STCC Opportunity

[Motordirex]

See http://stcc.bansheestudios.com/talk/viewtopic.php?id=549 for more details.

Cheers. :thumb:

[mcintyrej]

Sounds like a brilliant opportunity for the selected drivers. Good luck with your sponsorship guys!

[Tweaker]

It's too bad that the season is in progress and only a few American drivers are really worthy of sponsorships.

If my PC hadn't broke on me, I'd probably give STCC a shot when they start a new season. Not bragging, but Mercury Racing Team has had the fastest US drivers on their roster (WGooden, Modoff, and myself :o). There are several other US drivers that are becoming worthy of a sponsor deal like this ... I haven't seen them in STCC at all though (mainly because they don't race TBO).

Point is, leaving it to a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd possibility for the sponsored US driver(s), they are up to some pretty stiff competition in other countries... you'd really need some of our finest.

I am no longer in Mercury (left) though, and if I did take part in this deal, I wouldn't have a website. I guess I'd need a personal one, or something... (maybe links in my signature here and on other forums (STCC's site also will have driver pages soon I guess)).

[Becky Rose]

Performance isn't everything though Tweaker, brand association is also important as sponsorship is an industry based upon image as much as it is performance, and I think the STCC does have drivers who fit the criteria who are also capable of registering a financial return on the particular deal offered, more when considering result in class if that was a negotiable option (as we dont have a driver from the Americas in the tarmac dominant FXO).

Anyway it's up to the drivers to sort. I just wish some sponsors would come my way too! :D

[mcintyrej]

I just wish some sponsors would come my way too! :D

Don't we all. Aren't Logitech sponsering you? Or is that just the league? Oh, I also need to talk to you about the STCC site. Want me to email you?

[Jakg]

Logitech have donated prizes but not monies

[Gimpster]

I am still slowly working my way through the Gold licence. Maybe some day...

[Tweaker]

Performance isn't everything though Tweaker, brand association is also important as sponsorship is an industry based upon image as much as it is performance, and I think the STCC does have drivers who fit the criteria who are also capable of registering a financial return on the particular deal offered, more when considering result in class if that was a negotiable option (as we dont have a driver from the Americas in the tarmac dominant FXO).

Anyway it's up to the drivers to sort. I just wish some sponsors would come my way too!
I can't stand people associating me with a 'performance is 100%' mindset. :doh: Please see what I am saying here.

What makes those drivers fast is not just their performance, but a good track record of everything else that fills the gaps.

Surely, the sponsored drivers will become a lot more valuable (for podium results) when we have the TBO class balanced ;). I'm just saying, at the moment, if Motodirex wanted top results for Plexus Wireless, it'd be a really hard with the current US drivers and the cars they are using. Plexus Wireless would certainly get a lot of publicity though, win or lose. :tilt:

[Becky Rose]

Don't we all. Aren't Logitech sponsering you? Or is that just the league? Oh, I also need to talk to you about the STCC site. Want me to email you?
As much as i'd love to say Logitech are paying me, well they are, they're giving me a G25 which is sort of a payment, the deal is mostly for the drivers as it gives them a nice bundle of prizes, mostly i'm keen to see our cleanest driver award winner getting a G25, but there's a prize pool also for the winner, but exact details I cannot announce yet. Still it doesnt even dent the £1700 i've spent and signed up to spend for everything i've done with the SRA/STCC this season. Having said that i'm not complaining because it is my hobby and i'm happy to spend money on it :). I'm also announcing a new sponsor next race - actually it's a case study to see how much traffic we drive for a single event sponsorship and no money is involved - valuable data which I can use to attract real sponsors. The recipient company is a not for profit group run by a friend of mine, but I wont mention it here because I dont want to pollute the data - wait and see :)

EDIT: Oh sure, email me :) Link on the contacts page of the STCC site.

[IceMan31x]

i would attempt to do it, but really, who wants to race against a guy with a broken wheel and has to use mouse :thumb: lol Good luck

[Becky Rose]

the sponsored drivers will become a lot more valuable (for podium results) when we have the TBO class balanced
You know, in a strange way i'm actually kind of glad the STCC cars are not that well balanced - because the qualifying system that has come into effect as a result means the quicker cars are not at the front, to quote David Coultard, "Any race which has qualifying has the fundamental problem that the fast guys start at the front, and they pull away.". With the class balance as it is we dont have that, which is what makes a 30 minute STCC race so darn exciting - you'll see what I mean next week when round 7 comes out, it's a real cracker :) !

[mcintyrej]

You know, in a strange way i'm actually kind of glad the STCC cars are not that well balanced - because the qualifying system that has come into effect as a result means the quicker cars are not at the front, to quote David Coultard, "Any race which has qualifying has the fundamental problem that the fast guys start at the front, and they pull away.". With the class balance as it is we dont have that, which is what makes a 30 minute STCC race so darn exciting - you'll see what I mean next week when round 7 comes out, it's a real cracker :) !

Sounds great, i'll be checking the site every second up until its posted. Oh, about that email..Hotmail blocked the attachments, so I'll upload them and send them again.

[Becky Rose]

i'll be checking the site every second up until its posted
Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, I can see my bandwidth getting used up just before it goes live ! lol

[banshee56]

See http://stcc.bansheestudios.com/talk/viewtopic.php?id=549 for more details.

Cheers. :thumb:

Does this offer need to be limited to STCC? Since you are in Canada and your company is in the US, how about sponsoring a US/Canada based team or league?

[dawesdust_12]

Well, the way I see it, if we get skinnable undercarriages, then sponsoring myself would be a valuable investment, becuase you'd get loads of people seeing the sponsorship, just too bad I'm too damn slow to finish anything above 10th, now if leading a race earlier in the season was worth something... :hide:

Becky, also ain't Rob Sherborne in the USA, even though he's a UK'er?

[Tweaker]

Does this offer need to be limited to STCC? Since you are in Canada and your company is in the US, how about sponsoring a US/Canada based team or league?
Not a bad idea imo...

LOTA is North America's best league at the moment :tilt: Filled with US drivers/teams. But I guess he wants exposure through the broadcasts :shrug: Though more attention from American players is drawn towards LOTA.

[Becky Rose]

Hey guys!? Go find your own. lol. Or i'll tell 'em about your team videos Tweak... If you going to steal a sponsor from the STCC at least have the discretion to do it behind my back! :D

[Tweaker]

My videos?

EDIT: Oh just a case of a bad joke. :p

[Hyperactive]

Rough stuff, use PMs :D

[Jakg]

Look, its a promotion tool, and if 120,000 people watch each STCC broadcast (in just the first 3 months!), then i think its a LOT more promotion than the other 19 racers in race

[Viper93]

Not a bad idea imo...

LOTA is North America's best league at the moment :tilt: Filled with US drivers/teams. But I guess he wants exposure through the broadcasts :shrug: Though more attention from American players is drawn towards LOTA.

I would definatly agree here =)

Problem is even though LOTA is based in the US when you compaire STCC viewing figures to any other league there is no compairision to the number of eyes that catch with whatever your trying to promote. Even if 10% of the downloaders came from the US (which is probably closer to at least 20-30%, I don't know for sure) thats roughly 4k viewers a month coming from the US downloading the broadcast, not including people that watch the braodcasts via Google Video and U-Tube.

[Becky Rose]

10% would be nearer 12k Chris, we're getting over 120,000 direct downloads a month, and similar figures for a single episode over a 3 month period. :)

[Viper93]

oops, I forgot... I was just going by the latest race figures for a month, not total downloads.... Shame on me =P:razz:

[Becky Rose]

:) You dont even know your own marketting appeal man :D Get with the program! *pokes ribs*

[Viper93]

:shrug: Heh whats new, I am always behind of the program... :really:

[Motordirex]

Thanks for the good replies to this offer.

Ive been corresponding with Lee of LOTA and CoRe Racing about sponsoring the LOTA, and as I told him that is a possibility in the future.

But yes, the STCC is where I want to be as far as broadcasts and viewers...theres no other sim league on the net today that attracts those kinds of numbers. And like any true race fan, you go back and watch those races over and over...I know I have.

What I am surprised at is the lack of response by American drivers to my offer. I am currently only speaking with one driver about Plexus Wireless sponsorship in the STCC, so we'll see what happens.

[Becky Rose]

I spoke to Dustin and Rob and they felt that their performance in the league wouldn't warrant the sponsorship, Alan Smithee I havn't seen recently - and those (other than Chris who I pressume is the one in touch) are all the North American drivers competing in the broadcast league this year.

We do have 10,000 drivers on the public server / licence system books, but only 30 get to start in the STCC league. So for a lot of our American drivers they may well want the sponsorship, but are not in a position to deliver their end of the bargain until season 2 when we replace the departing drivers.

[Jakg]

sponsor meeeeeeeeeee, you can put any logo you want anywhere you want, and i'll get lots of camera coverage as i crash on the last corner!

[N I K I]

and i'll get lots of camera coverage as i crash on the last corner!

:ices_rofl

[mcintyrej]

sponsor meeeeeeeeeee, you can put any logo you want anywhere you want, and i'll get lots of camera coverage as i crash on the last corner!

Or if the MRT is ever in a sponsored event, you'll be crashing on every corner. You'd get 100% coverage!

O/t - Becky, did you recive my email's last night? I had trouble with Hotmail blocking a .Jpeg attachment, so I don't know if they got through. :thumbsdow

[Jakg]

shaddup! I suck in slick cars, the exact reason why i barely drive them

Becky says no, btw

[mcintyrej]

Becky says no, btw

You never cease to amaze me, can you read minds? Explain...

[Jakg]

...I just asked her...

[mcintyrej]

Definatly sure? I certainly sent it. I used the STCC League Administrator's email address, from the Contact page of the STCC site. Which was under "general inquiries".

Bah, that email took about 30 minutes to type. 1 more verification before I do it all again?

[Jakg]

Sent Items?

[mcintyrej]

Nope, I saved a draft of it too but that's dissapeared. I've even got the page on history with the title "drafts" from when I checked it was there last night. Bah, i'll type it all again then unless I speak to becky before I get the chance.

Cheers

[Motordirex]

Back to my sponsorship...haha

Ive gone over a few things and there will be other incentives to flying a Plexus banner then just the top 3 finishing positions:

holeshot award
position award - how ever many cars you pass throughout the race
end of season points awardIm sure I'll come up with a few more ways to reward Plexus Wireless sponsored drivers in the STCC. Details of the above incentives still to be worked out.

[mcintyrej]

Hah, sorry to go off topic like I did. I won't do it again, Promise! :x

[Vain]

Since you're one driver short of your desired number of drivers I'd like to ask for what reasons exactly you only want to sponsor US drivers. As far as I can see the exposure is identical (unless Becky favors north american drivers in the broadcast, of course :tilt: ).
My point is, Chevrolet has a World Touring Car team with a british, an italian and a swiss driver and I don't believe that has a negative impact on the perception of Chevrolet's achievements in the US.
(And no, I'm not asking because I want the sponsorship deal. I guess there are more exciting drivers out there. Even though... Well, more infos on the 'even though' next week. :tilt:)

Vain

[N I K I]

Since you're one driver short of your desired number of drivers I'd like to ask for what reasons exactly you only want to sponsor US drivers. As far as I can see the exposure is identical (unless Becky favors north american drivers in the broadcast, of course :tilt: ).
My point is, Chevrolet has a World Touring Car team with a british, an italian and a swiss driver and I don't believe that has a negative impact on the perception of Chevrolet's achievements in the US.
(And no, I'm not asking because I want the sponsorship deal. I guess there are more exciting drivers out there. Even though... Well, more infos on the 'even though' next week. :tilt:)

Vain

I totally agree whit you Vain. And I'd like to know why only American drivers?

[Becky Rose]

Such arrangements are common in sponsorship, it's not about exposure but brand identity. If you are targetting a Japanese audience then you sponsor a Japanese driver... This is why Honda powered teams in F1 have always had a Japanese driver in the second car even when a good Japanese driver wasn't around... Performance didn't matter, because people will support their heroes and national identity is a major part of selecting which driver to cheer on.

[Motordirex]

Since you're one driver short of your desired number of drivers I'd like to ask for what reasons exactly you only want to sponsor US drivers. As far as I can see the exposure is identical (unless Becky favors north american drivers in the broadcast, of course :tilt: ).
My point is, Chevrolet has a World Touring Car team with a british, an italian and a swiss driver and I don't believe that has a negative impact on the perception of Chevrolet's achievements in the US.
(And no, I'm not asking because I want the sponsorship deal. I guess there are more exciting drivers out there. Even though... Well, more infos on the 'even though' next week. :tilt:)

Vain

Plexus Wireless only operates in the United States, unlike Chevy in which can be bought in Europe and South America and North America. Just for the record, I live in Canada.

Its simple marketing; if you have Americans watching American drivers that are sponsored by an American company that you can get products for only in America, then I have a better chance of success sponsoring an all American team.

Plexus Wireless products can also be used by American drivers, unlike someone in the UK or Germany; thats incentive right there.

Basing my sponsorship in the US has nothing to do with me thinking US drivers are better, or wanting to be patriotic; which I cant being British born now living in Canada. haha

Its all about business and who I can sponsor thats going to give me the best return on my investment.

[N I K I]

Aha, now I get the point :shrug: But still I never liked Sato in Honda or some other combinations like that... but Japanese probably liked it :)

I hope there will be more of this stuff in season 2. (Sponsors) Finally you can earn some many on your skills and free time :thumb:

btw. Becky can we all apply for season 2 (Will there be open sign ups)? Or all this drivers from season 1 stays? Have you think about it?

[Tweaker]

Season 1 is far from over isn't it? I do want to give a shot with Season 2 when it comes around, but I expect that it is a long ways away.

[Becky Rose]

I have some vague ideas of what i'd like to do for season 2, but nothing is in concrete yet.

[Motordirex]

Im talking with two US drivers at the moment working out the details for next seasons STCC.

I thank all the inquiries from other US drivers, and urge them to keep coming because you never know what can happen before next season. :thumb:

[Viper93]

Im talking with two US drivers at the moment working out the details for next seasons STCC.

I thank all the inquiries from other US drivers, and urge them to keep coming because you never know what can happen before next season. :thumb:

One can only hope =)