SO Promotional Suggestions

[CSR4C]

Check this out, a boat racing training school, starting out with OSY400
http://www.teampowerboating.co.uk/who.htm

[captjeff]

realy sad

what is realy sad is when you contact APBA asking for a promo pakage to show to a possible new race sponsor and all they send is a hand full of 2 year old propeler mags and membership aps . thanks a hole bunch.

[Lights]

what is realy sad is when you contact APBA asking for a promo pakage to show to a possible new race sponsor and all they send is a hand full of 2 year old propeler mags and membership aps . thanks a hole bunch.

If this is true APBA needs a Really Big overhaul.

Mark

[14-H]

New Thread Subject

If you want to rag on APBA, start a different thread. This one's for thoughts on Promoting SO. Ed.

[captjeff]

Ed not trying to rag ,but arent we handcuffed under them ??? just stating a fact . as we are trying to promote stock and mod racing and nail down a new race site...............

[reed28n]

Promotional

There have been great ideas about how to promote Stock Outboard. It is more than getting some one to a race. It is a sustained effort with tons of follow through. We all as volunteers seem to stumble with the follow through. We need more bodies to do more work and post less.

Tutoring and coaching at the local level to me has always produced the greatest success. Dave Mason mentioned testing in a local area. We used to line the beach and have lots of interest. In the mid 90's Region 2 was booming. We had 12 C runabouts within 4 miles of my house, approx. 20 drivers in our small club. We lost a bunch of them through lifes trials. College, medical issues, age, weddings, births etc...... we weren't able to replace the drivers that moved on and they all left for different reasons.

One of our issues as a kneel down sport is the location of the races. If we are willing to race in more spectator friendly venues, which may mean more challenging pits or even water conditions that are not perfect, we will be more visible and have more appeal.

One thing is for sure all progress will be made in small sustainable steps through consistent effort. Don't bit off too much at one time.

The promotional effort of the SORC has been on the shoulders of too few individuals. We all need to take part in getting someone into a race boat.

[Brew56]

I hear you Scott. We are really trying to focus on this in TRORA, especially after seeing the success our friends at MHRA have had with this. I had 3 guys lined up thinking I could get at least one to our last race of the year to go for a 2-lap ride. Despite reminders of the event, each had a different reason why they weren't able to make it. I believe each of them were informed they had to be elsewhere.

But I'm not done yet. There's always spring testing. Until each of them says they have no interest, I will continue to try to at least get them in the cockpit. Never thought it would be this hard though.

[reed28n]

We can remedy this

After reading all the great ideas on Hydroracer, every one needs to be a committee of one to help. Dont wait for someone to take the lead, you do it. Lots of the ideas expressed here dont take much money but they take time and committment to helping the sport grow. After watching the Dean Sutherland presentation on membership in Stock Outboard Racing, it shows that we dont do a good job of keeping the new racers that we get. We need to help the new people, lots of them show up with equiptment that is not any good. Remember your back up boat may be lots better than the stuff that the new guy is trying to race , loan it to him . We all know that good equipment will help anybody drive better. Remember to a new guy who is running last every race , passing 1 or 2 boats is like a victory. Helping a new racer or getting someone started boat racing is very rewarding. Lets go to work........

This statement should not go un noticed. This is a problem we can fix. One of the driving forces to any phase out of equipment on a National platform is to increase the likelihood that a new driver will buy competitive equipment.

And I am not trying to hijack the thread. Helping new drivers make good equipment purchases on a National level is insurance for us to keep new drivers racing. Because they have equipment that can win.

[reed28n]

Cool

This is one of the reasons that I support the Tohatsu D and why I want the SORC to look at the CSH 102 vs. 302 issues. It is also why I am very hopeful about the resurrection of the Hot Rod. This new equipment being available is much more important for membership growth in Stock Outboard than TV shows.

1. The D Class is working

2. The C classes are the more popular classes in APBA right now and we do not need to change anything between the motors right now.

3. Sidewinder is you ticket to fix the hot rod.

You are coming around!

[Kev43V]

Scott
I almost reserected this thread last week. because there are some GREAT ideas in here... then I remembered all the negitive ah......stuff and decided not to do it. LOL

[14-H]

1. The D Class is working

2. The C classes are the more popular classes in APBA right now and we do not need to change anything between the motors right now.

3. Sidewinder is you ticket to fix the hot rod.

You are coming around!

Scott: that quote from me is 3 years old and I have not changed my position about favoring new equipment in over 20 years.

[Big Don]

Welcome back Michael.

[Blackhawkguy]

I remember..........

I remember the Hot Rod poster Little had made with the girl in the short shorts and bikini top, very nice, but not going to change a whole lot in these days.

1. APBA is alot lile government, it works a whole lot better at the local level, as you go up the chain it gets bogged down in rules and people who have no idea of what goes on at the local level or in different regions.

2. Use what works for other clubs and modify it for your area, quit trying to reinvent the wheel

3. Make sure what you are promoting and advertising is ready and available, do not advertise something that is not readily available to buy on the spot. I can get you one in three months does not work

4. I have been back to a few races after being away for 14 years and you know what I see, the same people, or their kids doing the work that where doing it 14 years ago, and 20 years ago, and 30 years ago, without new people involved in the running of races or in the running or APBA or Stock Outboard for that matter you might just get what you get, if it is good you will get good, if it is bad you still get bad, there just does not seem to be enough new people influxing into the sport that want to do something other than just show up and race

Keep promoting and looking for a venue that gets the word out, this web sight is one of them, but also on this web sight you get allot of negativity, all well meaning but to someone who does not know any better it may not look good.

The SORC has the ability to promote, and has promoted, but is the effort going to the right medium. What is your target group?

Ed's post is over three years old and seems to be just as relevent today as then.

Is that not a bad thing.

Kerry

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[reed28n]

Local Promotion

The Poster idea has some merrit.

The SORC Promotional Committee was working to establish a Web page with promotional items on it. We felt that local clubs needed resources to access. www.stockoutboard.com has many of these forms and print out available. The next step was to have the promotional committee establish a network of local contacts as local or regional promotional chairs.

APBA should be a clearing house for press releases at the very least to all local media outlets.

As always we came up a little short wih volunteers on these projects.

Our first step was to get banners up at events, so that if someone happened to spot us we were at least advertising at the site what we were doing. This did get done about 75%, we issued banners to each hosting club that submitted a sanction application and mailed the banners. The local clubs in some regions struggled to hang the banners at our events. Thats how we ratched down to 75% success.

It takes a concentrated effort for many members. if the people posting here would at least make sure your club hangs the banner we would get to 100% success on that........