Quote:
Originally Posted by on_to_it
I agree totally. But that requires good research, and that costs money.
If MSNZ perceived that research as an investment in the future of the sport (and them keeping their jobs), rather than a cost to be minimized, they would learn something about marketing the Summer Series.
Would they buy into that I wonder...
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This was discussed quite a bit a few years ago on the Boss Forum about NZ V8's. I put my 2 cents in, with what I have seen work with success and what does work in terms of growing the potential revenue pool and making it a commercial success.
I have been to race tracks all over the world, I have to work at them and often spend a lot of time at them. And one common theme I notice with tracks in Australia and NZ is that quite a few of them are "nice" in terms of them being presentable and they are kept up to a reasonable standard, but it is obvious that if you are a spectator at most of these places you are screwed. There is almost no thinking or thought into having good places to spectate and if lucky you might get a "spectator mound" to squeeze in on in the dirt or you might at best get a wooden bench. At some of the tracks there might be some permanent, shaded seating, but that is more an exception than a rule.
If I am going to a dirt oval track for Saturday night racing, I might accept I'm going to pay $5-$20 and get stuck with a wooden bench for seating.
But if you are asking people to pay a premium of $35, $50, $100+, then the facilities need to match. And poor viewing spots, 3rd world toilet blocks, wooden benches or mud for seating, that just isn't cutting it. There are other things they can do with that money and it will buy a nice concert ticket or good seat at a Super 15 game or something else.
I think if you are charging a certain price, you've got to look at whether people are getting value at that price.
To me the fans are what keep the "professional" side of motorsport going and providing the excuse to keep commercial and B2B sponsorships worthwhile. It also keeps the TV ratings going. If people never get out to the track and get connected to the sport in person, you'll never build a repetitive audience on TV.