Promoting the game (with a shiny new catchphrase)

[PatCummings]

The next time the vast majority of people on a message board like racing marketing campaign/ad will be the first. And considering absolutely no one here is in the target audience (already fans, already know whether or not you are going to the BC), does it matter if you like it?

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

The next time the vast majority of people on a message board like racing marketing campaign/ad will be the first. And considering absolutely no one here is in the target audience (already fans, already know whether or not you are going to the BC), does it matter if you like it?

Pat, it's terrible.

Pretty pictures and pictures of well dressed people aren't going to appeal to a target audience of potential useful fans.

It's not the vast majority of people on a message boards fault that the marketing campaign is comically misguided.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Pat, it's terrible.

Pretty pictures and pictures of well dressed people aren't going to appeal to a target audience of potential useful fans.

It's not the vast majority of people on a message boards fault that the marketing campaign is comically misguided.

But at the end of the day, isn't what I said true? That - A - Message boarders complain about almost everything, and any attempt to market the sport that is made...and - B - no one here is a target audience. Those are facts, no?

I had a conversation with a friend's wife the other day, and mentioned I was at the Derby this year, and all she wanted to talk about was how she wanted to go and wear a hat and have a julep, etc, and for the husband to take her sooner rather than later. She saw an episode of that show with Hefner and the bunnies, cause one year not long ago, they went. Who's going for the experience, and who is likely to do the betting? The tracks make plenty of money off the number of juleps/Stellas/hot dogs too. This is the "Real Housewives" approach to marketing the Derby...and it seems to reach some degree of the audience (granted, the non-to-very-light betting kind)

"Terrible" or not, the belief that ANY of these "campaigns" are going to individually increase the number of bettors in the sport seems far-fetched. It takes more than that, and I think everyone realizes that.

It takes a concerted, multi-faceted approach that may or may not be underway. Not saying it is, or that some of this isn't already being done.
It seems relatively unarguable that women in dresses/hats don't inspire someone who hasn't bet races before to come out and do so. Anyone would agree with that assessment.

The greater topic might involve finding a way to glorify watching replays, reading PPs, studying trends, managing spreadsheets, sitting at your computer for hours...or hanging out at your local OTB and plowing it through with the AARPers drinking Sanka, by request. I won't argue that there isn't some glory in smoking out a $10,000 pick four bet that cost you $72, but the steps to get there might make for some challenging television in 30/60 seconds. Should we support it - yes, if it can get done.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

The greater topic might involve finding a way to glorify watching replays, reading PPs, studying trends, managing spreadsheets, sitting at your computer for hours...or hanging out at your local, OTB and plowing it through with the AARPers drinking Sanka, by request. I won't argue that there isn't some glory in smoking out a $10,000 pick four bet that cost you $72, but the steps to get there might make for some challenging television in 30/60 seconds. Should we support it - yes, if it can get done.

It would help if we had bettors to market who had no formal education, and have emerged from button factories to have made hundreds of millions of dollars from betting horses.








As long as the betting public is burdened by draconian takeout rates -- the game has no chance to compete with the NFL, MLB, or even the NBA.

[PatCummings]

The sooner we stop comparing racing to the NFL, NBA, or MLB, the better.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

The sooner we stop comparing racing to the NFL, NBA, or MLB, the better.

And compare it with what, Poker maybe?

You think a Poker ad would be that laughable and pretentious?

The people running this sport and the powers that be in horse racing are clueless beyond belief. A lot of them need to find different outlets where they can better put their educations to use that suit them.

The more we continue to market the sport to people who want to wear an expensive hat and walk around with a mint drink one day out of the whole entire year -- the more the sport is going to continue a steady decline.

If you go to the dice table at 4AM on a Thursday here ... the two are full and you usually have to wait to get in. If you go to the simulcasting on Met Mile day when live racing is dark ... you might have 8 people betting.

[Sightseek]

I bet someone was feeling like a real genius when they matched up the word flown in the song with the flying dismount footage.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

But at the end of the day, isn't what I said true? That - A - Message boarders complain about almost everything, and any attempt to market the sport that is made...and - B - no one here is a target audience. Those are facts, no?

I had a conversation with a friend's wife the other day, and mentioned I was at the Derby this year, and all she wanted to talk about was how she wanted to go and wear a hat and have a julep, etc, and for the husband to take her sooner rather than later. She saw an episode of that show with Hefner and the bunnies, cause one year not long ago, they went. Who's going for the experience, and who is likely to do the betting? The tracks make plenty of money off the number of juleps/Stellas/hot dogs too. This is the "Real Housewives" approach to marketing the Derby...and it seems to reach some degree of the audience (granted, the non-to-very-light betting kind)

"Terrible" or not, the belief that ANY of these "campaigns" are going to individually increase the number of bettors in the sport seems far-fetched. It takes more than that, and I think everyone realizes that.

It takes a concerted, multi-faceted approach that may or may not be underway. Not saying it is, or that some of this isn't already being done.
It seems relatively unarguable that women in dresses/hats don't inspire someone who hasn't bet races before to come out and do so. Anyone would agree with that assessment.

The greater topic might involve finding a way to glorify watching replays, reading PPs, studying trends, managing spreadsheets, sitting at your computer for hours...or hanging out at your local OTB and plowing it through with the AARPers drinking Sanka, by request. I won't argue that there isn't some glory in smoking out a $10,000 pick four bet that cost you $72, but the steps to get there might make for some challenging television in 30/60 seconds. Should we support it - yes, if it can get done.

i know what works, and have posted it more than once. you take people who haven't been to the track and show them a good time. it works. not cute ads. i haven't had someone go with me yet who went 'ugh, that was awful' or boring...they say they can't wait to go back. and they go back.

[pmayjr]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i know what works, and have posted it more than once. you take people who haven't been to the track and show them a good time. it works. not cute ads. i haven't had someone go with me yet who went 'ugh, that was awful' or boring...they say they can't wait to go back. and they go back.

Exactly... what I said in my reply about the Canterbury Park grandstand on a Thursday or Friday night. It's actually fun all weekend that they run (but Saturdays and Sundays are a more family-oriented). People are in the grandstand, just having fun, people watching, betting on the shitty live races just hoping to win enough to pay for their beers. A part of it here in Minnesota is also the short meet because our summers aren't very long, so people probably go as a another way to enjoy the a nice day in the summer. But what I'm saying is, it's usually a bunch of 20/30-something minimum bettors that end up making a fun night of it. They don't see mint juleps and ladies all dolled up in expensive dresses and hats (but I'm not talking Walmart casual either).

Does this translate to getting the masses into the sport more? No. But if people have a fun experience with it, you will get a small percentage of that bunch that might wanna dive in deeper. Learn a little more. Start paying attention to other big races beside the TC and BC days. Go to the occasional betting education seminars that some tracks/websites offer. Etc Etc Etc. A good experience at the track will at least keep most people occasionally coming back. And from there you find ways to get them wanting to become more educated.

It will also help if I'll Have Another wins the Belmont and runs through at least the Breeders Cup.

[my miss storm cat]

Wow the commercial put out by the JRA is probably the worst one I've ever seen.

Whhhaaaaa? Is that Paul Mc Cartney? Is that a tank in the background?

It's mercifully short anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&fe...&v=xpHMDmLFkUQ

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Wow the commercial put out by the JRA is probably the worst one I've ever seen.

Whhhaaaaa? Is that Paul Mc Cartney? Is that a tank in the background?

It's mercifully short anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&fe...&v=xpHMDmLFkUQ

When you have some of the highest betting turnover in the world, and some of the highest attendance figures in the sport...and I presume you can't understand exactly what is being advertised or marketed...how can you suggest it is the worst?

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

The next time the vast majority of people on a message board like racing marketing campaign/ad will be the first. And considering absolutely no one here is in the target audience (already fans, already know whether or not you are going to the BC), does it matter if you like it?

Pat, who are they looking to target with Tony Bennett songs?
There's already a perception that the only people who follow/play and go to the track are old retired men. That ad, with that song does nothing but re-enforce the perception.

[Indian Charlie]

Instead of associating racing with fancy hats, mint juleps, slots, other pretentious things, 'they' should somehow tie racing in together with brothels.