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If it makes sponsors happy, do whatever it takes. We have to live in the today and plan for tomorrow, not sit around and dream of how good it used to be.... because look at how the sponsors and coverage used to be!
We should go back to what was working!! is the scream.... yeah because back then we didnt have much so lets do what we did then so we can have what we had then... great thinking.
The little numbers are great for sponsors.
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Even with a nice design, it doesn't really give the sponsor much added visibility. First we have this goofy permanent numbering system forced down our throats, which is supposed to help people ID the riders even easier, then they remove the numbers altogether!
If it ain't broke...
who do you want to cater too.....
1) A sponsor looking for square inch'age with a tv package that entices said sponsors on putting their dollars into our sport as televised advertising? (remember, thats WHY companies spend money on MX and want signage, its ALLLLLL advertising, NOTHING more!!)
2) A bunch of forum boarders that you mention any word that has change in it and immediately its responded to with it used to be, we hate, change bad?
it was a MUD race. Any mudder ANY of us has ever been too or in, seeing numbers, especially white numbers on a black background was a challenge to see, wether they were 3 inches or 8 inches. Because mud has the clarity of.... well.... mud!
In this economy, where riders like Burner are hoping to get a ride paying $100,000 and might not get it, do you really want to lose signage and sponsor dollars? Or do you want someone to come along and enfuse some money and get everyone thru this?
Guys, here is reality, wether we like it or not.... A teams market guy goes to Sponsor X. Says we have had this much tv time this season, we have a solid rider that gets tv time, you can have your logo prominately displayed on the side panel where 87.43% of the tv time showed for $XXX,XXX for the whole season.
Sponsor X then does some market crunching and number crunching. Finds out that MX viewers are within their demographic. Finds out that tv time, per minute would be $YYY,YYY. Then here is a team that has shown they have had Q amount of TV time, its cheap cheap for Sponsor X to fork out money because a 30 second TV slot 6 times a day during demographic friendly shows for 1 week would be this much, but we get 8 months of tv time, including replays, re-airs, live ect for that much, Yes we will spend our money with you.
Now, what do you do? Appease some guys that went to a mud race and had a hard time seeing numbers? Or appease the sponsors because the TV had NO problem identifying riders OR sponsors?
simple answer to me.
If they want to promote sponsor products/services, maybe think of other ways of handling this.. like more TV visibility for pits, where sponsors already set up displays.. Scrunching ads into 8 x 10" spots on fast moving bikes isn't doing a thing for spectators.
90% of the riders on the starting line never get seen on TV. That means no matter what sponsors stickers they put on their plates, they won't be seen by ANYONE. You can't see them in person and you certainly won't see them on TV because they aren't in the top 2 or 3 riders.
If there is a need for more surface area on the bike to put sponsor logo's then make more surface area. Don't steal some space that was designed to be used for side numbers just so you can say you're selling more advertising area.
There's absolutely no reason why we can't have large side numbers and additional space added somewhere on the bike for Joe Plumbers sticker.
Let me make this as simple as possible.
Sponsor X. We have 2 side panels we can put your name on. You will get Y amount of TV for 8 months at a cost of Z. or... we wont even talk to you because we dont have anything to sell you
Reality is, it doesnt matter if you can see it or NOT.. damn. Its AVAILABILITY!!!!!! ITS THERE !!!!
go look at a cup car. See all those stickers that are 5 inchs wide by 1 inch tall? NOONE CAN SEE THOSE EITHER at 200mph!!!! But companies PAY to be able to put them there, why? Because at SOME point, you will get a glimps of it, it will be on tv, the largest advertising medium ever created, and it will be TONS cheaper than buying an add slot!
we dont get it. IF ITS NOT AVAILABLE FOR RENT, YOU CANT RENT IT! Its called clever marketing and its a HUGE game.
Sponsor X, our team was shown for a total of 21 minutes last year on national television.
For $500,000, you can be a large sponsor. For that price, you will get 2 squar feet of prime real estate on our bike and be made mention of when they talk about the team because it will be the sponsor X honda racing team. For 8 months, the people you directly want to market too will see your name, hear your name, on tv.
or
you can purchase a 1 minute ad slot during that broadcast to reach your target audience and it will cost you $75,000 per slot... how many do you want? 8? ok 8 1 minute slots, thats 8 races, send us a check for $600,000 for your 1 time a week, for 8 weeks add placement.
can you comprehend that?
I bet you guys think all those little stickers on rear fenders, front fenders, fork guards, and air boxes are just there to look cool also? Guess what, those were PAID for to be there in SOME way! Not just so a rider or team can have a cool looking bike. If it wasnt paid for in some way, it wont be there. And this isnt even including print media were all those stickers CAN be seen, webcasts where all those can be mentioned, interviews where the riders say them!
Heck, about 10 years ago, someone was selling full body panels for a bike, just for this reason. Where are they now?
I have seen over the years that the panels created a few problems, mainly with heat build up, and that was on cooler running 2 smokes, so I have no idea what it would do on a 4 banger. Thats a team call and as far as I know, you cant get the panels now can you?
But the side plates, for all practical purposes, are wasted space when they have to use all of it for numbers because TV has electronic means to track riders, show WHO they are to the 150,000 tv viewers. (i hope that number is WAY low, probably is, just using it as a reference)
So, we can keep large numbers on the side, and make 3000 of the 15,000 people at the race track itself happy they can see a number easily as it goes by.... or we can make sponsors happy because the tv broadcast shows who is who, gets the ad placement on tv, and 150,000 people know who is who, who sponsors them AND "riders just dont make enough!!!" get riders paid better... all for some creative marketing real estate on a side panel the 150,000 people at home dont give a ratz ass about because Weege just said who the hell it is and youre following the action, and thinking I bet GEICO has some good insurance.
but, I guess I am starting to see the light... I retract all I have said, you guys that numbers are right! I would much rather have not seen Jake Moss racing more, he would have gotten the Kawi deal without racing hardly any outdoors. /end sarcasm
guys, its simple. More room for sponsors, more racers racing and getting paid to do it. You cant have more, especially in this economy, without making some consessions. And if that price is making a few people upset because of a 3 inch number vs a 5 inch number, but the money is coming in by using that space wouldnt be there if you didnt have that space... tough, deal with it.
That is where I see all the sponsors of the teams...in the mags, on the internet in race coverage and the STILL PHOTOS of the bikes that go with it.
You're right, when a bike comes by at 45 mph, I can't see their sponsors names...but when guyb takes a photo of that bike (at closer range, and/or zoomed in) and posts it on his web page, NOW I can see the sponsors.
Not to mention the TV side of it that borna'lil2slow has expertly covered.
And if by running smaller numbers it frees up more real estate for the teams to sell to sponsors...then it is a good thing. The teams need that revenue (certainly during a poor economy). And if I have to be confused for a lap or three about who is who (though it has NEVER taken me that long to deterimine who a rider is), I'll take that confusion to help the sport.
Wasn't that the name of those things? Pic from Craigslist. Not mine. Just a visual aid...
Chris
today, those last 2 could easily be handled. The heat though... when you have everyone scrambling for huge'er radiators now, and huge shrouds with extra "scoops" to get even more air... not to mention heat build up to the gas tank which has been a problem... not sure if they are feasible.
Pit Row
Sponsors advertise to sell things. No one is going to look at a stupid ass looking bike and want to buy anything on it.
I will admit that after reading your posts, I changed my opinion on the issue and have to agree with your points. At some time, or another, people will see the sponsor. Especially in photo's which all of us moto heads love. Point taken.
If only there was another way. We need our side panel numbers, fronts get muddy, and unless you're there live, it's tough to catch the Jersey Number.
And dude, the Road Racing looking fiber glass sides will never cut it. I feel bad for the guy who thought of it, because it seems like a viable solution, but the reality is we love the look of our bikes, people will not sacrifice looks for practicality .
Where do we go from here?
You keep building momentum. You dont try to reinvent the wheel, you just keep polishing it. More sponsor exposure, more tv, more tv, more sponsors... end result, more riders, more rides, better pay, and a better product.
Supercross - sponsor friendly, spectator friendly, family friendly most of all Television friendly. Add a pit stop, less heat races make the ones you have longer, much longer. Hire a real marketing agency and invite real dollars from outside the sport. You all want a circus, there is a reason why it is kept in a tent. Focused attention. Stop trying to put lipstick on a pig, arguing the fact that professional racing needs every dollar from every tit to be sucked from and start at the ground level. I love MX, so dont read this as me trying to stab it in the back, this is the reason SX came about.
As for what we currently have, I am fine with it, would like to see bigger numbers, larger then the inch size numbers that are cramed in with everyone else. There is no value there, it is nothing more then banner ads on ebay at that point. Moreover I dont think the side panels aren't bringing any additional dollars in, rather value addition to the existing programs. I could care less either way, but for the record that was some great ass kissing/leg humping being done by the Racerx boys.
they should put that on top of that big tower. every race that I've been to it seems to be in a good location.
and seemed like a decent compromise ?
its not like two sets of side plates kills a teams (or privateers) budget
a static photo and *in the pits* set of plates with sponsors (and tiny numbers)
and * race set* with regular 8" numbers.
so now you can go back to arguing over wether the AMA guy,the one with the watch standing near her every race start,
told the 30 second girl when to turn the sign , or if she did it on her own...
:p
I agree.
Chris Walton
Charlotte Supercross 1997
Post a reply to: DC, PLEASE bring back the large number plates