[Leica] LUG Demographics (was Leica donation to students)

[leicagalpal at earthlink.net (Kit McChesney)]

Well, then I'm wrong about the core demographic, if the LUG is a
representative cross-section of what Leica aficionados are like. I stand
corrected. Well, maybe I should qualify that--I'll say I'm only half-wrong.
;-)

My impression of the demographic buying new gear, this year, right now, may
be more on target than what the LUG represents. Since I sell new gear every
day, I am very much in touch with my audience, and I make an attempt to find
out as much as I can about my clients when they come to me as I can, if only
to better understand what their needs are. If buying frequency is any
indication of anything, there are folks buying who can afford one and two
bodies, and more than two or three new lenses. They aren't the majority of
the buying audience, but they are a substantial presence in it. 

There is also a difference between the demographic of people buying new gear
vs those buying 'previously enjoyed.' (There's that phrase again!). I don't
know how much of the LUG is comprised of 'new gear buyers' as opposed to
'previously-enjoyed gear buyers.' That would be interesting to know. 

Kit


-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+leicagalpal=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+leicagalpal=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Will
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 11:15 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: [Leica] LUG Demographics (was Leica donation to students)

Kit McChesney writes:

>Well, what would be really interesting is to examine Leica's consumer
survey
>results that we hope people send back when they purchase cameras and
lenses.
>Who IS buying? Are there youngish folks buying? My experience with my sales
>is that the majority of buyers of M and R gear, and the Digilux 2, are
>between about 35 and 65, are male, and have relatively substantial incomes
>(doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc., a demographic not unlike that of the
>LUG-list). 
>
A few years ago, the lug had a "roll call" where many LUG subscribers 
disclosed a lot of things about themselves.  One of the interesting 
things that I found in the disclosures was that LUGGERS were not 
predominately doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. nor were generalizations 
about income levels being predominately at the higher end correct.

The commonality seemed to be that a majority of the members had 
developed an avid interest in photography by their late teens.  Many had 
their first Leica equipment in their teens or early 20s.  I think the 
LUG membership age was pretty close to your experience of 35- 65 
years-of-age.  I would suggest that buyers of new Leica cameras and 
lenses does not reflect the same demographics as the users on the LUG list.

With regards,
Bill Larsen, Terra Bella, CA




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