Oooo! The next "this will save rally" is almost here!

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mothra
While I agree that rally is a tough sell to sponsors as the ROI isn't really there.

One of the biggest problems is that people are waiting for someone else to 'bring' the ROI to Rally. In the US the mantra is 'if we had TV...' In Canada it's generally 'if TV showed me...'

The only way sponsorships can be sustainable is if the person being sponsored delivers something of value. For the most part (and we're all grassroots guys here) you can't rely on an event, championship or sanctioning body to do anything for you. You NEED to find a way to bring value to your sponsors yourself.

In all likelihood, what you'll need to do for sponsors will take time away from prepping the car, spending time with family or doing things from other parts of your life. Sponsorship is anything but 'free money' and if you're not careful it can be very poor paying (or even cost you, depending on how you measure the value.)

Driving well and winning isn't enough anymore.

---

First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

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john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

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Morison
Driving well and winning isn't enough anymore.

Was it ever enough?

I am sure even 10-20-30 years ago the drivers had to work hard to sell themselves and bring their own money to the table just to get in.

There is a guy who picked up a sponsor from his local pizza shop. Takes the car out once a month and delivers pizza's and posters. ROI for a racecar can have absolutely nothing to do with the actual racing.

(seriously though, after hearing this, how cool would it be as a kid to have a race car deliver a pizza and signed poster to your house!)

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Morison

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mothra
While I agree that rally is a tough sell to sponsors as the ROI isn't really there.

One of the biggest problems is that people are waiting for someone else to 'bring' the ROI to Rally. In the US the mantra is 'if we had TV...' In Canada it's generally 'if TV showed me...'

The only way sponsorships can be sustainable is if the person being sponsored delivers something of value. For the most part (and we're all grassroots guys here) you can't rely on an event, championship or sanctioning body to do anything for you. You NEED to find a way to bring value to your sponsors yourself.

In all likelihood, what you'll need to do for sponsors will take time away from prepping the car, spending time with family or doing things from other parts of your life. Sponsorship is anything but 'free money' and if you're not careful it can be very poor paying (or even cost you, depending on how you measure the value.)

Driving well and winning isn't enough anymore.

Keith. I agree completely.

---

Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

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john vanlandingham

And DNFs on SS1 of their first WRC event this morning.
But hey, no problem. ROI is whatever you want to call it.

Exactly, and the second car was done right after lunch. But think of all the fans that will be flocking to the service bay now, errr, maybe they should have spent more time testing and less time on service park.

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Andrew_Frick

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john vanlandingham

And DNFs on SS1 of their first WRC event this morning.
But hey, no problem. ROI is whatever you want to call it.

Exactly, and the second car was done right after lunch. But think of all the fans that will be flocking to the service bay now, errr, maybe they should have spent more time testing and less time on service park.

Yep and all the people talking about "This time, Hyundai gonna do it right!"
Why people talking on forums is the same as MONEY IN THE BANK!

As long as you just call it that.

Anything is whatever you want it to be when you job is "promotion".

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

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john vanlandingham

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Andrew_Frick

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john vanlandingham

And DNFs on SS1 of their first WRC event this morning.
But hey, no problem. ROI is whatever you want to call it.

Exactly, and the second car was done right after lunch. But think of all the fans that will be flocking to the service bay now, errr, maybe they should have spent more time testing and less time on service park.

Yep and all the people talking about "This time, Hyundai gonna do it right!"
Why people talking on forums is the same as MONEY IN THE BANK!

As long as you just call it that.

Anything is whatever you want it to be when you job is "promotion".

If one were to watch the vids, one might observe that a) Hyundai tested their WRC i20 for 10-sessions, in 4-countries, for over 6900km. b) The getoff was due to a poor tire-choice and too much speed over glare-ice (and not only Hyundai made such a mistake). And finally c) The second DNF was an electrickery problem, which of course NO ONE POSTING HERE HAS EVER HAD, no matter HOW well/poorly the machine was prepared....

/snide.

Yes, those stupid goddam gooks should pack their pavilion back the fuck up, trudge their asses home in abject shame with Americans mocking them the entire way, and never leave Southeast Asia again. Providence KNOWS that there are SO FUCKING MANY manufacturers in the WRC (and just Rally in General) that nobody NEEDS even one more....

/bitterfuckingsarcasm.

---

Parfois, on fait pas semblant!

I am:
I know:
I am from:

Nobody.
Nothing.
Nowhere.

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Creech

If one were to watch the vids, one might observe that a) Hyundai tested their WRC i20 for 10-sessions, in 4-countries, for over 6900km. b) The getoff was due to a poor tire-choice and too much speed over glare-ice (and not only Hyundai made such a mistake). And finally c) The second DNF was an electrickery problem, which of course NO ONE POSTING HERE HAS EVER HAD, no matter HOW well/poorly the machine was prepared....

/snide.

Yes, those stupid goddam gooks should pack their pavilion back the fuck up, trudge their asses home in abject shame with Americans mocking them the entire way, and never leave Southeast Asia again. Providence KNOWS that there are SO FUCKING MANY manufacturers in the WRC (and just Rally in General) that nobody NEEDS even one more....

/bitterfuckingsarcasm.

Well lets compare them to the most recent new entry into the WRC. Volkswagen. Who spent almost 1.5 years developing their car. Ran the entire championship in a lower spec car to get the logistics down. And had 1 retirement last year which I think was Jari crashing at the monte. Now I believe they had super rally last year so some of their poor finishes would be retirements this year. Maybe they set the bar too high.

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Andrew_Frick
Now I believe they had super rally last year so some of their poor finishes would be retirements this year. Maybe they set the bar too high.

Did they get rid of super rally across the board? I know Monte hasn't had it since they returned to the WRC (something about a certain frenchman DNFing on the first day and then going on to win the event comes to mind), but I thought all the other events still offer it.

I've seen several suggestions that VW will do the same with WRC as they did with Dakar - spend a metric ton of money and dominate for a few years, then disappear.

---

KF7RWG
http://www.utahrallygroup.com

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Aaron Luptak
I've seen several suggestions that VW will do the same with WRC as they did with Dakar - spend a metric ton of money and dominate for a few years, then disappear.

Why not? This is a _reasonable_ thing to do. Why pay for a new world championship title every year when your PR department gets just as much use out of the one you had last year?

Look at Audi: they're still using footage from the Group B days!

The type of participation you describe should be the expected mode of manufacturer participation.

Anders

---

Grassroots rally. It's what I think about.

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Aaron Luptak

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Andrew_Frick
Now I believe they had super rally last year so some of their poor finishes would be retirements this year. Maybe they set the bar too high.

Did they get rid of super rally across the board? I know Monte hasn't had it since they returned to the WRC (something about a certain frenchman DNFing on the first day and then going on to win the event comes to mind), but I thought all the other events still offer it.

I've seen several suggestions that VW will do the same with WRC as they did with Dakar - spend a metric ton of money and dominate for a few years, then disappear.

Well that is the Japanese way (copy what their idols and former Allies the Germans do) but lemme refine it a bit---and this comes from watching and being in the same garage as a factory Yamaha rider who was the second hire of European after Yamaha's first hire---ex 4 time 250 World Champion Torsten "Torsken" Hallman...
They come in and spend a metric shit ton of money at the World Championship level---GET A BUNCHA HEADLINES-----sell stuff that looks very similar, but is now way as good as the stuff they're getting the headlines with, fire you if you don't win 1st---then drop out with not even 2 weeks notice----and skate forever on the headlines...

There. They all did it in MX and they seem to do the same in rally...
Just look at: Nissan, Suzuki, Toyota, Mazda, Honda doesn't even dare try, Subaru all in for a while, then drop out..
Rally isn't for quitters.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2014 04:01PM by john vanlandingham.

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Anders Green


Look at Audi: they're still using footage from the Group B days!

The type of participation you describe should be the expected mode of manufacturer participation.

Anders

Which is why if we're smart we never bank on "manufacturer involvement" which of course is US Importer ad department involvement really...
They can be here today and POOOF! Gone tomorrow.

We must rely on ourselves. Each other.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

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Anders Green

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Aaron Luptak
I've seen several suggestions that VW will do the same with WRC as they did with Dakar - spend a metric ton of money and dominate for a few years, then disappear.

Why not? This is a _reasonable_ thing to do. Why pay for a new world championship title every year when your PR department gets just as much use out of the one you had last year?

Look at Audi: they're still using footage from the Group B days!

The type of participation you describe should be the expected mode of manufacturer participation.

Anders

I guess you could say that Audi has achieved a good ROI on that money spent 25 years ago!

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EricW
I guess you could say that Audi has achieved a good ROI on that money spent 25 years ago!

I'm going to quantify that ROI and include it in all my sponsorship proposals!!!

---

Grant Hughes

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EricW

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Anders Green

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Aaron Luptak
I've seen several suggestions that VW will do the same with WRC as they did with Dakar - spend a metric ton of money and dominate for a few years, then disappear.

Why not? This is a _reasonable_ thing to do. Why pay for a new world championship title every year when your PR department gets just as much use out of the one you had last year?

Look at Audi: they're still using footage from the Group B days!

The type of participation you describe should be the expected mode of manufacturer participation.

Anders

I guess you could say that Audi has achieved a good ROI on that money spent 25 years ago!

Well, hell. You could be right - I even acquired an Audi for my own ride....


We'll see if it pans out.

---

Parfois, on fait pas semblant!

I am:
I know:
I am from:

Nobody.
Nothing.
Nowhere.