Media Blitz?

[Rowdy]

Has anybody seen anything that resembles the much talked about media push from AVESCO that was pretty much the focus of the season launch? I can't recall seeing anything apart from the usual stories in the paper and have not seen a t.v ad.

[Chappelli]

VB do more to promote V8 Supercars than AVESCO. Not wanting to name names, but I know that a pretty major media outlet in NZ (that in no way conflicts with there broadcast partner over here) hear's exactly zilch from them.

[Crash Test]

I'd say Zinger burgers have been doing the most promos up this way at least!

[dsg]

I'd say channel ten are doing the most to promote the V8s. Last weekend I saw 2 great ads, they both lasted about 4 hours each.

[retro]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Motors...s-in-fast-lane
/2005/03/21/1111253958703.html?oneclick=true

V8 supercars in fast lane
By Michael Lynch
March 22, 2005

There are plenty in the V8 supercar paddock who moan about escalating costs and the difficulties teams have in raising money to stay at the sharp end of the grid. But boss of ruling body AVESCO, Tony Cochrane, is not one of them.

For Cochrane, who has played a key role in the decade-long renaissance of the touring car category in Australia, the future looks bright.

With further international expansion (a race in Bahrain or Dubai in the Middle East and a second in Asia), the move to a 14-round championship, the sport attracting blue chip non-automotive sponsors and a new television deal on the horizon, Cochrane says things can only get better for the V8 category.

On the eve of the new season in Adelaide, he talked of international TV opportunities that were opening up, how the decision to race in China would broaden the V8 brand, the entry of new manufacturers (such as Toyota and Mitsubishi) to challenge the Ford and Holden dominance and how the sport will take the defection of its champion, Marcos Ambrose, to the US NASCAR series.

"We have had massive growth in our crowds and our television. We have just signed off on two major deals in Europe, one of which is to go live on Motors TV, every round. Our total spread now is to 110 countries, nearly 850 million homes, so the sport is in great shape," Cochrane said.

"I think the racing is tremendous and with China coming on board this year, that will give us another huge step up internationally."

China is the second overseas race for the V8s this year after New Zealand. But Cochrane says other overseas races are planned. "I think probably the next breakthrough market for us internationally will be the Middle East. We have been there on television for some time now and we are very close to formalising arrangements . . . Then after that, maybe (we will fixture) another round in Asia. We only want to do four rounds internationally and keep 10 rounds in Australia. In the Middle East, it will probably be Bahrain or Dubai."

While he would have preferred Ambrose to stay, he says the series is bigger than the individual, even its champion. "We have got plenty of internationals that want to come and run in this, so it's not all one way. People are viewing us as the world's greatest touring car championship. NASCAR is very different, it's all American, run on ovals and I admire Marcos immensely for having the courage to have a go, but to be honest with you, we have got lots of great champions in our championship and that's why we are so strong.

"Given a choice, I would have preferred Marcos to stay but I think there are lots of guys who will step up to the plate. We have got lots of household names now with drivers like Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall and Greg Murphy . . . One driver leaving to go somewhere else doesn't create a problem for the championship."

Cochrane dropped a bombshell at Bathurst six months ago when he said he was interested in a third manufacturer - almost certainly Toyota - crashing the Ford and Holden party but there has been little news about this since.

"There have been no further developments. All I suggested at Bathurst is that the sport is mature enough now for us to discuss it, not only with our fan base but all the stakeholders, which include the two current manufacturers . . . I have got no problems in carrying on with two manufacturers."

Cochrane is rankled by media coverage. "We are a mainstream sport. The (media) of Australia are just brought up on a diet of football codes and cricket and can't think beyond that. Here we are at a race weekend where there are 250,000 people watching V8 supercars, so I would suggest that big chunks of the press are really out of touch . . ."

[stoned pony]

While I would actually agree with Mr Cochrane's highlighted statement I would also suggest that rather than sitting back *****ing he should be doing a whistlestop tour of Australia's major newspapers - and that includes regionals like Canberra, Albury, Newcastle, Geelong, Bendigo, Launceston and the like - asking editors-in-chief and sports editors why his sport is not getting the coverage he believes it deserves.
He might be surprised with the answers.

[mixxer]

Over the last 4 days, articles on the V8's have been in -

Canberra City News
Port Macquarie News
Bathhurst Western Advocate
Dubbo Daily Liberal
Orange Central Western Daily
Maitland Mercury
Ballarat Courier
Tamworth Northern Daily Leader
Manning River Times
Age
The Daily Post
Wodonga Border Mail
Advertiser Adelaide
New Zealand Herald
Townsville Bulletin
Australian
Brisbane Courier Mail
Melbourne Herald Sun
Sydney Morning Herald
Australian
The Canberra Times
Queensland Sunday Mail

http://news.google.com.au/?q=V8+Supe...TF-8&scoring=d

[Chappelli]

That's not a lot of newspapers really.

[mixxer]

Not in the grand scheme of things I suppose, but it was a surprise to me that there was that many in the last 4 days. Remember these are only the papers that are picked up by google news (it may be all of them for all I know).

[Chappelli]

And most of those (an assumption on my part here) I'd say the majority are covering stories off their own back (not because they've been tickled up in any way shape or form by AVESCO).

[flyingduck]

Considering that the first round was about four days ago I would say a lot of them are regarding the clipsal round. Over here in NZ I have not seen any push except a few ads for the race and if thats a big push I would love to know

[mixxer]

Guys its a search engine result for "V8 Supercar", if your that interested try some other permutations to get more results, if your not dont.

[retro]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Busine...or-top-marques
/2005/03/23/1111525221661.html?oneclick=true

Rumble of V8 scores highly for top marques
By Julian Lee
Sydney
March 24, 2005


Marcos Ambrose leads the pack into the first turn of the V8 Supercars opening round last weekend. Ford's Bruce McDonald says the event is breaking out of its niche sport label.

When Marcos Ambrose crossed the finish line in his Ford Falcon at last weekend's Clipsal 500 V8 Supercars race in Adelaide, he confirmed to Ford's marketing boss that a multimillion-dollar investment in the motor sport is paying off.

"People think if you get into something like this then you're going to get a return straight away," Ford marketing director Bruce McDonald says. "It's just not the case. We are only now beginning to see a return."

Five years ago Ford stopped sponsoring the Australian Open tennis in favour of ramping up its commitment to motor sport - for all the obvious reasons. It doesn't make tennis equipment, the Open is a Melbourne-based event, and for 50 weeks of the year its sponsorship lay fallow.

V8 Supercars runs from March to November - Adelaide marked the beginning of this year's season - and attendances are growing at a rate that confirms it is breaking out of its niche sport label, says McDonald.

Last weekend, 235,000 people attended Adelaide and organisers expect 1.9 million to attend the 13 national events this year. "In a market regarded as small, that's a substantial improvement," he says.

But the likes of Ford and Holden are not in it purely for the winning. The estimated $10 million annual cost to put a team on the track is part of a long-term strategy to woo younger buyers and buoy the flat large passenger car market, where sales have shrunk by about 10 per cent.

Ford believes it is working. It quotes Roy Morgan research that claims the number of people who say they will buy a Falcon has risen by 27 per cent since 2003, although Ford won't say from what base.

Sales of its performance Falcon XR range have more than trebled in five years to reach 17,326 cars.

Holden has seen sales of its HSV range almost double in the same period to 4054.

The fact that Holden-badged G-strings are a bestseller says much about the events' audiences.Years ago when the cars on the track were the same as those on the road, it was said that a marque could win on Sunday and sell on Monday. Today, the best car makers can hope for is for some of the glamour to rub off onto everyday models. For Holden marketing director John Elsworth, the sport taps into the tribalism so vital to the brand's future. Reflecting on last weekend's loss, Elsworth says: "Sure, most people want to be associated with a winning team, but there are plenty . . . who haven't won the premiership (and) people still support them. People who follow us are passionate about Holden."

Elsworth says a better measurement of the sport's impact is Holden's team merchandise sales. The fact that Holden-badged G-strings are a bestseller says much about the events' audiences. V8 Supercars championship organiser AVESCO says that 35 per cent of people at the races are women aged 17-24.

V8 Supercars marketing manager Tracy Benton says families make up half the crowds. "It's become a family event and they (the manufacturers) want families," she says.

Both marques know getting the support of boys and teens will pay dividends down the track.