Promotion

[Fred]

>>You have to wise up in terms of sponsorship and image and glamour and corporate hospitality and presentation and marketability, and they are doing just that, and attracting backers and sponsors.

British F3 is at risk of resting on its historical laurels if it isn't careful. It may still arguably be the best F3 championship, attracting top teams and drivers and charging reassuringly expensive prices, but I do believe the show needs to be uprated and sexed up, else it will be overtaken before they realise it. <<

I'm not often in agreement with Mr Jinx but I am on his point outlined above. If anybody looked at the F3 Preview in Autospit this week it was very striking how few of the cars shown were displaying any sponsorship logo's at all ? I've previously commented on the lack of same on Lewis Hamiltons car. Obviously they have the funding to do it but for others ...?

There is something seriously wrong with the state of British motorsport when so many people, and teams find it so difficult, if not impossible, to raise sponsorship, not just in F3 but FR and FF too. Instead of this sounding like another moan about wasted talent and faillure to support our series, let alone drivers. I would like to ask what positive measures others might suggest to overcome the difficulties ?

My suggestion would be for a unified programme of the National single seater championships racing on the same day and promoted as a single 'package'. The ideal would be as part of the TOCA tour, because it already draws the crowds and the TV coverage. However, if it cannot join that tour it needs to be actively promoted as a seperate entity.

One method I would suggest for this would use the example of the BTTC coverage from the 90's which started the popularity of the touring cars. I cannot remember exactly which company it was ( Barry Hinchcliffe TV ? ) but they filmed each race, edited it down into 30 mins, making sure they got the best bits, and sold that to the BBC. If such a scheme was adopted for the proposed single seater series tour, it would be possible to put together an hour long package of the three or four series, showing the best bits of each race. A good enough presentation would surely be an attractive proposition to the broadcasters ?

I do not question the proffessionalism of the teams and individuals involved in each series at what they do in motoracing terms but, in marketing and presenting themselves, they plainly have a lot to learn from Spain, let alone America. Sitting back and bemoaning the lack of available finances will only perfect Ostrich impersonations. This country has not been in economic recession for 8-9 years now. Large parts of Europe has and yet their motoracing seems to thrive. If people continue to wring their hands and play the "ain't it awfull" game then nothing will improve and the UK industry will dissappear slowly but steadily.

Anyone else have any positive suggestions for how to improve the promotion and popularity of the sport you love ?

[sceptic]

Originally posted by Fred
My suggestion would be for a unified programme of the National single seater championships racing on the same day and promoted as a single 'package'. The ideal would be as part of the TOCA tour, because it already draws the crowds and the TV coverage.

The problems with having one single package are:
a) There isn't enough time in the day to fit all the races - already the TOCA Tour will have as many as 14 races a day this season.

b) It is bad news for circuits like Croft and Thruxton, as they would only have one profitable meeting a year, rather than two.

Having two packages, as we do at the moment, is the best way...although it might be better if they worked together more to avoid schedule clashes, and had a common TV deal.

One method I would suggest for this would use the example of the BTTC coverage from the 90's which started the popularity of the touring cars. I cannot remember exactly which company it was ( Barry Hinchcliffe TV ? ) but they filmed each race, edited it down into 30 mins, making sure they got the best bits, and sold that to the BBC. If such a scheme was adopted for the proposed single seater series tour, it would be possible to put together an hour long package of the three or four series, showing the best bits of each race. A good enough presentation would surely be an attractive proposition to the broadcasters ?

Well for the last two years that is exactly what has happened for the supports on the TOCA Tour.

Granada packaged the race highlights into a programme called Motorsport UK, and it was shown on ITV and Men & Motors in the UK, and sold around the world.

This season the same will happen.

In addition, F Ren and FBMW races will be shown live on Motors TV (as F Ren and FFord were last year).

The current TOCA TV deal, now in its third season, needs to be viewed as the template for the future of televised motorsport in the UK.

The decision by Richard West to take the BTCC away from the BBC and move to ITV started it, but the way Granada turned that opportunity into an integrated TV package was what the series needed.

One TV company, in this case Granada, films all the championships. All the championships get live coverage on Motors TV. ITV has built an audience for the BTCC, so that this year they are showing some races live, all the others will be shown as highlights. Support race highlights are also shown on ITV, in one programme strand.

Compare that with the F3/GT package.
You have one company filming GT (in this case BHP), and that is shown as highlights on Channel 4.
But you have a different company filming F3 (Hay Fisher), although that is also shown on Channel 4.
The same company (Hay Fisher) also films the support races. But they get shown on Sky Sports, in several different programmes.
And nothing is shown live.

[Fred]

Having two packages, as we do at the moment, is the best way...although it might be better if they worked together more to avoid schedule clashes, and had a common TV deal.
>>Well for the last two years that is exactly what has happened for the supports on the TOCA Tour.<<

>>The current TOCA TV deal, now in its third season, needs to be viewed as the template for the future of televised motorsport in the UK.<<

>>and nothing is shown live. [/B][/QUOTE] <<

I bow to your greater knowledge there sceptic.

I agree that the TOCA TV deal is the way forward for the single seater series and would also agree that it would be best if they were all done by one company. Mind, if they were all on the same bill, they probably would be? If they could sell it to Grandstand that would be best because it wouldn't get shunted into the wee hours then?

It can't be beyond the capacity of the various championship organisers/promoters to stump up funding for the TV coverage surely ? offered it to the Beeb at cost it would be to their advantage. With respect to Motors TV you are already preaching to the converted and its the casual viewer that you want to hook.

As with the early touring car coverage, I would suggest that a pre recorded presentation is best until the viewers start to get used to it. That may go against the purists who want to see live action but you've got to get them attracted and interested first and, if we are honest, there are a lot of races you've watched that you would liked to have edited ?

I was looking at the Italian F Renault series on Italia racing, they've got nearly 40 cars competing in the championship ! the photos suggest that there is lots of sponsorship available over there. Why is Italian single seaters so succesful, in an economy that is not at its best, when UK single seaters struggle for funds, in an economy that has been out of recession for 8 years? What are they, and other countries, doing that the UK is not ?

[sceptic]

Originally posted by Fred

I agree that the TOCA TV deal is the way forward for the single seater series and would also agree that it would be best if they were all done by one company. Mind, if they were all on the same bill, they probably would be? If they could sell it to Grandstand that would be best because it wouldn't get shunted into the wee hours then?

You're just dreaming now. There is probaly a case for F3 to be shown in a better time slot (than 7am on Saturday) on terrestrial TV, but Formula Renualt, Formula Ford and Formula BMW are never going to be big enough to get regular network coverage anywhere but night time.

It can't be beyond the capacity of the various championship organisers/promoters to stump up funding for the TV coverage surely ?

I would not be at all surprised if Renault and BMW weren't paying a substantial amount of money for the TV deal they currently have.

I don't think they would see any advantage in paying more money to get a daytime slot.

offered it to the Beeb at cost it would be to their advantage. With respect to Motors TV you are already preaching to the converted and its the casual viewer that you want to hook.

As with the early touring car coverage, I would suggest that a pre recorded presentation is best until the viewers start to get used to it. That may go against the purists who want to see live action but you've got to get them attracted and interested first and, if we are honest, there are a lot of races you've watched that you would liked to have edited ?

There is room for both. Those who want to see it live (or as live) should be able to do so on a specialist channel such as Motors.

Terrestrial TV will bring in more viewers, even at 2am, but the 250,000 who watch Formula Renault on Motorsport UK (and let's face it, most of them probably don't stay up - they video it!) probably represents close to the maximum audience the series would attract at any time of day.

I was looking at the Italian F Renault series on Italia racing, they've got nearly 40 cars competing in the championship ! the photos suggest that there is lots of sponsorship available over there. Why is Italian single seaters so succesful, in an economy that is not at its best, when UK single seaters struggle for funds, in an economy that has been out of recession for 8 years? What are they, and other countries, doing that the UK is not ?

Italian F Renault may be strong, but the F3 series is weak, and there is no F Ford or F BMW there at the moment, so effectively it is the only place for drivers to go when they graduate from karts.

In the UK there are too many championships.