Bodybuilding DVD pricing.

[Matt C]

What do you make of it?

[240 is Back]

Someday, an intelligent marketer... someone like Matt C or or 1Fast400 or 240 is back... will come along and restructure the pricing guidelines and outsell even King Ron's dvd. 

Word will spread among the BBers about the sales, and a few will drop their prices.  It'll be slow, but steady.  However, as long as they're selling them at 40 bucks a pop, they can enjoy sales in the dozens per week instead of the hundreds...

It just takes one BBer to realize that maybe Mits, or the BBer himself, might not be the most qualified person to make the pricing decision, and turn that number over to a professional.  We just have to wait for that.  The market will make it happen eventually.

[mwbbuilder]

How can you come to that conclusion without knowing all the costs involved?

Bodybuilding is a very small market.

What's your cut when YOU sell them?

It sure is easy for you to take the finsihed product, advertise it on your sebsite, post on BB message boards, and ship them out and get $20 profit a unit.

The creative work and major investment is already done. You have NO RISKS.

What's Mits costs for making each one?

For the bodybuilder who makes the DVD, $20 to $30 profit x only 1,000 units sold is better than the $5 for them x 2,000 units sold.

And, the bodybuilder has their name and address on their mailing when they come out with the next one.

[LuciusFox]

 It is hard to tell because it is difficult to determine who is in the two, possibly three, groups of buyers. Of course there are the die-hards, who will pay $50 for a DVD. Then there are the fans, like myself, who would never pay so much for a bodybuilding DVD, or any other one for that matter. To tell you the truth, I would rent a bodybuilding for $4, but would not buy for anything less than $10-15.

 Of course, the middle of the road fans might buy for $20. The question is obvious; how many of those middle of the road fans are there? Bodybuilding seems to be a like-it-or-lump-it sport. Perhaps, and this is probably quite a stretch, they could offer special editions for the crowd that wants "all-access".

[240 is Back]

How can you come to that conclusion without knowing all the costs involved?

Bodybuilding is a very small market.

I come to that conclusion based upon the fact that I've worked with several BBers on DVD production & distribution- I know their fixed production costs as well as their variable pricing.  Most try to get rich off the DVDs, when they should be more of high volume steady earners.

BBing is NOT a very small market- it's bigger than you think.  You have the hardcore muscleheads that attend the ASC and wear bandanas and walk around with ILS.  But there are 50 times MORE people who are gray-area fans.  They buy Flex, M&F, MD every month.  You get them to notice the DVD and you have a steady earner.

[LuciusFox]

I come to that conclusion based upon the fact that I've worked with several BBers on DVD production & distribution- I know their fixed production costs as well as their variable pricing.  Most try to get rich off the DVDs, when they should be more of high volume steady earners.

BBing is NOT a very small market- it's bigger than you think.  You have the hardcore muscleheads that attend the ASC and wear bandanas and walk around with ILS.  But there are 50 times MORE people who are gray-area fans.  They buy Flex, M&F, MD every month.  You get them to notice the DVD and you have a steady earner.

 What price do you think this larger audience would pay? $20-30? I ask because I know of people who buy DVDs fanatically and they might consider a bodybuilding one if it does not come off as making them seem gay.

[BroadStreetBruiser]

It's like quality porn. To fucking expensive for me. I'll watch clips that are posted but seriously I don't know how you fork out 40$ to see a big guy lift weights if your not a fag. If it's a video that details training and gives you knowledge like Skips DVD then maybe but honestly it's to much $$$.

[mwbbuilder]

I come to that conclusion based upon the fact that I've worked with several BBers on DVD production & distribution- I know their fixed production costs as well as their variable pricing.  Most try to get rich off the DVDs, when they should be more of high volume steady earners.

BBing is NOT a very small market- it's bigger than you think.  You have the hardcore muscleheads that attend the ASC and wear bandanas and walk around with ILS.  But there are 50 times MORE people who are gray-area fans.  They buy Flex, M&F, MD every month.  You get them to notice the DVD and you have a steady earner.

I agree with you about the "grey" area market of people who stroll in and out of the market buying Flex and M&F for a few months--and then disappearing.

BUt NONE of those BB DVD appeal to that market.

They don't explain shit and they are most contest prep stuff--which those grey area people don't care about.

Tell me. Besides Ron, Jay, Shawn, maybe Kevin and Ruhl,,,do you really think anyone cares about the other BBs?

How many DVDs do you really think a Darren Charles or Dennis James sell a year?

[240 is Back]

What price do you think this larger audience would pay? $20-30? I ask because I know of people who buy DVDs fanatically and they might consider a bodybuilding one if it does not come off as making them seem gay.

Depends on the production costs... but ideally, $14-22 might be a more realistic range for mass sales.  Put a more mainstream cover on it, and make the content interesting to more than those hardcore fans.  Everything would depend on each unique situaiton though.

[LuciusFox]

It's like quality porn. To fucking expensive for me. I'll watch clips that are posted but seriously I don't know how you fork out 40$ to see a big guy lift weights if your not a fag. If it's a video that details training and gives you knowledge like Skips DVD then maybe but honestly it's to much $$$.

 Yeah, I agree. There're only so many times that you are going to watch that DVD and it won't justify the cost.

[mwbbuilder]

What price do you think this larger audience would pay? $20-30? I ask because I know of people who buy DVDs fanatically and they might consider a bodybuilding one if it does not come off as making them seem gay.

If you guys will pay $30 for a tub of protein, you should pay $40 for a DVD that teaches you something.

The supplement companies are making MILLIONS selling tubs of $30 protein.

But those are consumable items that sell month after month. BB DVDS amke one--and that's it.

[LuciusFox]

Depends on the production costs... but ideally, $14-22 might be a more realistic range for mass sales.  Put a more mainstream cover on it, and make the content interesting to more than those hardcore fans.  Everything would depend on each unique situaiton though.

 I think the cover is important. If it looks like something Baygbm would buy, many will be hesitant to purchase it.

[LuciusFox]

If you guys will pay $30 for a tub of protein, you should pay $40 for a DVD that teaches you something.

The supplement companies are making MILLIONS selling tubs of $30 protein.

But those are consumable items that sell month after month. BB DVDS amke one--and that's it.

 But how many DVDs actually teach something important? How many teach something that is relevant to your average bodybuilder who is clean?

[mwbbuilder]

But how many DVDs actually teach something important? How many teach something that is relevant to your average bodybuilder who is clean?

None!

They are all action--no instruction.

That would take too much work and money to produce.

They would have a hard time recouping their investment. Right now, they don't have to do all that work. No one in the market has elevateed their DVDs to that standard.

[240 is Back]

None!

They are all action--no instruction.

That would take too much work and money to produce.

They would have a hard time recouping their investment. Right now, they don't have to do all that work. No one in the market has elevateed their DVDs to that standard.

as bsb mentioned, that's what made skip la cour's dvd so special- he overdubbed narration over the whole workout.  was informative, but entertaining too, as form sometimes got sloppy on that last forced rep, and skip talked you through it.  I think he has clips of it at www.skiplacour.com

[Special Ed]

If you guys will pay $30 for a tub of protein, you should pay $40 for a DVD that teaches you something.

First of all, it's nice to see an intelligent thread for a change. Nice job Matt C. You raise some excellent points and people would be smart to implement your ideas.

As for paying $40 for a DVD that teaches you something, I'm with Mr. Fox. You only need to view one bodybuilding DVD to learn everything there is to know...which is that pros don't do anything different in the gym than everyone else except for handling heavier weights than most of us. Based on that, there is no justification for paying 40 bucks for a DVD unless you need to watch a big sweaty guy working out to get pumped for your own workout.

And on that, I'm with BroadStreetBruiser...if you're spending $40 a DVD and have amassed a collection of bodybuilding DVDs, you're a flaming 'mo. Because you wouldn't pay $40 for a DVD of Pam Anderson working out.

Special "Septic" Ed

[mwbbuilder]

I believe DVDs normally wholesale for 50%.  I am a middleman and go through another middleman and get a smaller cut.

Since Mitsuru has done almost everything wrong in terms of marketing his DVDs thus far (and I go on record to say that), why should I believe he has the right pricing strategy in place?

I have probably helped to sell more of his DVDs than he has in the past year!  Go to my site and go to his and tell me who has gone to greater lengths to promote his work.

If he had any marketing savy at all he would start up an affiliate program so that I could partner directly with him and not another middleman.  Not that I don't like being a partner with my good friend Millard, as he does know what he's doing when it comes to marketing.  Furthermore, Mits should get credit card processing on his site.

I had more marketing sense that Mits did before even starting a website.  I would go so far as to say that he lacks even common sense in terms of marketing.  And this is all on record.

He didn't even let me use short clips to promote his work when I asked.   

I sort of agree.

What's Mits has to do is simple.

Take a few months to learn how to creatw a website. If he can produce a DVD, he can certainly make a better website.

Also:

1. Rethink the way he makes covers. They should be more like magazine covers. Make them big and impressive--just like a bodybuilding maagzine cover. Actually, go back and red every cover with this new perspective in mind. People do judge a book by its cover.

2. Redesign his webiste. Hell! Just model what Rob and Matt do with the DVDs they sell. Cut and paste the code.

3. Have teaser video clips and DVD image shots.

4. Start takiing credit cards. This is not a hard process to do with your bank.

5. Get on these message boards and promo the DVDs he's crated.


Mits, this would take a new perspective adn only 3 monhts work.

Then, you can reap all the profits of all your hard work all by yourself!

Matt and Rob, you gotta agree with this, dont you?

[240 is Back]

Matt and Rob, you guys do good work.

Mits would be foolish to file a lawsuit.  He'd lose more money just filing the paperwork going after a kid in another state than he would from lost sales.  Only when you're huge do you even have to worry about getting sued.  

[mwbbuilder]

Every DVD producer I've come into contact with so far has been willing to give me their DVDs for free in exchange for a detailed review that I will use to promote the DVD on my website, and that they can use on their website.

I haven't bothered to ask Mitsuru for free review copies of anything because I would bet he would say no to me, not realizing that one review posted on his website could help sell lots more.  This is what I mean by saying Mits lacks even common sense when it comes to marketing.

Check out this comment:

http://www.graphicmuscle.com/vbp/forums/showpost.php?p=285&postcount=2

I'm not sure if Mits was talking about Rob1986 or not (I would guess he is), but Rob has done way more to promote Mitsuru's DVDs than Mits ever has.  And he has the nerve to contemplate a lawsuit against him?   

Makes me want to stop promoting his work outright and get Rob to do the same.  Hopefully Mits won't mind making thousands less in revenue each year thanks to the efforts of Rob and I.   

Mits had the balls and peoiple skills to get these pros to work with him. He is a groudbreaker for even providing these DVDs to the BB public and has been doing it for years.

Everyone loves Mits. He came to this country no even knowing how to speak the language.

That being said, he does need to step up his game bigtime. Everyone in the business world need to do this to stay competitive.

He's a DVD producer--not a marketer and cover design artist.

The good thing is that it's not hard to model those who do it well.

Then, he can reap the majority of profits--AS HE SHOULD.

It's not a matter of intelligence--it's a matter of what he is focuing on right now.