Conference back40::soapbox

656.0. "Golden opportunity for Digital - NASCAR Racing" by VMSNET::M_MACIOLEK (Four54 Camaro/Only way to fly) Mon Feb 19 1996 13:16

I posted this in ::DIGITAL, but since this is a good "bitching" place
I figured you'd all like to chew it up too.  I believe it's in topic
3528.   

MadMike
***

Well, it's that time of year again...

I just got back from Daytona, where I and 250,000 other folks, (along
with an estimated 30 million people on TV) saw the Daytona 500.

This year people like us only brought an estimated $190,000,000 to
the local Daytona economy.  Which sounds about right, since the 2
Atlanta races generate $300,000,000 for our economy.

But this year I noticed something different....
The #8 car was sponsored by Circuit City
The #71 car was sponsored by Prodigy
The #15 car, which had a one race deal, had Hayes on the side of it.
Hayes figured out real quick like what was happening and during speedweeks,
extended their sponsorship for the whole year.

And there was the pretty, unlettered #27 car out there all day long.
Oh well. For the tiny sum of $3 million these folks would "take care of us"
like kings for a whole year.  Get us on national TV 31, well, make that
30 more times for about 3 hours each time.  Probably have 2 independant
show cars at our disposal all year long, appearing wherever we tell them.
Sponsorship used to be (probably still is) around $1M a year.  "big dogs"
can generally get $6M.  Knowing the 27 folks, they'd probably thought
they'd died and gone to heaven if someone mentioned they have $2-3M
to invest for a year long venture.

The sport is exploding.  We'd fit right in.  With the proper marketing
angle it's obvious how we can leverage our involvement with just the 3 
above mentioned cars.  NASCAR is now on the web (finally), the hype appears
to be toward internet, not computers in general, however if digital 
muscled in I don't see why we couldn't be the "official computer of 
NASCAR", as well as have a car out there.  I'm not a marketing guy
or a finance guy, but I know this amount of money is chump change
compared to what goes on in the industry.  This isn't a bunch of yahoo's
(no pun) out running fast every weekend all over the country, this sport is
becoming (already) BIG BUSINESS.  The networks are fighting over who will 
cover the events.  The "minor leagues" if you will, are getting picked up 
by national tv now too (sponsorship is around .5 to 1.5M/year for them).
These events continuously set viewer and attendance records every year.
The series is expanding and people are building tracks in the hopes
of landing one of these events, but the current schedule is considered 
"full".  They race in practically every major market in the USA, they
have "goodwill" events in Australia, and soon Japan (rumor).  

Now is the time to get in, I would have said on the bottom floor, but the
elevator is moving up rapidly.  This whole deal is an excellent advertising
tool.

Regards,
MadMike

PS. Bill did pretty good this weekend.  :^)  Came in in the top 10 and
led a bunch of laps too.

    >>  -< Golden opportunity for Digital - Product Sales!!! >-

    Don't be a sap.  I know a rep who brought in millions in SI business.
    
    TFSO'd!

    >> Don't be a sap.
    
    I'm pining with embarassment.
    
    

 tree strikes...yer out!

    -1
    
    Wood you like to try that again?

    But he can't see the forest through the trees!

    Wooden ya know it!
    

    maybe Donald Stump would pitch in the dough?
    

    You people are barking up the wrong tree with these puns.  I say stuff
    em all in a trunk.

    Great.  Another punfest takes root and branches out wildly.  

    You gotta prob, Bri?  You could leave.

    If you leave, don't fall.

    I'm stumped.

    Maple I will. 

    
    Surely yew jest.
    

    Don't get all syrupy over it.

    I wanna go to the beech and maybe catch a glimpse of a cute ash.

    
    I, too, am pining for summer.
     

    
>    I, too, am pining for summer.
     


   bzzzzzzzzzzt.  sorry, this is a duplicate.




 Jim

    
    Oh, I should have known that "pine" would be poplar.
    

    You oak should know that already!
    

    
    I redwood right into that one.

    
    stop the silliness!  you should all walk the plank for this.

    Please,
    you people should knot keep this up, its sappy and against the grain....
    
    Although I wooden care personally if continues a little longer.......