Promotion And Promoters

[SCB]

Can't imagine any business saying 'can I try it free and not pay even if I do'. Try it with a PL footie team, a restaurant, a cinema, a gams of golf, and you will not get a Yes. The nearest you will get is admission with a part voucher, which is the normal taster systems.

You might get a new fan for life, but as Lakeside found out, more like a lot of freebies for a night.

TBF go into a decent pub and ask about beers and you'll fund they'll let you have a try - certainly of more obscure beers. Ok probably not on a busy Saturday night but some will do it. Same with a restaurant. Few years ago was in a restaurant that had a set menu. My friend commented he was tempted by something but having never tried it he wasn't sure. He pick something else and the rest of us ordered. 2 minutes later the guy who had served us brought a taster out for my friend to try.

 

It's a difficult balance, I can see it from both sides. It is risky taking a child out anywhere. So you'd think they'd be able to come up with something. Try and impress the fan from the off. Most people do appreciate being made to feel special, even if it is only a very small discount.

[Tsunami]

TBF go into a decent pub and ask about beers and you'll fund they'll let you have a try - certainly of more obscure beers. Ok probably not on a busy Saturday night but some will do it. Same with a restaurant. Few years ago was in a restaurant that had a set menu. My friend commented he was tempted by something but having never tried it he wasn't sure. He pick something else and the rest of us ordered. 2 minutes later the guy who had served us brought a taster out for my friend to try.

 

It's a difficult balance, I can see it from both sides. It is risky taking a child out anywhere. So you'd think they'd be able to come up with something. Try and impress the fan from the off. Most people do appreciate being made to feel special, even if it is only a very small discount.

Free kids in the summer, and £5 a child all of the time not good enough for you.

[ColinMills]

TBF go into a decent pub and ask about beers and you'll fund they'll let you have a try - certainly of more obscure beers. Ok probably not on a busy Saturday night but some will do it. Same with a restaurant. Few years ago was in a restaurant that had a set menu. My friend commented he was tempted by something but having never tried it he wasn't sure. He pick something else and the rest of us ordered. 2 minutes later the guy who had served us brought a taster out for my friend to try.

 

It's a difficult balance, I can see it from both sides. It is risky taking a child out anywhere. So you'd think they'd be able to come up with something. Try and impress the fan from the off. Most people do appreciate being made to feel special, even if it is only a very small discount.

I thought so...had it been me receiving that email, I personally would of gave more than a 2 line response, but I also see tsunami reply as well..."bring him along and I will arrange a foto with a rider" I personally would of organised, bearing in mind its a rare request, and no-one else would of known. I think a personal touch goes a long way..

[barncooseboy]

BSPA could implement National newspaper advertising of matches, not sure if newspapers still arrange their advertising the way they uaes to, they want a certain sum per page, if they manage to sell half the page for a sum close to the full page requirement you could buy the other half page for a peanut and a note tghat folded hence St Austell when it restarted at the Moto Parc having half page adverts in the Daily Mirror The advertising could be financed by reducing rror.Modern day promotions could all do with reading the Ian Thomas book 'Wheels and Deals'The advertising money could come from reducing BSPA Office costs, I am told one of the office staff members is on 50k but have you tried ringing the office after 330

Edited September 28, 2015 by barncooseboy

[Countershaftcounter]

BSPA could implement National newspaper advertising of matches, not sure if newspapers still arrange their advertising the way they uaes to, they want a certain sum per page, if they manage to sell half the page for a sum close to the full page requirement you could buy the other half page for a peanut and a note tghat folded hence St Austell when it restarted at the Moto Parc having half page adverts in the Daily Mirror The advertising could be financed by reducing rror.Modern day promotions could all do with reading the Ian Thomas book 'Wheels and Deals'The advertising money could come from reducing BSPA Office costs, I am told one of the office staff members is on 50k but have you tried ringing the office after 330

Therein lies the problem. It's 2015, no one advertises seriously in papers anymore. It's all online now

[RobMcCaffery]

Therein lies the problem. It's 2015, no one advertises seriously in papers anymore. It's all online now

Online is very important and increasingly vital but to say "no one advertises seriously in papers anymore" is quite laughable. Do you actually read newspapers? Obviously I read different types......

[SCB]

Online is very important and increasingly vital but to say "no one advertises seriously in papers anymore" is quite laughable. Do you actually read newspapers? Obviously I read different types......

I think thats the point, very few people do these days. Certainly those under the age of 30.

[Trees]

it was kings lynn, maybe because I knew this bloke was genuine, not a freebie grabber, he was purely interested in finding a hobby for his boy..

by the way, I started cruising by booking a 2 day taster, not knowing if id like it, I now had 6 cruises, so it worked for them.

no, kings lynn wasn't interested (which I clearly understand)

there response was "we have one last match, its free for kids, £11 adults".....that was it.

no mention of what match it was, no date, no start time......now I had no gripes with there answer to the query, but my god, PR in

speedway is pretty non exsistant!!

Oh dear, I think if it was me I'd have sent the guy a half price voucher. Customer service should be paramount, it is in my job.

[uk_martin]

CEOs of minor sports are only paid 40-50K per year. You'll probably only get a youngish person for that, and you won't keep them for long if they're any good, but they might bring enough enthusiasm and ideas to improve the sport.

 

They might also bang their heads up against the same brick walls of the establishment that brought about the demises of the likes of Rob Lyon, Jonathan Chapman and others. They had ideas too...and woe betide those with ideas. The establishment does not "do" ideas. And you don't run up against the establishment and win.

[Countershaftcounter]

Online is very important and increasingly vital but to say "no one advertises seriously in papers anymore" is quite laughable. Do you actually read newspapers? Obviously I read different types......

I read the times and the telegraph, but if i was trying to attract a younger generation of fans to an extreme sport, I wouldn't advertise it in a newspaper.

[barncooseboy]

There in lies a problem, if you dont read a newspaper you dont see the adverts, if you go online how much notice do you take of an advert that is blocking your route to your required destination. There are lots of AD blocker programmes in use out there, so where do you go tthjese days for economic and effective advertising? The side of a local bus? Flyers through letter boxes tend to go straight in the bin. A few years ago I was involved in an event where we put 15,000 money off vouchers for reduced price entrance, we got 3, yes 3 presented at the entrance gates. Where is it economisally viable to advertise these days?

[uk_martin]

...so where do you go tthjese days for economic and effective advertising? ...

 

If you don't know the answer then why not start by asking young people? Start with some market research. Ask them where they got to hear about the latest trainers that they are wearing. Ask them where they got to hear about the music they are listening to, or the beer that they are drinking. Ask the questions and maybe you'll find the answers. Then take it from there.

 

What won't work is when you have promoters who either believe in "open the doors and the people will come", or those who do it today like they have been doing it for the last 50 years, or those who fathers did it a certain way and whose fathers fathers did it a certain way. The world has changes and maybe in a way that people of our generation don't recognise, so you have to ask and find out.

[HagueyUK]

A very interesting thread which I have followed closely. IMO you have to give more these days for what you get. Take sponsors, they provide a vital part of income to the running of not only the clubs but riders also. But what do they get for their money? Is it not time to go that extra mile to promote them more? Just an example of a way of helping those who already support that doesn't take a lot of outlay to do so. I could give our example, but I am not commenting on here to try and promote our brand.

[ch958]

offer free tickets to those who apply and give mob number/ email address and market to them free of charge every week

 

if they have applied, even for free tickets, they have some interest or curiosity so that can be developed. Regulars who would have paid anyway have given you their contact details so you know who your customers are and you can market to them regularly, maybe with discounts for less attractive fixtures, etc

TBH its beginners marketing - just needs a bit of work

 

of course when they turn up they have to see a credible event without 'borrowed' riders, delays, bad track prep, etc

[bigcatdiary]

They might also bang their heads up against the same brick walls of the establishment that brought about the demises of the likes of Rob Lyon, Jonathan Chapman and others. They had ideas too...and woe betide those with ideas. The establishment does not "do" ideas. And you don't run up against the establishment and win.

And that's the crux of the problem, the promoters who would and could have made the difference and changes have had their enthusiasm completely destroyed by the old establishment who want to run it the way they always have and until that cycle is broken nothing really will change.

[E I Addio]

 

No point at all on getting new people through the turnstiles if you can't keep them.

 

There is a compny in Amertca that sells tinned food . They spend nothing on advertising which keeps the price down and rely entirely on word of mouth.. They have a very successful balance sheet.

 

The lesson for Speedwáy is that if the product is good word of mouth will bring more in, and keep them coming back. If they don't enjoy it then however good the advertising that gets them there, they won't be back. It's bad enough trying to keep the existing fans without trying to ha hang on to new ones.

 

While we have things like the fast track fiasco in its present form where you can often fill your programming before the race starts you won't be having the tense matches that attract people.

 

I recently acquired a copy of Speedwáy News dated April 1939 , that has an excellent Ediorial stressing the importance of well balanced teams providing close racing. They seemed to understand that then and big crowds came. Somewhere along the line the lesson has been lost.

[New Science]

No point at all on getting new people through the turnstiles if you can't keep them.

 

There is a compny in Amertca that sells tinned food . They spend nothing on advertising which keeps the price down and rely entirely on word of mouth.. They have a very successful balance sheet.

 

The lesson for Speedwáy is that if the product is good word of mouth will bring more in, and keep them coming back. If they don't enjoy it then however good the advertising that gets them there, they won't be back. It's bad enough trying to keep the existing fans without trying to ha hang on to new ones.

 

While we have things like the fast track fiasco in its present form where you can often fill your programming before the race starts you won't be having the tense matches that attract people.

 

I recently acquired a copy of Speedwáy News dated April 1939 , that has an excellent Ediorial stressing the importance of well balanced teams providing close racing. They seemed to understand that then and big crowds came. Somewhere along the line the lesson has been lost.

Good post