Working PR for a Sports Car Team

Liz · 19 Jul 2003, 01:51 (Ref:665394)

How does a person get a job doing PR for a sports car team? Do you have to know somebody?

gttouring · 19 Jul 2003, 02:04 (Ref:665395)

they all do have some one and mostly its is a friend or relative of somebody on the team or manufacturer...blah blahblah
it sucks and it is probably the hardest thing to do..

Kurt Maxwell · 19 Jul 2003, 02:52 (Ref:665406)

I throw it in for free as an added value for the sponsor.

vwpilot · 19 Jul 2003, 03:55 (Ref:665417)

I would think that most would have some kind of professional PR person doing it for them, someone that has had professional training and/or schooling in doing such things.

I know that several sportscar teams do use PR services, the site I do some work for gets email press releases from the same person for several teams.

Kurt Maxwell · 19 Jul 2003, 04:51 (Ref:665428)

Although I am happy that my daughter is attending a top school to get a degree in PR, if one can write a good letter it isn't that tough to do a simple press release.

Formal education for doing PR is as much about planning a campaign as it is writing.
Even that is more about ones own creativity and experience.

There is no need to pay a PR pro if a team doesn't have a major sponsor. Since there are few sponsors in N.American road racing there are not that many jobs.

There are positions in NASCAR and IRL. However, those positions will usually require formal training.

Graham Goodwin · 19 Jul 2003, 08:48 (Ref:665473)

I entirely agree that it isn't always essential to have a pro on board if budget is tight - An enthusiastic amateur is a wonderful thing but many can watch and learn from the best that are out there - It isn't always about spending heaps of money, its about telling people what they need to know.

There are some very good motorsport PRs out there - The best are those that have remembered that it is the client and not the PR themselves that is the important thing!

Liz · 19 Jul 2003, 11:37 (Ref:665544)

Indeed -- just like an interview should contain more knowledge than information -- get at the driver behind the information and let people who who he (or she) is and why others should care about him.

But this is very hard to do without excellent listening and observational skills, neither of which you have to go to school to learn. (Anyone who wants to pretend to be a "psychic" will have also developed these skills

).

I've seen some excellent PR and some terrible PR, containing both factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes -- I did wonder if the teams just hired their friends or what. Thanks for the information.

Steve Wood · 20 Jul 2003, 20:15 (Ref:666484)

Liz, my advice, for what it's worth, is not to expect to jump straight in, or at the top. Get around the paddock at the races where you want to work, get to know people, or more like, get the people to know you, and like you, get them to know that you've got something to offer, start doing little bits and pieces for people without them asking (maybe for a small team with no PR - take a few photoes produce an autograph picture, suggest they can use it for pitlane walkabout sessions), don't ask for anything in return, and don't be afraid of rejection.

Above all, make friends, use this forum, and others, to get to know like-minded people, and get out there to the races.

Graham Goodwin · 20 Jul 2003, 20:59 (Ref:666527)

This is from a man who knows too - Steve has 'crossed over' this season and is doing very well indeed - He'll tell you (because he now knows from personal experience)that getting involved adds immeasurably to the enjoyment of the sport

Like I said earlier an enthusiastic amateur is a wonderful thing. A talented and enthusiastic amateur is better still (Steve btw is one of the latter!)

rdjones · 20 Jul 2003, 21:11 (Ref:666539)

I must also say there are some execellent PR people out there and some of them have been a real help to me with bits and peaces for my website.

Fab · 21 Jul 2003, 07:49 (Ref:666854)

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve Wood
Liz, my advice, for what it's worth, is not to expect to jump straight in, or at the top. Get around the paddock at the races where you want to work, get to know people, or more like, get the people to know you, and like you, get them to know that you've got something to offer, start doing little bits and pieces for people without them asking (maybe for a small team with no PR - take a few photoes produce an autograph picture, suggest they can use it for pitlane walkabout sessions), don't ask for anything in return, and don't be afraid of rejection.

Above all, make friends, use this forum, and others, to get to know like-minded people, and get out there to the races.

As a Press Officer , I think she copes not too bad with that kind of things...

Steve Wood · 21 Jul 2003, 09:02 (Ref:666885)

Sorry, Fab, if you feel that I'm teaching Liz to suck eggs, and possibly you know Liz, and what she does at the moment, whereas I don't, but, she did ask............

Liz · 21 Jul 2003, 11:01 (Ref:666949)

Steve, I think your advice is very good -- it's just what I was looking for! I'm old enough to know you can't start at the top unless you are phenomenally lucky -- I'll do just as you say. Some of the sports car teams already know me and my work, ( www.rfmsports.com ) and I think it would be fun to try some PR for free just to see what I could do.

So if you are a small team or know a small team that would like to discuss operations ...

P.S. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Fab; always good to know one's efforts are noticed.

Tim Northcutt · 21 Jul 2003, 14:35 (Ref:667199)

Although I have not worked in racing, I have been a media relations practicioner for 21 years in both entertainment and politics, and have placed print, broadcast and electronic (internet) stories all over the globe....

All of you have given excellent advice...and your background as a journalist (plus the fact that there are teams that know you and your work) will be a huge plus for you, Liz...racing is more of a "people and relationships" business than any other that I am familiar with (according to people that I know in the industry...

I have found that a couple of items not mentioned above, but important ones, would help you as well....they sure have helped me....

1. Access to the "people behind the operation" as Liz mentioned in the Knowledge and information reply is critical...as journalists get to know you and your key people, they will like them in many cases, which will lead to more placements and stories....at some point when I have more time, I'll share specific ideas that I would bring to the racing world....and don't be afraid to look outside the box for opportunities to place stories....you'd be amazed at how I have gotten stories on (as an example) a conductor as part of a feature on "NFL Countdown" on ESPN...a great 3 min. hit that really put my Orchestra on an award winning national show...

2. If I ran a race team, I would NEVER use a Corporate or Sponsor PR person, or a PR Service....Sponsor types care most about how many mentions their company gets, and not about your specific focus or mission as an organization, and PR Services serve more than one master...get your own person to work for you....but be sure to take care of their needs and work WITH their PR people...but you as a PR practicioner should be in control and at the wheel when it comes to the team's PR efforts...

3. This one is critical: Everything you do or write or release should be done within a context of journalistic newsworthiness...and it is vital that you understand not only the "who" various respective reporters reach, but also "how" they reach them, and in what writing style, context or "flavor" they publish, broadcast or post their information...are they a comfortable, feature type??? a Hard News type???? a cutting edge type????....how visual is their medium???? among many other thins...there are lots of actors you weigh here for your pitches and the specific approuches you use...

Target your messages and pitches to specific outlets (news or features) within the context that is of interest to their readers, listeners or viewers....that is how you score hits and get placements...and be sure that they understand that you are there to help them get what they need before their deadlines...they will appreciate you and the fact that you will got the extra mile for them, and they will come back to you for future stories...

FInally...put your self in the reporter's or the editor's shoes in everything you do..."Publicists" do not make it over the long haul in this business...the people who understand the needs of the various media, their different approaches to coverage, and how to serve them to make their jobs easier and give them good, solid newsworthy info or interesting and colorful feature opportunities are the peole who make it in PR...

I must be doing something right...I've been at it a long time and I have boxes of newsclips, audio tapes and VHS tapes of coverage I have obtained...

Hope this helps!!!!

Graham Goodwin · 21 Jul 2003, 15:02 (Ref:667229)

Couldn't agree more with Tim's analysis - I'm another 21 year 'vet' from journalism and PR (Government and Private Sector) - Spooky!!

Tim Northcutt · 21 Jul 2003, 15:48 (Ref:667286)

To Kurt Maxwell:

I attended Indiana University, whee I got my degree in Journalism, but did take some PR courses....

Where does your daughter go to school???

I hope she is getting plenty of background in the journalism side as well as the PR side....my training at IU (a top J-School) was invaluable....

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