Promotion is the key to sponsorship. Without it no one will sponsor you. Very few teams in rallying seem to take the effort to promote themselves and in turn, help lift the profile of rallying. We sit back and hope others will do it for us. Time for a rev up boys!
From our hard-hitting rally observer, "Flat In Fifth".
How hard is it to let the media know what you are up to? How did you go in the Narooma Booma? Well how would I know? I haven’t even seen the results yet. Now don’t get me wrong – I am not having ago at the poor hard worked officials who run the rally – far from it, but its not too hard to send out some results on email. Or is it?
As Homer Simpson said: “Oh, they have internet on computers now?” I reckon it’s not too hard to send out some information about your rally or your team. You would be surprised to see what gets published.
We harp and we whinge about the sport and I reckon most of us are to blame. You don’t need to be a well oiled journo to knock a few words out, just simple details about your team, what you’re up to and why you will win!
Over 2000 people read this Web site every day. Yes that’s right, 2000 or more people read what goes on in our fine sport. If advertisers get value then they will support the sport, whether by sponsorship or money or advertising. It all goes into the sport.
Getting coverage on websites is only one way to show sponsors that you are serious about giving them value back. How about flyers at events? How about some photos to give away to the kids? Better still, how about rally guys teach some young kids how to drive on the streets properly?
Get a good photo of your car and get 100 printed out at Harvey Norman – it will cost you 25 lousy dollars, sign them and give ‘em out at the rally start. PROMOTE yourself. Last time I checked, our sport was expensive and populated by amateurs’ funding their own rallying. No wonder the sport has no profile with the media – we don’t give it one!.
Open up the paper – groin injury after groin injury! Surly rally drivers get those injuries as well. You can’t tell me that driving in the wet along Ben Cairn in Melbourne doesn’t damage the nether regions! But my question is, how do we know?. No idea, because no one tells anybody.
If 2000 or more people a day read your story on this website then that’s about 1900 more than at any spectator point – fact of life boys and girls.
Ask RallySport Magazine to help you. They have some of the most experienced rally journos we have. They can write your release, and make it look good. You might just land that sponsor after all, with a new image.
So come on guys, I know you’re having fun, but goodness me, it’s an expensive sport we have here, so get out and get yourself some media coverage and at least you might get some of your bills covered.
No one will just give you money if you don’t promote yourself. Even the top guys suffer from lack of exposure – largely their own fault as well. There are very few teams even at ARC level that send out media releases.
You promoters and events don’t get off without a rev either. Come on, where’s your info about your event? Not all competitors have crystal balls and know what’s on and where. The sport needs your news, who’s entered, where the roads are, what’s happening etc.
Come on guys, there’s over 60 events in NSW and Victoria alone this year – just about all of ‘em appear to be “secret men’s business”. What’s the secret really?
The internet has made it so easy to get information out, so why not take advantage of it and get yourself and your team or event promoted. It’s really easy. Or don’t you need the money?
Now there’s a headline for you –
“Driver with crystal ball suffers groin injury in Narooma”
- Flat In Fifth
* The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of RallySport Magazine.
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