What happened ???
07-22-2009, 05:52 PM
#31
Sponsorship is really just a promotional agreement; this idea of sponsorship having to be "earned" just makes me chuckle. There are no free lunches, and if a given company is willing to part with either product or money or both, you can bet that they aren't doing it out of the goodness of their corporate hearts, but to gain something from the transaction.
That having been said, different companies have different business plans/business models/advertising strategies, but the end goal is usually the same: to have their product or service seen in the most favourable light possible, so as to generate sales and thus, revenue.
When I think about it, offering a pro or club driver free or discounted equipment is probably a very efficient way of promoting one's product.
Let's take engines for example. Let's say that BRAND X has a mill that retails for $300, and they want to get the word out to get as many people as possible to buy the BRAND X mill. The engine itself probably costs $70 to fabricate, parts & labor included, so even if they flat-out give a dozen of them away, those dozen BRAND X-sponsored runners will probably be seen by 800-1000 people each (conservatively), over the course of 6 months, so roughly 12000 people reached in total.
Of those total 12000 avid RC-ers, maybe one in ten will actually buy that mill, so 1200 mills sold... With less than $850 out-of-pocket. Granted, I've grossly over-simplified the matter to make my point, but you get the jist of it: if a company "gives" someone something, they're getting something back in return
That having been said, different companies have different business plans/business models/advertising strategies, but the end goal is usually the same: to have their product or service seen in the most favourable light possible, so as to generate sales and thus, revenue.
When I think about it, offering a pro or club driver free or discounted equipment is probably a very efficient way of promoting one's product.
Let's take engines for example. Let's say that BRAND X has a mill that retails for $300, and they want to get the word out to get as many people as possible to buy the BRAND X mill. The engine itself probably costs $70 to fabricate, parts & labor included, so even if they flat-out give a dozen of them away, those dozen BRAND X-sponsored runners will probably be seen by 800-1000 people each (conservatively), over the course of 6 months, so roughly 12000 people reached in total.
Of those total 12000 avid RC-ers, maybe one in ten will actually buy that mill, so 1200 mills sold... With less than $850 out-of-pocket. Granted, I've grossly over-simplified the matter to make my point, but you get the jist of it: if a company "gives" someone something, they're getting something back in return
07-22-2009, 06:02 PM
#32
I think having talent and winning races is very important when it comes to RC sponsorships. I mean if it weren't for Maifield winning all over the place with his Reedy Powered RC8T, i wouldn't own a Reedy Powered RC8T. I'd have soemthing else that was winning. When i decide if i want a product, i ask, "Is it good enough for a pro driver?" if pro drivers run it, must be good enough to win with.. Now whether i am a good enough driver to win with it is another story, but good drivers dont win with junk...
07-22-2009, 06:04 PM
#33
Tech Regular
iTrader: (6)
i feel that a sponsored driver should be someone that represents the company. to me. i would have rather have a x company come up to me and say. hey, would it be cool if you represent my company and give me no discount. rather than have some douch bag come up to me and bribe me to buy or take his shit. i would love to represent a company even if it meant t-shirts and stickers for a while. and no discounts on motors, fuel, etc...
07-22-2009, 06:14 PM
#34
i feel that a sponsored driver should be someone that represents the company. to me. i would have rather have a x company come up to me and say. hey, would it be cool if you represent my company and give me no discount. rather than have some douch bag come up to me and bribe me to buy or take his shit. i would love to represent a company even if it meant t-shirts and stickers for a while. and no discounts on motors, fuel, etc...
07-22-2009, 06:39 PM
#35
What happened is in the past 2-3 years many new companies have been started and what better way to get your stuff out there than to sponsor a bunch of guys at 50%. Its the same or more than you would be selling your product to a store or distributor so its a win win for them.
07-22-2009, 07:05 PM
#36
Sponsorship should not have to be always about results. I see plenty of full chassis sponsored guys throw temper tantrums at the track. I have also seen them bad mouth thier products or run a competitors product because they thought it was better. Why do companies tolerate this behavior?
Me personally, I'm not out winning big races. However, I am out racing every weekend promoting my sponsors product. I help other people with set-ups, tuning and even parts if they need it.
Doing this is what got me a chassis, tire, and motor sponsors. Portraying a positive image will have companies approaching you, not the other way around.
Me personally, I'm not out winning big races. However, I am out racing every weekend promoting my sponsors product. I help other people with set-ups, tuning and even parts if they need it.
Doing this is what got me a chassis, tire, and motor sponsors. Portraying a positive image will have companies approaching you, not the other way around.
07-22-2009, 07:08 PM
#37
Sponsorship should not have to be always about results. I see plenty of full chassis sponsored guys throw temper tantrums at the track. I have also seen them bad mouth thier products or run a competitors product because they thought it was better. Why do companies tolerate this behavior?
Me personally, I'm not out winning big races. However, I am out racing every weekend promoting my sponsors product. I help other people with set-ups, tuning and even parts if they need it.
Doing this is what got me a chassis, tire, and motor sponsors. Portraying a positive image will have companies approaching you, not the other way around.
Me personally, I'm not out winning big races. However, I am out racing every weekend promoting my sponsors product. I help other people with set-ups, tuning and even parts if they need it.
Doing this is what got me a chassis, tire, and motor sponsors. Portraying a positive image will have companies approaching you, not the other way around.
keep up the good work sickboy
that is great representation
07-22-2009, 07:25 PM
#40
07-22-2009, 07:30 PM
#41
07-22-2009, 08:43 PM
#42
if you get good deals on all your products and everybody needs help with parts and assembling things properly and so on its hard to race sometimes too. im not sponsered but then again i have 2 shops that sell me for the price i want(within reason)and on down the line i promote those stores. but when i spend an hour tearing sombodys rtr clutch apart give them there clutch set up buy someone elses shoes for there clutch then give them my last 2 springs,spacer and shimms with bearings and a new bell(they spent there last$20 on shoes now ious you never get) i gotta go back out and try getting more(really i lost 5 bucks). its good to always have parts coming in somewhere. its cool the boys down at the lhs know me and i can go down and order crap all day but its stress. its all fun and i suck driving...til the b main
07-22-2009, 08:46 PM
#43
sponsorship = brand ownership and representation. being sponsored means caring for the success of the brand and helping them reach their goals in what little ways you can. this doesn't mean forcing the brand down other people's throats but really just about spreading positive words. being sponsored means being somewhat a part of that brand which makes representation key. it means having a good attitude and knowing that your actions is not only a reflection on yourself but also a reflection on your sponsor. winning events is a plus and some sponsors i'm sure require that but most probably don't. of course, all of this comes with a reward. the sponsor will help you out in doing what you love to do. now, in a sense, it is simply a promotional agreement between two parties but i'm sure those guys at the top will disagree. if you look at some of the top drivers, their names have become almost synonymous with the brands that they represent. i mean, what's a drake without a losi? it's because they've promoted each other's success and because of that a good relationship has resulted.
now there are in a sense lower quality sponsorships. where the sponsor offers a little something for a little something back. nothing wrong with that at all. any sponsorship is good sponsorship in my book and it doesn't take a away anything from other people's sponsorships so there's no reason to see it in a negative light.
btw most of my words come from paintball experience and not rc so yea... i'm sure it's similar.
now there are in a sense lower quality sponsorships. where the sponsor offers a little something for a little something back. nothing wrong with that at all. any sponsorship is good sponsorship in my book and it doesn't take a away anything from other people's sponsorships so there's no reason to see it in a negative light.
btw most of my words come from paintball experience and not rc so yea... i'm sure it's similar.
07-22-2009, 10:58 PM
#45
This thread has some very good points, good job Monty
This topic seems to come up more now than in years past in various forms on various forums. Most of the time it's a good read and has many good points on both sides.
Many years ago the way I and some of my fellow racers understood things to work was that there different steps/levels of a spocsorship. The first setp was going with a small Mom and Pop shop or company that gave some sort of discount to said driver, usually small. Sometimes that driver may even work for said shop of company. The next step was to get a 50% deal with a bigger more known company or mfg. where reace results were looked at and expected. Usually the fast guys or faster guys had at least this level/step. Finally the last step was a full ride. Sometimes it would end up being with the same co. or mfg. that gave the 50% deal. Keep in mind this was some 20 years ago and the internet was yet to be born. Clearly we didn't know how that side worked for guys and we figured it out much later.
I never looked in to getting a sponsorship back then, I was just happy to race. I have since gained a couple and am very happy to have them. Made me feel that my 20 years in racing paid off a little. No, I don't get anything for free and I didn't expect to. The discount I do get is enough to make me happy. Maybe I see things diferently now at my age. I know how good I am and still know I am not even close results wise to warrent a full ride. I'm ok with that. What I think is, some guys seem to feel they should be entitled to be getting more than what they do from their sponsors and if they do not, well they move on. Often times with little to no sponsors.
The advent of the internet has changed things alot for all parties. It has made it easier for a co. or mfg. to get their name out and made it easier for racers looking for a sponsorship to get in contact with those same companies and mgf.'s. It's both good and bad depending on who is asked. Understand that the top sponsored full ride guys that earn a living at racing only represent a very small % of all racers in the hobby. As cool as it sounds to have everything paid for, think of what is expected of those same racers day in day out. The constant questions that have been answered thousands of times, yet have to be answered each time as if it were the first. The R&D and prototyping of parts and cars that do not always work, yet are still expected to win with. It goes on and on and on. It's not something that many can handle well or would want to for very long. Those that do all that is expected of them at the level usually shine, those that don't, don't.
It's personality thing. Some have it and some don't. There is little doubt that the top sponsored racers are lacking the talent to get what they have. Clearly the talent is there, the rest is what could make or brake their image. As for a sponsorship being earned? Well that too can go both ways. Winning races isn't the only way to earn a sponsorship, as some have pointed out. Having racers that have a good repor at the track, have a vast knowledge of racing, willing to help guys, and so forth can pay off bigger for a co. or mfg. than having the guy that always wins. Just depends on what that co. or mfg. is looking for. I don't think it's a bad thing for guys to have a way to keep racing affordable, we all know it is anything but.
Look at most of the top teams right now. Wasn't all that long ago that co.'s and mfg.'s had seperate teams for on and off road. Now, well for many that has changed. The economy had alot to do with that and the teams have been restructured accordingly. In some cases it could make getting a sponsorship harder that just a hand full of years ago. Than again sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
This topic seems to come up more now than in years past in various forms on various forums. Most of the time it's a good read and has many good points on both sides.
Many years ago the way I and some of my fellow racers understood things to work was that there different steps/levels of a spocsorship. The first setp was going with a small Mom and Pop shop or company that gave some sort of discount to said driver, usually small. Sometimes that driver may even work for said shop of company. The next step was to get a 50% deal with a bigger more known company or mfg. where reace results were looked at and expected. Usually the fast guys or faster guys had at least this level/step. Finally the last step was a full ride. Sometimes it would end up being with the same co. or mfg. that gave the 50% deal. Keep in mind this was some 20 years ago and the internet was yet to be born. Clearly we didn't know how that side worked for guys and we figured it out much later.
I never looked in to getting a sponsorship back then, I was just happy to race. I have since gained a couple and am very happy to have them. Made me feel that my 20 years in racing paid off a little. No, I don't get anything for free and I didn't expect to. The discount I do get is enough to make me happy. Maybe I see things diferently now at my age. I know how good I am and still know I am not even close results wise to warrent a full ride. I'm ok with that. What I think is, some guys seem to feel they should be entitled to be getting more than what they do from their sponsors and if they do not, well they move on. Often times with little to no sponsors.
The advent of the internet has changed things alot for all parties. It has made it easier for a co. or mfg. to get their name out and made it easier for racers looking for a sponsorship to get in contact with those same companies and mgf.'s. It's both good and bad depending on who is asked. Understand that the top sponsored full ride guys that earn a living at racing only represent a very small % of all racers in the hobby. As cool as it sounds to have everything paid for, think of what is expected of those same racers day in day out. The constant questions that have been answered thousands of times, yet have to be answered each time as if it were the first. The R&D and prototyping of parts and cars that do not always work, yet are still expected to win with. It goes on and on and on. It's not something that many can handle well or would want to for very long. Those that do all that is expected of them at the level usually shine, those that don't, don't.
It's personality thing. Some have it and some don't. There is little doubt that the top sponsored racers are lacking the talent to get what they have. Clearly the talent is there, the rest is what could make or brake their image. As for a sponsorship being earned? Well that too can go both ways. Winning races isn't the only way to earn a sponsorship, as some have pointed out. Having racers that have a good repor at the track, have a vast knowledge of racing, willing to help guys, and so forth can pay off bigger for a co. or mfg. than having the guy that always wins. Just depends on what that co. or mfg. is looking for. I don't think it's a bad thing for guys to have a way to keep racing affordable, we all know it is anything but.
Look at most of the top teams right now. Wasn't all that long ago that co.'s and mfg.'s had seperate teams for on and off road. Now, well for many that has changed. The economy had alot to do with that and the teams have been restructured accordingly. In some cases it could make getting a sponsorship harder that just a hand full of years ago. Than again sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.