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People in general are resistant to change and this is a drastic change to the motorcycles you are use to seeing for sure. However, it costs money to go racing and at the Pro level it is extremely expensive. How do you get money to go racing if you don't have it? Sponsors! For the exception of the Gieco Honda, you can even read the sponsors on a motocross bike when it flashes across your television set. If I owned a company I would not spend my marketing budget for something you cant even see.
Our bike stands out with Slater Skins, you know Blue Buffalo is our sponsor. This makes perfect sense to me even though some feel it looks different. Simply put it is marketing, and I truly hope that this might change how big corporate and outside sponsors look at the marketing opportunities of our sport. Throw more money in and give more kids like mine an opportunity to make a living as a professional mx/sx racer than there are now. If we continue to think and do things the same way we are going to get the same results.
I respect those that disagree with me, but I feel very strongly that this could be an excellent way to attract more sponsors and money to our sport. Evidently, Blue Buffalo feels good enough about it to put their name on it and we truly appreciate it.
Jeff Zimmer
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As it is, this bike is plastered all over the interwebs getting people talking about the bike and Blue Buffalo, cant be a bad thing for a new sponsor hoping to get some brand recognition in return for there investment in our sport.
Well played marketing team!
Congratulations Jeff for a number of reasons....for thinking outside the box, for hooking up with Slater Skins and obviously the Blue Buffalo deal. I think you are right on the money for embarking on this path instead of following the rest of the sheep.
I sincerely wish you, Ryan, John Slater and the whole team the best of luck.
Regarding the goal of the skins is to attract outside sponsors that recognize and appreciate the additional signage space the Slater Skins offer. John Slater has been working on this tirelessly and hopefully 2015 will be the second time his ship comes in. The first was the 3 million dollar Sobe deal in the 90s. BTW it took the Sobe marketing guy about a minute to "get it" when John was making his presentation. He interrupted John and said "how much?" John told him the price and it was a done deal just like that. That experience is very telling since when it comes to marketing you either "get it" or you don't.
John Slater's hands are understandably a bit full at the moment but I hope after Unadilla he will check in.
As mentioned before, you can barely recognize the brand of bike here. The manufactures that are dumping huge dollars and R&D into this sport don't want something thats unrecognizable on the showroom floor.
Excellent point dean122 but Blue Buffalo isn't an OEM manufacturer and neither is Slater Skins or the Zimmers. Regardless what any of us thinks or feels about this the bottom line is Blue Buffalo is getting exposure at Unadilla and a privateer has money in his pocket plus getting a ton of exposure.
If memory serves correct Todd DeHoop on a HoT bike was the last person in the 20th century but maybe that was at a USGP at Unadilla. Nonetheless job well done gentlemen.
Pit Row
On the thread title change what were other concerns why the Slater Skins would never work in MX? They worked swimmingly at Unadilla in two 30 plus two laps 450 motos.
Bike looked good, i agree, if outside money was the only thing flowing in they would demand this kind of real estate, but until the well of energy drinks and tires and power tools dries up no one will demand it and slater skins will have the same fate as before.
Post a reply to: Ryan Zimmer speaks about racing with Slater Skins/Shield