but did their share just like any and everyone else at that stage of development.

They don't have to anymore, every budget every year, it was a forgone conclusion it would have zoom in it, only thing that changed from year to year was if any new colors or configurations were available and how much to buy and hope it could be filled before Spring. Then cross your fingers you didn't run out.

Be honest though you had to look it up. Its not instant recognition like Skeet with Berkley or LC, KVD with Strike King etc. My point is unless you do some digging they don't advertise near as much as other national companies. I see a lot of the behind the scenes of the fishing industry and from what i see they don't advertise near as much as other national brands which is what I stated from the first post about them.

Isn't marketing interesting....so many ways to market a product or service now days. Unless you have a high profit margin your going to look at how you spend your dollar and what rewards you get back from them. Best bang for your buck...especially now days with this economy.

Marketing may attract new customers, but the customers that generally stay are the ones who believe in the product because it works. Rarely is marketing bringing 'old' customers back to the table. They've left because the product didn't perform for them.

Zoom's marketing is the best kind. They get credit for half the reports out there even if there company name is never mentioned. So many of their products have become our default names we give them credit even if we are not using the specific Zoom product. I use a finesse worm all the time, tell folks I catch them on a finesse worm. Have'nt used a Zoom finesse in several years.

We caught 'em on Flukes...
Whacked 'em on Finesse Worms today...
It was a Trick worm bite that finally got our kicker...
Brush Hog makes a great jig trailer...

It's all marketing whether its a recommendation from a friend, packaging, pro recommendation or a high dollar advertising campaign. Something got you to buy that original product and you likely keep buying it when the bass tell you they approve.

Marketing does have a lot to do with what people buy but more importantly with the economy is the price. you can buy a 10 pack of Yamamoto senkos for 7.99 compared to a yum dinger 15 to a pack for 4.69. the physical difference is similar except for yamamoto being a little softer giving it a little bit more action and the yum dinger have a hook slot. it just depends on how you want to spend your money and why you need the baits. if your fun fishing or have money on the line in a tournament. i know being in college im not gonna only buy yamamotos. cant afford it wish i could though from personal experience they are better

Marketing takes different angles, who is the target market? is it by age? geography? specific bait? seasonal use?

It's unfortunate over the years that I personally lost several of my prefered baits for one reason or another. Baits are cycletic, just new to a new generation. "That looks like the bait I use to use xy years ago on such and such lake and then it disappeared" Sound familiar?

There is a percentage that will buy a bait because they saw it on TV, like the packaging, or for no other reason than they're compulsive buyers. We all know one of those and anglers are notorious for this.

I love the old tv shows, an angler would catch a fish and slide their hand over the bait so viewers couldn't see what they were using, it's the exact opposite these day. Marketing evolved.

Excellent point there Mr. Robert! I hadn't really thought about it like that.

But for me, it's cause that's what I'm using, lol. Brush Hog - Zoom, Fluke - Zoom, Finesse worm - Zoom, heck even my wacky worm is a Zoom trick worm.

I believe color can make a huge difference. I was out one day fishing watermelon red flek tiki sticks, getting bit so so. switched to cinamon blue flek and like a light bulb turned on, they started jumping on the hook....

Forget about all the hype!
My nephew Kent Cella gave me a few of the new LFT Hyper stick stick baits and they are BAD AZZ! They have been out fishing Real yamamota for me by a wide margin. Is it because the fish have not seen the same action, maybe I do not know but I am hurting them on Caddo in 6-7 ft. Put a 1/16 oz. split shot on your line right at the hook and fish them with a gammy finese hook wacky when fishing deeper and they go crazy.