The second quarter results from the ESTA Market Research Program for Manufacturers are due in a few weeks time. Comments on the first quarter and historical reports from some of the 48 participating companies included ‘Incredibly valuable information.’ ‘This report has challenged some of our most basic assumptions about the market place.’ ‘It’s making us rethink how we are spending our advertising and marketing resources.’ ‘The market for this product is larger than we had thought.’
There had previously been no information on the size of various product sectors within the entertainment technology industry forcing manufacturers to guess at the size of the market for their product and their company’s market share. ESTA felt that the time was finally ripe for this collection of data. “Particularly in a difficult economy, this program is a valuable tool for manufacturers that gives them the information they need to best utilize their precious resources,” said Lori Rubinstein, Executive Director of ESTA. “They can effectively plan their expenditures for marketing, advertising, trade shows, and research and development.”
One of the most valuable aspects of the report is tracking growth throughout the year with the same group of companies; so new participants are accepted into the program only once each year. If a manufacturer is interested in participating in the 2002 program, the sign up period has begun and will last through December 31, 2001
Participation is open to manufacturers from around the world and only participating companies have access to the reports. ESTA membership is not a prerequisite to participate in the program. Participants must meet the following criteria:
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They are the manufacturer of a product that is included in the survey. Or
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They are the exclusive or primary entry point of a product into the marketplace for a manufacturer that does not wish to participate in the survey.
The report is divided into the following geographical areas: United States, North/Central America, South America, Europe, Middle East/Africa and the Asia/Pacific Rim. For the 2002 program, ESTA is looking to add truss to the program which currently includes the following product categories: moving lights, fixed luminaires, followspots, lamps, dimmers, control and networking, and fog and haze machines.
In order to maintain complete confidentiality for all participants, an independent accounting firm located in Canada collects, compiles and disseminates all data. No one outside of the accounting firm ever sees an individual company’s numbers and all raw data is destroyed 120 days after publication of the report.
Wouldn’t you like to find out How Big is Big? For additional information about the ESTA Market Research Program for Manufacturers, including a list of participating companies, contact Lori Rubinstein at 212-244-1505 or by email at [email protected].
Rubinstein sums up the program, “One of the best analogies came from a French manufacturer, who said: ‘I do not like to be in a dark room without a flashlight. This is the flashlight.’”