Scuba Barbie?
27 October 2008 Labels: barbie, beautiful, fashion, ladies, manufacturers, scuba, United States, women, writer, XRay Magazine
This past week was DEMA 2008. The industry convention where money is traded among the dive empires to offer new gear, travel and clothing to the masses.
I was there as an editor for XRay Magazine. (Love press badges!!) My assignment? What’s new and exciting in the world for GirlDivers?
It was this simple question that I posed to the seated gatekeepers at the front of the major equipment manufacturer displays. The two unsuspecting parties would look at each other, as if I were speaking Swahili, and repeat,”New and exciting for GirlDivers?”
After usually being redirected several times to any sales representative not protected by a meeting with a dealer, I would be shown a pink mask…a pair of pink fins or a BCD with a decidely male cut…oh, but it’s got pink trim!!
Really? Is that all it takes to sell us gear? Pink?
Now, I realize, my site is pink. And if you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably either a pink fan, or wondering if the rosiness of the site ever ends. But for this site, it’s a marketing thing. You know you’re on a “girl-focused” site because of the color. It’s a draw.
However, if the content of this site was just “general scuba”, well, then you might as well change the site colors back to basic black. The inner workings of the site, or the dive gear, must be true to the colors, or it’s just another attempt to fool us into thinking they care.
There were well over 500 vendors at DEMA. I was able to complete my assignment and find 6 things new and exciting in the dive world for girls. Stay tuned to XRay Magazine where the November issue will show the newest finds for girls.
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