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Thread: the problem of sponsorship

  1. #1

    the problem of sponsorship

    yes, this is motorsports related .... but exactly the same problems paintball has with sponsorship:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT43sfC9-X0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyd7YCqelDs

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KaUj-h1GxU
    social conservatism: the mortal fear that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.

  2. #2
    Yep, pretty much identical issues. I think it is the same in many/most industries now. Not sure I completely agree with his points in the second video because even if a manufacturer sells you something at their cost, there is an opportunity cost to them on a lost sale at a higher value where they would have made more than they do by entering the partnership, so they are putting something of value into the relationship. Otherwise it's very true and similar although there is a little bit of a bias as he is usually on the receiving end of sponsorships rather than providing them.

    Very few people/players in this industry recognise "sponsorships" as business deals that go both ways. Very few realize how awful "discount sponsorships direct from manufacturers" are for an industry that requires good playing locations to survive. We simply turn people away for both of those situations and don't do it.

  3. #3
    Insider
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    Just talked to a store owner who is PISSED because the teams are getting kit for less than he can buy it for - and lots of it, more than one unit per person, they get how ever many they want and go from there. So they are selling less than retail and less than he is supposed to, and they handed out this sponsorship to everyone. Not naming names, but they are doing exactly this.

    Last video, that makes good sense.
    Josh Coray
    J4 Paintball
    Lead Design
    www.j4paintball.com

  4. #4
    Why not name names?

    One thing that's interesting is that the reality of retail is changing. Very rapidly.

    If a store doesn't offer added value to a manufacturer then they are not helping themselves in the situation. It is too easy to bypass them completely thanks to online systems for retail, sponsorship and then the mass sales appeal of companies like Amazon.

    Fields are different as this industry will always need good fields so they add value more easily.

    We are small but regularly get asked for "sponsorships" we ask them to talk to their local store/field and have them contact us to work out what we can do to support them together. I've had 3 occasions (in total in the 5 years we have existed) where the store/field contacted us, and two of those they were already good dealers of ours. The other times nothing came of it whatsoever. So by not "offering" sponsorship to those people we likely lost out just like the store/field owner. At KEE it was an even bigger issue, and hence after so long of dealing with store/field owners that didn't even reply back, that's why they took it on themselves to do it in house.

    It's not a system I agree with though. I think "Sponsorship" or partnerships should really only happen at the highest levels, but so many companies, such as Valken use it as a way to get discounted sales (but still higher margin than dealer). They simply make more money that way, and see it as if the store/field isn't doing anything to earn that value, then why should they automatically get handed it?

    When I see stores bitching about direct sponsorships but still carry that companies products then they have no leg to stand on and they will always get pushed over. They should vote with their buying power. When I see stores bitching about retail margins, but refusing to carry anything other than the low margins item that people come in and ask for I just shake my head. When I see them complain about slow moving items that were hot for everyone else and then find out they don't have a online store, or didn't list them there, or don't have instagram etc. I just shake my head and know they will find it tough to stay in business. Any companies not keeping up with the changing times are destined to die.

    Most store/field owners are awful business people. Horrific. Doing the dealer days and interacting with the most important interface to the customer this industry has, makes it rapidly very clear why so many manufacturers are deciding to go direct to the consumer instead.

  5. #5
    I know of a divisional GI team that gets a full kit for $900 each. That's gotta be less than dealer cost.

  6. #6
    honestly, i think some education is going to make a big difference.

    the kids all look up to "sponsored" players/drivers/teams. the word itself is what folks want, because being sponsored means you are good right? well .... not if basically anyone can get sponsorship. as soon as i knew sponsored didn't mean jack shit, i didn't care/want it. it just meant i'd have to use gear i didn't prefer, in order to sell shit i didn't want in the first place. and make not that much money, while working really hard for it. meanwhile, the actual costs of playing events is not in the gear, its in the tickets, and hotels .... something no sponsor was going to pay for anyway.

    if you take away the meaning of sponsored, and expose it for what it really means ... it means nothing, and no one will care.

    my car has a "sponsor" ... hes a friend and he makes me stickers. the deal is the car shows up and runs at local track days for the track day kiddies (thats his market) and he fixes me up with any graphics i want. its actually more important for me to show up to local track days, than races with the car, because racers don't give a shit about stickers. but thats the market. the kids coming to there first track days, or guys who do 1 or 2 track days a year ... they want the stickers. the guys im racing with ... don't give two shits. he gives me free stickers, my car gets a lot of attention at local track days. thats the deal.
    social conservatism: the mortal fear that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.

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