BMX News Editorial: What Does It Mean To Be Sponsored? Options

[MikeCarruth]

(IMG:http://www.bmxnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/what_is_sponsorship.jpg)

Just posted Part One of a two-part editorial on what it means to be sponsored in BMX Racing. A panel of eight industry leaders answered 10 questions on the subject, ranging from "Why do you sponsor riders" to "How much do parents play a role in your decision to sponsor or not sponsor a rider"

To my mind, the panel has put forth an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to be sponsored, IS sponsored, or has a team.

Read, then come back to discuss.

Read Part One Now

Part two will be posted on Friday (September 9)


Enjoy!

M

[obsessive]

Mike

Great idea my friend. I wish that everyone could have sat in on the conversation that Jerry Bradford, Danny Caluag, Blake Riley and Brandon McDowell had with the riders at the Top Gun Camp. Jerry did a fantastic job explaining to the kids to have a "give" attitude toward their sponsors, build relationships with their sponsors and learn, as Birk so eloquently put it, to have influence in BMX. Everyone wins when that happens.

Look forward to the rest of it.

OB

[justride]

Good reading...I always thought the performance of a rider took a back seat to how well they represented their sponsor and how they carry themselves even when things go bad.

[rustydial]

As owners, marketing managers, etc:

How do you all measure the profitability of your individual marketing initiatives and the overall impact your marketing efforts have on the financial performance of your organizations?

[4evr3fan]

Good read MC. I agree with a lot of what your panel of experts had to say. Look forward to part two.

[reedhamilton]

Toby said it best - you want to make the big bucks, then act like it.

Don't use twitter or facebook like you are sending a private text or e-mail. And really, texts and e-mails aren't completely private either.

Best role model for brand ambassador? Tony Hoffman seems to be setting the standard. That guy is a one-man marketing machine. I bet Haro values him just as much as they value Khalen Young and Nic Long.

[Jason F.]

Toby said it best - you want to make the big bucks, then act like it.

I drill this into my sons head constantly, and it works as he seems to be getting quite a few "fans" from the little guys.

In Reno this weekend I saw some great sponsored riders and heard some terribly bad attitudes and foul mouths from parents and riders who were sponsored, older guys mostly.

[LACK]

Give Mike a days rest and a burrito from 7-11 and look.... very good work. jlack

[Gorilla]

http://vimeo.com/m/#/28561688
How Hoder does it.

[Gorilla]

http://vimeo.com/m/#/28561688
How Hoder does it.

Mobile links don't work, genius (whoops)
here we go: http://vimeo.com/28561688
I know it's a different world, but not everyone is, has the opportunity or even wants to be a top level professional athlete. We all do our best as life allows, and I'm sure the 'I'm the fastest, most positive, be like me' model isn't the be all and end all, especially where marketing's concerned. Did you want to be a choir boy or a rock star when you grew up?

[Brett Middaugh]

IMO, in BMX racing, WAY too much emphasis is put on being sponsored and not enough on getting more riders into your sport...
I mean go to a local race and an overwhelming amount of riders are "sponsored" from BEGINNER to Pro.
You guys need a bigger base to work from.

This goes back to the original post that has been taken down twice, why do some of the top guys not give it their all at certain times...because over the years BMX racing lost the "hero" aspect it once had.
Racing went downhill in that aspect when the now defunct nbl decided in it's infinite dumdom to give beginners and novices national number plates, then you have no real non-bias (most of racing's current literature in the USA...all?...is put out by the sanction not an independent author) news reporting on who the heroes are and you have a sport without an identity for itself.

BMX minu...I mean plus! (can't forget the exclamation point....ugh...) covers races but it doesn't feel lifestyle enough, heck it doesn't feel over 12ish enough. The best things racing has right now for media are BMX News, and BMX mania...mania though has that whole super long scroll thing going on...but I digress.

Being sponsored means you are making people want to buy the product you are running, that brings in revenue to the companies which in turn grows the sport which in turn increases salaries, pro payouts, incentives, etc....
Right now some of these BMX racing companies would be better off putting their stuff on jersey shore (ugh) or some other high profile celebrity to gain exposure...as repugnant as it sounds it will up your "WTF is this?" numbers...

[MikeCarruth]

This goes back to the original post that has been taken down twice, why do some of the top guys not give it their all at certain times...because over the years BMX racing lost the "hero" aspect it once had.

^^For the record, this editorial is not related to the thread taken down on Monday. This article has been in the works since April, but came together last week when I sent the panel the questions.

I definitely agree that sponsorship should be more exclusive than inclusive.

I was thinking about this the other day on the way home from Louisville, when passing an outlet mall. It once was the case where outlets had mark-down and no-sell merchandise for a given chain (Nike outlet had the purple leather AJs with the yellow swoosh, in size 15, and so on). Then there was an outlet MALL, which brought a whole bunch of those outlets together...then you had the stores creating original SKUs FOR the outlet stores (in otherwords, this downmarket product skipped the mainstream Nike, Gap or Nordstroms stores, and went directly to the folks cruising bargains the outlet mall). I'd be interested to see how often the outlets outsell some of the mainstream stores.

How long will it be til a BMX company is founded exclusively with the intent of selling the product directly to consumers for cheap, via a "sponsorship" program that allows all comers? I think there are a some companies that are a few steps away from that now, but none that seem to make it a business model.

Interesting stuff.


M

[HRPdesigns]

It was a good read for both the Teams and the riders. Think I might just pas this link on to the team. Now with the season 3/4 complete I have been thinking about next year for my team, and the incite from your panel has made some tough decisions a little easier. Thanks Mike.

[nickdawghaters]

BMX minu...I mean plus! (can't forget the exclamation point....ugh...) covers races but it doesn't feel lifestyle enough, heck it doesn't feel over 12ish enough.

Watch your mouth buddy... Ben @ BMX Plus! Doesnt need to attend races to get coverage so be thankful that the one real magazine that does come out, even really does come out.

[MeredithJL]

Watch your mouth buddy... Ben @ BMX Plus! Doesnt need to attend races to get coverage so be thankful that the one real magazine that does come out, even really does come out.

How many racers subscribe to it these days because of the race coverage? After reading a race report identical to the one in the ABA's mag last year, I didn't see a need to pay for a subscription again. i know their focus is mostly street/dirt and freestyle (whatever you call it these days) but really: why should we be grateful for repeat (ie, a reprint of an article published elsewhere) coverage at a price? I don't think it's convincing their main subscriber base to try racing, do you? I don't consider it a 'real' magazine with regard to BMX racing. Other websites (like Mike's other ones) and the ABA mag are the leaders there. I'm not intending to start an argument, that's just how I see it.

This post has been edited by MeredithJL: Sep 8 2011, 11:07 AM