Recruiting New Members @ Car Shows

[Bulletin Editor]

Jack & I brought back several extra KFOCI calendars & Quarterlies from the National to have on hand at car shows, with the intent of recruiting new members. And it worked! We had our newly-acquired 1952 Henry J Corsair deLuxe at a show on 7/22 when a gentleman came by ... seems he always liked - and wanted - a Darrin and wondered if we could connect him with a current owner. We gave him a calendar, with the club website written on the back and got his contact info in return. Later I sent him the July eBulletin ... and a few days later he wrote back to tell me he had joined the club! Our new club member is Jeff Norwil who we put in touch with multiple Darrin owner, Lee Abrahams. Perhaps Jeff will soon be adding a Darrin to his unique car collection ... watch for updates in the Bulletin.

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

Wonderful !!!

Way to Go. We all need to as they say in sales, (Always be Selling) .

We have an excellent award winning News Letter. Frindly helpful Members ready to Welcome & Show Our K F Products. I hope We can continue to Grow with New & Older Members.

Keep Up The Good Fun Work .

[MarkH]

Great idea and thanks for all the hard work on the bulletin too. I haven't been getting it long but always zip it open and read it right away

Something I'll mention again since it seems to fit this subject is that there is no mention of Willys or Aero in the club name, or even posted on the internet Home page. Only if some Aero owner takes the time to visit the KFOCI home page forum or registry, (& why would they) or happens to know KF owned Willys the last few years of it existence could they make a connection to the KFOCI club.

As an example, the fairly new FB Willys Aero Survival Group just hit 300 (non-dues paying) members a month or 2 ago, tonight it's 424, and it's a closed group, invite only.

Personally, in the few years I've been hanging around here, I've always felt like the Aero is the red headed step child of this club in spite of the resident expertise that's found here. You have to dig to even find it's a part of the club.

The internet is proving to be a powerful recruiting medium for Aero owners, and if the club would ever publicly acknowledge an Aero club connection that turns up in an internet search, they could tap into that 24/7 source of interested owners. Another FB Aero group turned up in a quick search tonight, over 900 members, mainly Brazilians, I joined that one too.

Visitors and dues paying members are two different things. I'll use myself as an example again......... my first post here was May of '13........... stopped in many times before but never bothered to even join the forum. Finally decided to send in a check this year, mostly because I've been hanging around so long and I know the club needs members. My pathway here certainly isn't the answer for the club's survival though.

I think if you want to grow the club it needs to publically acknowledge the Aero as a part of the club in a manner that turns up in an internet search. If not, then the club's internet potential has already happened, while newer clubs continue to gather new Aero members by the hundreds.

[darrin502]

Darrin is not in the title either. Willys is most of the time on the hats that are sold at the conventions. Darrin is never on them. Darrin was part of KF and the serial plate is willys motors. I am not offended and have been a member since the 60's. We do need members so if there are that many Areo people out there let's get them signed up. If they come to the conventions they can vote and make there wishes known. The club is run by those who come to the conventions. So join and participate it can be your club to.
Lee

[Gordie]

Willys cars are absolutely welcome in the KFOCI.  When the club started in 1959 it was to help owners find parts for their recently orphaned cars which included Kaisers, Frazers, Henry J's,  Darrins and Allstates.  Willys car owners had their own club several years ago but members lost interest and the club died out.  We well know of the connection between Kaiser and Willys and we have grown closer in recent years and even joined in a meet this year with the Willys folks and we hope to do the same next year.  Our National Meet last month had several nice Willys cars and a few Jeeps as well and we all have a good time together.  We have had a Willys Aero Registry for years run by our Willys expert Rick Kamen.  There is strength in numbers of car owners in a club and the more members we can get together the better perks that we can offer in the way of a nice monthly newsletter, with free advertising,  a beautiful calendar each year and a very useful roster of members as well as a great National Meet at a different part of the country every year.  Our various regions also hold meets in their part of the country and they are very well attended.  Tell your Willys friends about us and lets enjoy all of the great cars that our founders produced.

[Bulletin Editor]

Something I'll mention again since it seems to fit this subject is that there is no mention of Willys or Aero in the club name, or even posted on the internet Home page.

I know it's not the same as being in the club name or on the website, but I do include the Willys logo on the Bulletin cover ~ and artwork when I can find it.

And, the '53 & '54 Aero is included in the club handbook. Jack would like to include the '52 & '55 but lacks the factory issued information ... so, if you have anything to contribute for that, please let him know: historian@kfclub.com

[Bulletin Editor]

I think if you want to grow the club it needs to publically acknowledge the Aero as a part of the club in a manner that turns up in an internet search. If not, then the club's internet potential has already happened, while newer clubs continue to gather new Aero members by the hundreds.

Mark, you make some good points ... why not ask the webmaster to include the club purpose on the website and add Willys/Aero/Jeep to the search keywords.

Constitution Article 1, Section 2
The purposes for which the club are founded are for the development, publication and interchange of technical, historical and other information for and among the members and others who own or are interested in the vehicles built by Kaiser-Frazer, Graham-Paige, Willys Motors, Kaiser Motors, Kaiser-Willys, Willys Overland, IKA,  and Kaiser Jeep (including vehicles built by the above companies by their foreign divisions or under license), and to promote social discourse and fellowship among the members; and to maintain references upon and encourage the maintenance and preservation of all such vehicles as well as to promote and publish and research pertaining to their history.

[MarkH]

Darrin is not in the title either.......................... I am not offended and have been a member since the 60's............................. We do need members so if there are that many Areo people out there let's get them signed up. If they come to the conventions they can vote and make there wishes known. The club is run by those who come to the conventions.............................
Lee

I think Darrin should be in the club title.

I'm not offended by the lack of naming included club marques, just pointing out the exclusion in the club name.

I think I already responded to your last point.

Willys cars are absolutely welcome in the KFOCI.  When the club started in 1959 it was to help owners find parts for their recently orphaned cars which included Kaisers, Frazers, Henry J's,  Darrins and Allstates.  Willys car owners had their own club several years ago but members lost interest and the club died out.  We well know of the connection between Kaiser and Willys and we have grown closer in recent years and even joined in a meet this year with the Willys folks and we hope to do the same next year.  Our National Meet last month had several nice Willys cars and a few Jeeps as well and we all have a good time together.  We have had a Willys Aero Registry for years run by our Willys expert Rick Kamen.  There is strength in numbers of car owners in a club and the more members we can get together the better perks that we can offer in the way of a nice monthly newsletter, with free advertising,  a beautiful calendar each year and a very useful roster of members as well as a great National Meet at a different part of the country every year.  Our various regions also hold meets in their part of the country and they are very well attended.  Tell your Willys friends about us and lets enjoy all of the great cars that our founders produced.

Well said and all true. I believe the group of 425 has a link to here. I know for sure this site has been mentioned/posted there.

I think if you want to grow the club it needs to publically acknowledge the Aero as a part of the club in a manner that turns up in an internet search. If not, then the club's internet potential has already happened, while newer clubs continue to gather new Aero members by the hundreds.

Mark, you make some good points ... why not ask the webmaster to include the club purpose on the website and add Willys/Aero/Jeep to the search keywords.

Constitution Article 1, Section 2
The purposes for which the club are founded are for the development, publication and interchange of technical, historical and other information for and among the members and others who own or are interested in the vehicles built by Kaiser-Frazer, Graham-Paige, Willys Motors, Kaiser Motors, Kaiser-Willys, Willys Overland, IKA,  and Kaiser Jeep (including vehicles built by the above companies by their foreign divisions or under license), and to promote social discourse and fellowship among the members; and to maintain references upon and encourage the maintenance and preservation of all such vehicles as well as to promote and publish and research pertaining to their history.

Search engine keywords would help to a degree but but from my past experience are something where their effectiveness is like sand that constantly needs shoveling to stay high enough to maintain the hit count. If the club name were updated to actually state every marque here then the work is done, anyone ever searching for their car would find this site.
From a strictly marketing view, I'm not too sure the lead name shouldn't be Henry J but that's another subject altogether.

I'm not trying to change the club, try to run things as an unelected officer or tell anyone they've done a bad job. The club has been around a long time and I just bought a ticket on this train at the last stop. I'm just sharing some observations that, in my personal opinion, could help boost the club's internet presence. Whether that increased exposure could be transformed into additional dues paying members here would remain to be seen. I just don't see a downside to updating the club name to state the marque's included here, especially given how well that's working out for other sites.

I will point out one more thing. In the other groups I've joined in the past few months, I've never seen a post like this one from May.

Have all us old AERO guys died or are all our cars working perfectly.  No postings in almost 3 weeks.  Looking forward to getting Sweet Willy out of winter storage and going for a run when I get home in 3 weeks.

[Gordie]

Willys has a proud heritage that goes all of the way back to 1903 with the beginnings of the Overland car.  John North Willys ran Overland and in 1909 renamed the company Willys-Overland and over the years they made the Willys Knight, Pilter-Overland in Canada, Whippet and even Jeep which is now owned by Fiat in Italy.  Our Kaiser Frazer Club does not relate to most of these vehicles but they certainly do the Jeepster, Willys Aeros and Willys of Brazil and many of the products made through about 1946-1956.  How much of Willys history does our club want to encompass?  We can not just include Willys in our club without Willys people being in agreement and members of KFOCI club agreeing also.  In the meantime our two  car lines are very compatible and if all agree we could certainly join forces.  We both need to decide how far back in Willys history we want to encompass and how far in the future with Jeep vehicles.  I am certain that there are Jeep clubs now.  There are several car clubs that welcome all car owners like the AACA and the CHVA which have thousands of orphan car owners in their ranks.  What are your thoughts?

[joefrazer]

I firmly believe the KFOCI should recognize all Willys built vehicles built from 1903 onward. Currently, there is no club for Willys specific vehicles other than the Willys Overland Knight Registry (for Knight engined vehicles) and the various Jeep and Jeepster clubs. Americars and the earlier Willys cars don't have a home, but deserve one - why not with us?

In addition, there's the fact that every club is seeing attrition. Even the venerable AACA has a major campaign underway to boost membership, which included a first-ever joint meet with the CCCA. When the two largest antique automobile clubs on the planet collaborate, even if just for one meet, it should get your attention. It did mine.

And yes, widening the club's scope does mean a revision to the judging standards would be necessary but I see that as a good problem to have. That means people are attending meets and bringing their cars.

[Aeroman]

Several things:

First off, Thanx Gordie for the compliment, but I am not the only Aero expert club member: Duane Hayes in Colorado and Dave Horton in Lakeland, FL are both very knowledgeable in Aero lore and Lew Retzer in IL knows more than I could hope to know but he's not a computer guy. Our new buddy MarkH is becoming quite the expert on the building of his Aero since he has been stripping it down to every nut and bolt. Unfortunately, we lost Bill Tilden a few years ago and his knowledge was priceless. Don't forget we have as members authors Dick Langworth and Pat Foster who actually wrote books with quite a bit of Aero info included. And we have our club historian, Jack Mueller. Jack has access to lots of Aero related documentation.

As far as other clubs catering to Willys, the Willys Overland Knight Registry pretty much covers all the pre-war Willys-built vehicles, so we do not really need to go pre-war in our search for new members.

The old Willys Club was a great club with a wonderful and informative newsletter, but once the founders passed the torch of leadership to one man, he became lackadaisical and then allegedly absconded with the club treasury. No one in the club pursued him or even knew how to, so the club just faded away.

As far as changing the club name, it would be awfully cumbersome to become the Kaiser-Frazer-Darrin-Henry J-Allstate-Willys Club, but we should have ourselves set-up with good words for search engines.

[MarkH]

Well, I certainly wouldn't count myself in that group other than to ask questions, of which I have asked some of those named many times.

I'll make a few points and then leave this to others.

I have some experience as a website owner/operator although that was ages ago in internet time and no doubt a lot of what I know is badly dated, maybe even irrelevant, but here's how it was.

Search engines are better now but staying relevant with search engines then was a round the clock battle. You can fight that fight with every other site owner on the world wide web for hits, pay someone to do it for you or create a site name that will naturally pop up, hopefully on the first page of most search engines. In our case, we're interested in attracting the different marques of this club. If it's in your "mission statement" or anywhere else on your website that's not your site name, get ready to go to work and never rest. Every other site owner wants to be at the top of page one and will step on your head to get there.

I wouldn't split hairs on what production years Willys are welcome, the club is already doing that.....and we're having this discussion for growing the club. Welcome them all & let the owners decide, the more that feel welcome, the better.

We also know what the current club name is drawing in. My Aero model was the cheapest of the line, but to me it's a Cadillac. If I actually had a Cadillac, I wouldn't be joining the General Motors Club, but that's me. I already tell people I talk to that this is the Kaiser/Frazer Willys club.

Changing your club name and your website name are two different things. No doubt a domain name reflecting the different marques of this club is available for cheap........ I'd use every one and take the web hits. Changing the site name is probably the cheapest thing you can do to change the public "draw" of the club, even if you're stuck on the current club name.

Henry J & Aero custom rods........ I see a lot of that happening and courting those owners would be a good thing. Even though some of the cars are something only a mother could love, they're still called by what the sheetmetal is.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Things like courting hot rods helped make the AACA what it is today comparedto the prestige organization it was in years past.