Brands that SHOULD be sponsoring motocross and why....

Tarz483
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Mankato, MN US
8/18/2023 10:56am
ML512 wrote:

HEP Suzuki team has been WD-40 for about three years.

DonM wrote:

And that right there is why it's hard to bring in outside sponsors....

Benhameen wrote:
Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see...

Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see WD40, I could be missing it. Not saying ML doesn’t know what he’s talking about, it’s just that it must be a small sponsorship if I can’t locate them on their gear or bikes kinda defeats the purpose.  

I have to agree, I usually pay attention to that kind of stuff, it caught my attention right away that Weege was sponsored by WD40 and thats the first I had heard of them making new products,  I had No clue they sponsored Hep.

wadam1313
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Dauphin , MB CA
8/18/2023 11:02am

Sports drink companies:

Gatorade, Powerade, Bodyarmor, VitaminWater.  Iconic companies that have been in the sports world for years. 
 

Coffee Companies:

Starbucks, BRCC, Tim Hortons.  A lot of people drink coffee before and at the races right? 

Video game companies/consoles:

SONY PlayStation, XBOX.  With Jett signing with Fortnite, this is a natural selection, along with being a huge marketing opportunity for the younger demographic.  SONY Pictures does sponsor TLD Gas Gas, but such a massive company would truly benefit from a wider reach in our community. 
 

Major vehicle brands:

Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Jeep, Toyota, Nissan.  I know a few of these companies have come and gone in the moto world, but it was cool to see RAM logos on Kenny’s RCH Suzuki!!  The Chevy Kawasaki collaboration was one of the top selling graphics kits of all time!! Plus, everyone is getting to and from the races somehow….

The TECH industry:

APPLE, Microsoft, Samsung.  With how much time is spent on our phones/devices, this sponsorship makes a lot of sense.  

This is just a start, the possibilities are seemingly endless…. 

2
8/18/2023 11:05am

2010-Honda-CRF250RALLSTATE Med resI Found a few of them. I've had drives fail and  was not supposed to share any of these images with anybody back then.I might have the rigs and Team shirts that were done for some of the brands who showed more interest  and some of the other bikes on a DVD or CD someplace. I think its been long enough now, and as far as I know the team has not been racing for a while now.  I also did a Busch Light, iPhone,iPod, 5 Gum, Dunkin Donuts, and probable others. The Team owner was a good marketing guy with some big dreams. He ended up inventing an organic mosquito spray and was focused on that last I saw.  When I made these , I used the company websites and advertising   to put together a mock up that went along with their current  advertising look. Mixed in with some of the designs the team had run on the bikes.  2010-Honda-CRF250Rmarine tan32010-Honda-CRF250Rmarine tanlowres2010-Honda-CRF250RmarinepsdCike Honda redNapster copysunoco kx 250 copyNokia kx 450 copy 2

10
DonM
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8/18/2023 11:06am
ML512 wrote:

HEP Suzuki team has been WD-40 for about three years.

DonM wrote:

And that right there is why it's hard to bring in outside sponsors....

Benhameen wrote:
Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see...

Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see WD40, I could be missing it. Not saying ML doesn’t know what he’s talking about, it’s just that it must be a small sponsorship if I can’t locate them on their gear or bikes kinda defeats the purpose.  

We should know as we are the core fans...we've probably have even seen the logos on the bikes and trailers but it didn't register. I would bet if they surveyed 100 fans who were the sponsors of HEP 95 or more wouldn't mention WD40...the question is why? Bottom line its easy for the teams to take the money but what do they really do to bring awareness to that sponsorship? Just put a sticker on the bike? JGR and RCH did it the best but many teams take the money and don't do anything to promote the product and then can't figure out why the sponsor leaves after a few years.... 

8

The Shop

zookrider62!
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8/18/2023 11:09am
DonM wrote:

And that right there is why it's hard to bring in outside sponsors....

Benhameen wrote:
Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see...

Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see WD40, I could be missing it. Not saying ML doesn’t know what he’s talking about, it’s just that it must be a small sponsorship if I can’t locate them on their gear or bikes kinda defeats the purpose.  

snillum wrote:
WD40 is on their partners section of their website beside Twisted development and Pro Circuit, and on Chizs helmet and it is the top sponsor listed...

WD40 is on their partners section of their website beside Twisted development and Pro Circuit, and on Chizs helmet and it is the top sponsor listed on the sleeve of their teams shirts. But that is the point, WD40 pays something to be a sponsor and its not clear. So how effective is the sponsorship to WD40? 

Don't feel bad.. I didn't know they were a sponsor either until ML mentioned it. Just proves how crappy the moto advertising is. 

I'd imagine if they were a main sponsor more people would know. I don't quite understand why anyone would invest in having a tiny sticker on a bike

2
2
8/18/2023 11:09am

Camping world or something like that would make sense to me. Lot's of campers at local and pro races.

7
ando
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8/18/2023 11:11am

I guess we have to ask ourselves why there aren’t already more large consumer brand names involved in motocross and supercross.  Two things immediately come to mind:

1.  Sponsors need to believe they are reaching a large enough audience.  A large part of that is TV/online viewership.  The reality is for MX (and maybe also SX), those numbers just aren’t there, or perhaps are borderline for mainstream brands.

2.  Exposure (in a physical sense).  Series sponsors - no problem.  Trackside advertising in various forms, banner slots on TV and online channels and promotional media.  Team or rider sponsors on the other hand - where do they actually place branding where people can see it?  I’ve watched every round of the outdoors this year online (the full TV package), and apart from Redbull and Monster I have no idea who team sponsors are.  Even if I looked specifically I doubt I would be any better off.  Bikes have no space,  Jersey space is probably a good opportunity but no-one takes advantage of it.  Jett Lawrence is the most marketable rider in the world but his jersey is covered in bike and gear logos.

Those are two significant areas that would have to be improved upon.

1
ando
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8/18/2023 11:19am
I Found a few of them. I've had drives fail and  was not supposed to share any of these images with anybody back then.I might have...

2010-Honda-CRF250RALLSTATE Med resI Found a few of them. I've had drives fail and  was not supposed to share any of these images with anybody back then.I might have the rigs and Team shirts that were done for some of the brands who showed more interest  and some of the other bikes on a DVD or CD someplace. I think its been long enough now, and as far as I know the team has not been racing for a while now.  I also did a Busch Light, iPhone,iPod, 5 Gum, Dunkin Donuts, and probable others. The Team owner was a good marketing guy with some big dreams. He ended up inventing an organic mosquito spray and was focused on that last I saw.  When I made these , I used the company websites and advertising   to put together a mock up that went along with their current  advertising look. Mixed in with some of the designs the team had run on the bikes.  2010-Honda-CRF250Rmarine tan32010-Honda-CRF250Rmarine tanlowres2010-Honda-CRF250RmarinepsdCike Honda redNapster copysunoco kx 250 copyNokia kx 450 copy 2

Nice looking mock-ups but here’s the problem:

I’m looking on my phone and unless I stop and zoom in I can’t read the logo/brand on half of those.  And even if I can, when the rider is on the bike a large chunk of the shroud is covered anyway.

At TV viewing distances it’s impossible.

1
snillum
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8/18/2023 11:22am
Benhameen wrote:
Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see...

Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see WD40, I could be missing it. Not saying ML doesn’t know what he’s talking about, it’s just that it must be a small sponsorship if I can’t locate them on their gear or bikes kinda defeats the purpose.  

snillum wrote:
WD40 is on their partners section of their website beside Twisted development and Pro Circuit, and on Chizs helmet and it is the top sponsor listed...

WD40 is on their partners section of their website beside Twisted development and Pro Circuit, and on Chizs helmet and it is the top sponsor listed on the sleeve of their teams shirts. But that is the point, WD40 pays something to be a sponsor and its not clear. So how effective is the sponsorship to WD40? 

Don't feel bad.. I didn't know they were a sponsor either until ML mentioned it. Just proves how crappy the moto advertising is. 

I'd imagine if they were a main sponsor more people would know. I don't quite understand why anyone would invest in having a tiny sticker on...

I'd imagine if they were a main sponsor more people would know. I don't quite understand why anyone would invest in having a tiny sticker on a bike

Me either. If I were paying for sponsorship for a tiny sticker, then the contract would read that I better get weekly social media posts of you saying that my product is the best thing since sliced bread and NOTHING is better. "Need a something good for household use?! Well WD40 will lubricate your doors hinges, kill bees, clean oil off your hands, increase your credit score and make your children smarter"

2
ando
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8/18/2023 11:27am
I'd imagine if they were a main sponsor more people would know. I don't quite understand why anyone would invest in having a tiny sticker on...

I'd imagine if they were a main sponsor more people would know. I don't quite understand why anyone would invest in having a tiny sticker on a bike

This.

MX team:  will you sponsor our team?

Sponsor:  sure.  What exposure do I get?

MX team:  we can put a couple of stickers on the side of the bike.  They’ll be about four inches square, impossible to see on TV, and maybe seen by a few hundred people that happen to walk past our pit area on race day.

Sponsor:  errr, no thanks.

2
1
zookrider62!
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8/18/2023 11:41am Edited Date/Time 8/18/2023 11:43am

I think how Lieb was doing the gear/graphics fully dedicated to the brand is the best way to be seen, also helps if the team name is the sponsor.

 

1
DUCati227
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Sutherlin, OR US
8/18/2023 11:47am

SLATER SKINS...

Yes, they make motorcycles look hideous. But, they are the answer to a huge issue with mx bikes.

Running them is likely the ONLY way to get the corporate world to even consider sponsorship.

1
2
ATKpilot99
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8/18/2023 11:59am

Chef Boyardee

2
8/18/2023 12:01pm
I Found a few of them. I've had drives fail and  was not supposed to share any of these images with anybody back then.I might have...

2010-Honda-CRF250RALLSTATE Med resI Found a few of them. I've had drives fail and  was not supposed to share any of these images with anybody back then.I might have the rigs and Team shirts that were done for some of the brands who showed more interest  and some of the other bikes on a DVD or CD someplace. I think its been long enough now, and as far as I know the team has not been racing for a while now.  I also did a Busch Light, iPhone,iPod, 5 Gum, Dunkin Donuts, and probable others. The Team owner was a good marketing guy with some big dreams. He ended up inventing an organic mosquito spray and was focused on that last I saw.  When I made these , I used the company websites and advertising   to put together a mock up that went along with their current  advertising look. Mixed in with some of the designs the team had run on the bikes.  2010-Honda-CRF250Rmarine tan32010-Honda-CRF250Rmarine tanlowres2010-Honda-CRF250RmarinepsdCike Honda redNapster copysunoco kx 250 copyNokia kx 450 copy 2

ando wrote:
Nice looking mock-ups but here’s the problem: I’m looking on my phone and unless I stop and zoom in I can’t read the logo/brand on half...

Nice looking mock-ups but here’s the problem:

I’m looking on my phone and unless I stop and zoom in I can’t read the logo/brand on half of those.  And even if I can, when the rider is on the bike a large chunk of the shroud is covered anyway.

At TV viewing distances it’s impossible.

Yah I know.  When I made those , some of them had a diagram of what logos had to go where  and what size. The bikes were just a  part of the deal.  It was Also in 2009 and nobody was looking at anything on a phone and guys outside the top 5 were never shown on TV anyway.   

They were going for unique colors to help the bikes and riders stick out. Making the bikes stick out so that people wanted to find out what the deal was with the Tan Honda , blue kawasaki, or whatever. The bikes with  full colored frames  were meant to be display bikes  and never be ridden. Used at stores, recruitment, and more than just ontrack stuff.  Its more than seeing the logo on the bike, on the track.  They were pushing the pit presence back then. Knowing that riders outside the top 5 were never on TV back then. Jimmy D was in his first  or second year , and Jimmy Albertson was just coming off his best outdoors season running just inside the top 10. 

 

2
Cortami79
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8/18/2023 12:01pm
Falcon wrote:
Coca-Cola and Pepsi are no-brainers.  Lots of sponsors from parallel sports make sense too: Shimano, SRAM, and all the MTB frame manufacturers, for instance. Backpacking, hunting...

Coca-Cola and Pepsi are no-brainers. 

Lots of sponsors from parallel sports make sense too: Shimano, SRAM, and all the MTB frame manufacturers, for instance. Backpacking, hunting, fishing, kayaking brands. Automotive engine tuners, wheel manufacturers, etc. 

Coca Cola actually did sponsor Coldenhoff back in 2011 (or 2010?) when he rode on a privateer Yamaha

2
8/18/2023 12:04pm
I'd imagine if they were a main sponsor more people would know. I don't quite understand why anyone would invest in having a tiny sticker on...

I'd imagine if they were a main sponsor more people would know. I don't quite understand why anyone would invest in having a tiny sticker on a bike

ando wrote:
This. MX team:  will you sponsor our team? Sponsor:  sure.  What exposure do I get? MX team:  we can put a couple of stickers on the...

This.

MX team:  will you sponsor our team?

Sponsor:  sure.  What exposure do I get?

MX team:  we can put a couple of stickers on the side of the bike.  They’ll be about four inches square, impossible to see on TV, and maybe seen by a few hundred people that happen to walk past our pit area on race day.

Sponsor:  errr, no thanks.

You would be blown away with how many people are going through the pits. The team I made those images for had a book of data  and one of the points was how many people would be in the pits. And yah if any team is just selling a logo on the side of a bike these days not many brands will bite. 

1
RichieW13
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8/18/2023 12:04pm
RACING wrote:
Perfect match to me.

Perfect match to me.

image-20230818183553-1

That photo is probably from 1989?

I can't believe there were still guys racing with open face helmets (and no face mask!) by then.

mx 219
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8/18/2023 12:06pm

Convenience stores

Sheetz, Royal Farms, Wawa, etc.

2
dbaker521
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8/18/2023 12:08pm
C.Worthy wrote:

Bud Light 

Beat me to it 

4
Infamous
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8/18/2023 12:34pm
ML512 wrote:

HEP Suzuki team has been WD-40 for about three years.

DonM wrote:

And that right there is why it's hard to bring in outside sponsors....

snillum wrote:
Beat me to it.. the fans of the sport don't even know who is sponsoring the teams lol. Whoever comes up with a new effective way...

Beat me to it.. the fans of the sport don't even know who is sponsoring the teams lol.

Whoever comes up with a new effective way to influence people to buy these sponsors products will become rich, but honestly seeing Monster on Elis bike does NOT make me want to buy one.. Pastrana talking bout Black Rifle coffee did make me try it only because it brought awareness that they even existed. 

I really think the smaller lesser known companies would benefit the most from advertising in moto, but they often do not have the dollars to spend like a Caterpillar or Red Bull/Monster. There again, pay $200,000 for a few stickers and signs on one team OR $200,000 for millions of views on social media marketing that is highly focused to a certain core group that will most likely be interested in your product..

 

Nailed it. Brand marketing teams are held to pretty strict KPI's these days and selling a $200k sponsorship to their leadership is hard to do when they can invest in digital media that is much more targeted with broader reach and offers a more measurable ROI. 

1
mx295
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8/18/2023 12:57pm Edited Date/Time 8/18/2023 12:58pm

Their used to be a guy from So. Cal  in the late 90s that had Ralph's supermarket graphics on his bike. I don't know the story behind it but at the time it was a pretty big deal. I think his name was Andrew Labrador or something like that.

1
8/18/2023 2:40pm

More of just a spitball thought, but Jordan is pretty deep into nascar. MJ seems like he’s got an interest in racing, and younger crowds are all about Jordans. 

2
8/18/2023 2:45pm
ML512 wrote:

HEP Suzuki team has been WD-40 for about three years.

DonM wrote:

And that right there is why it's hard to bring in outside sponsors....

Benhameen wrote:
Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see...

Why? Because neither of us knew they were sponsored by WD40? A quick glance at images available of the team and bikes and I don’t see WD40, I could be missing it. Not saying ML doesn’t know what he’s talking about, it’s just that it must be a small sponsorship if I can’t locate them on their gear or bikes kinda defeats the purpose.  

mcelrath 2023 san-diego sx octopi gm 4439.cr3 .jpg?VersionId=6Ttu2BMHqnqt1VmBJdswYM1

2
Racerman967
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8/18/2023 2:48pm

I would assume that most of the smaller decals and “partners” are suppliers of product and not money. WD40 likely supplies HEP with all of their lubricationt product in return for being a partner.

1
Nairb#70
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8/18/2023 2:50pm

You want money? How about Texaco, Shell, Mobil, Valero, BP, etc. Oh yeah, were going electric soon.

2
braaap
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8/18/2023 3:04pm

DB8B2965-3449-4348-8DAF-231AA4CEC48E.jpeg?VersionId=QEzMW

captmoto
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8/18/2023 3:10pm
avidchimp wrote:

Depends...

Mods, move to tell me you're a vet rider without telling me you're a vet rider. 

1
LungButter
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8/18/2023 3:13pm

plusOne

8/18/2023 3:45pm
More of just a spitball thought, but Jordan is pretty deep into nascar. MJ seems like he’s got an interest in racing, and younger crowds are...

More of just a spitball thought, but Jordan is pretty deep into nascar. MJ seems like he’s got an interest in racing, and younger crowds are all about Jordans. 

I think that there were rumors around years ago about him doing a MX/SX team.  Is he marketing his shoes with his NASCAR  stuff?  Or is he a team owner and selling sponsor space like other teams?   

endurox
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8/18/2023 3:52pm

Wrangler, Trader Joes, in and out, Schlitz malt liquor, Bartle and James wine coolers.

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