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[Erick82]

I agree, Coke does not care about motorcycle related products. They care about selling Coke. And they feal that marketing this product through JBS is a good way to increase sales to motocross fans and people who may become fans, who a large majority are riders or were riders. So as the JBS is marketed to lager numbers so will the sport of motorcycle riding, because that is what he does wither Coke intended that to happen or not.

"It's the same as if a city does not have a basketball court, less people will play basketball in that area. That does not mean less will watch Iverson on TV though or less will by NBA2K for XBOX." I disgree, IMO particpation leads to increased interest. I find it very hard to find interest in watching a sporting activity I have never played or tryed or desired to try.


As a result of this marketing to people who currently do not currently ride motorcycles a interest in riding motorcyles will be created, ie increasing sales of motorcycles in general. I am not saying that motocross will totally replace other sports, but participation will increase due to this marketing. With increased participation so will the demand for increased riding areas.

 

[truespode]

Originally posted by Erick82
but participation will increase due to this marketing.

I see your point but disagree.

Interest in the sport will grow but participation will not grow dramatically. The only things that will grow exponentially is the sales of the video games and cokes (btw, Wendy's sells MX toys now with their meals).

I see it now... 4 overweight kids around and XBOX playing Bubba-Magic-MX for hours on end while drinking a Biggee size Coke and triple cheese from Wendy's.

With increased participation so will the demand for increased riding areas.

There is already an overwhelming demand for increased riding areas. Insurance companies and politics on public lands are the roadblock. The only way through it is grass roots letter writing, complaining to congressmen and lawsuits against the gov't (like the eco's do). No marketing plan is going to increase land opportunities.

Don't get me wrong. I think the JBS sponsorship will help our sport dramatically at the top level. I just realize that at our level there will not be a significant change. We have to push for the significant change we want and if we expect it to happen any easier b/c JBS signs a deal with coke we are fooling ourselves.

That does not stop the JBS sponsorship deals from being good overall... it is just that it is good in relation to the top level of the sport with trickle down only to the other up and coming top performers.

Ivan

 

[Erick82]

If there is this high demand for additional riding areas in your area then that creates a situation were someone should be able to open a riding area and be profitable. There are ways around high insurance, but I don't see this demand where I live.

PS, video games are the devil.

 

[truespode]

www.scohv.org

There is a link to the Sandhills area we are trying to open up. It is over 50 miles of trails. We need letter writers to get them open.

That is the problem. There are people who WANT the land to open but not enough to do anything about it. Either they are too lazy to write their congressmen or call their district legislature or they are land owners who are too afraid of being sued.

Ivan

 

[jboomer]

In order for Coke to profit off Bubba's image, people have to know who he is. If they equate him to riding dirtbikes then the image of riding dirtbikes becomes more familiar to people. You gotta admit, one of the reasons families don't allow their children to ride is the misconception that if you ride, you're gonna get hurt real bad (most of us that ride understand there is a certain amount of risk involved but no more than any other sport). If these people start realizing the same thing, then the "taboo" will fade and more children will be allowed to ride. When the parents of Kid "A" see that Kid "B" isnt getting hurt as often as they expected (and with Kid "A"'s whining that 'he too wants a bike') they are more prone to allow their child to have a motorcycle as well. Hell, the may get involved too in order to spend more quality time with Jimmy! If they start riding and having fun their friends might want to get involved too! Hence, our sport is GROWING. With more people becoming involved in the sport our riding areas will become even MORE overcrowded. The people controlling a lot of this private land will see that there is money to be made and are more likely to open their land to those that ride not to mention they may start riding too and you know they'll have friends that want to ride on their property. These Senators and Representatives in the government that are capable of making these decisions as to whether the land should be opened to ATV riding have children too. When they see that the voters and their families (including their own) are into riding ATV's (or heaven forbid, they start riding too) this will work in our favor and may result in more public lands being opened to us.
You gotta get your head out of the gutter and start thinking outside the box Ivan! I'm a realist! We just don't seem to be seeing eye to eye on this! I know my comment above was far out there, I even said so, but it takes that type of thinking to anticipate what will happen as a result of certain actions!

 

[truespode]

Originally posted by jboomer
You gotta get your head out of the gutter and start thinking outside the box Ivan!

I've spent too long trying to get new trail and trying to entice new people to the sport to know that I'm not being pessimistic.

I think you are mis-reading me if you think I'm pessimistic. The sponsorship will be good for the sport and give us more exposure. But it will not do anything dramatically at the grass roots level. Magazines will benefit and potentially online web-zines like DRN and Motonews. Gamemakers will definately do better (I bet more people play ATV fury than own an ATV).

That does not make the sponsorship bad. It is just a realistic view of who and what it will actually effect. Exposure can only do so much but without opportunity and lower costs then the grass roots level will only know more about the sport than necessarily participate in it.

I could be wrong but I expect in 5 years that a lot of people around my work who know nothing of the sport will know who JBS is but my local track will not have a tremendous increase in business and bike sales will only marginally go up.

I agree that if JBS really makes the exposure great that we will see a lot more tracks but like I've seen in the past they will close after the first threat of a lawsuit or find out there is more work to a track than just providing the land.

Ivan

 

[ochster]

I personally could not think of a better arena to spread some capitalistic profits around in...Thank God for the dreamers and big thinkers.

 

[truespode]

Originally posted by ochster
Thank God for the dreamers and big thinkers.

I agree.

I get the impression that some people think that I feel this sponsorship won't help anything at all. That is not the case.

I just realize who and what the sponsorship will really affect.

If you want more riding areas and more riders involved in the sport so sales will go up it will take YOU to do it (you as in everyone reading, not one particular person). The current participants and future participants have to campaign to get the land open and they can point to the sponsorship of JBS and everything if they want. However, don't expect gov't agencies and private land owners and soccer moms to just see JBS exposed now and go "wow, I think I'll change the way things have always been done."

The grass roots level will only be changed by the grass roots participants if they are willing to work for it.

I'll give you an example... Tony Hawk is someone most kids know. They watch him and they even know about the 900. Hell, even I know about the 900 and I do not watch any of the skateboarding or anything. I only know about it from commercials and ads for the Tony Hawk video games.

From what I have seen sales for skateboards and ramps have not gone up significantly and there are no more skateboard parks than there used to be. However, a lot of people know who Tony Hawk is. Still most parents think skateboarding is too dangerous.

Unless we take the initiative to capitalize on the exposure of JBS nothing will be done just like always. The JBS sponsorship will only help JBS, the top level and the sponsors. Us at the grass roots level will not reap any benefit unless we step up to the plate and do the things we should have been doing all along.

Ivan

 

[kelsorat]

The idea sounds good for Stewart, but it still does not help the privateer. As a matter of fact it probably makes the race promoter and sanctioning organization, just want more of the pie.
Maybe a "once in a lifetime talent" like Stewart should use his clout to fight for the racers struggling to travel each week.
Oh, that would be in a perfect world, and he is just a kid. Oh well.

 

[jboomer]

I disagree. There are a lot more skate parks open today than there were 10 years ago. Maybe not because Tony Hawk did a 900, but because of numerous reasons, including: teenagers tearing up hand rails all over town, people being pestered by kids riding skateboards on the sidewalks, and curmudgeons. The point is, people see that there is a demand for a particular sport, so in order to accomodate them (read: get them out of the general populice's hair) they are given a place to go.

I understand that WE have to do everything in our power (including petitioning our elected officials), but, there's only so much WE can do. You can spout about "getting organized" yadda yadda, but come on...we've sang the song and danced the dance.....something else has to happen first (i.e. more people (especially those with influence) have to get involved or show some personal interest in our sport.....and the only way that will happen is to bring MORE attention to the sport!).