You be the Judge - Marketing

I was listening to Grant and Nico chatting about the upcoming show. I strongly disagree with Grant that spending marketing money on the general public will be waisted. At the moment racing (to the general public) is like a pimple on your arse, you know its there but you dont get to see it. (in marketing terms).

What would the Casinos be without marketing. Sorry Grant very narrow minded view and bringing bits and pieces of corporate business to racing will not grow the industry at the rate it should be grown at.

I am young in terms of most in racing but was drawn to Racing by the July 2005. I wonder what drew me to it. Maybe the extensive marketing of the July race and a win on Dunford.

I say it again Racing is in the gambling industry. Know your competition and take them on. Attack the Lotto by marketing a dream THE PICK 6 bet.

The song "Killing me softly" should be killing me "slowly"

Killing Me Slowly With His Apathy
Causing my pain with his stories,
Ruining my night with no racing,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Telling his whole life with NO CROWDS,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
I heard there was a new one, with a brand new style.
But the line was too long so I had to wait a while.
And there he was, this Marketer, a stranger to my eyes.
Causing my pain with his stories,
Ruining my night with no Racing,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Telling his whole life with NO CROWDS,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy ...
I watched the line get smaller, but was trapped by the crowd,
I felt he found the guide books and read each one out loud.
I prayed that he would resign but he just kept right on ...
Causing my pain with his stories,
Ruining my night with no Racing,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Telling his whole life with NO CROWDS,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy...
He smirked as if he knew me in all my dark despair.
I tried to work around him, as if he wasn't there.
But he just kept on taking, taking loud and long.
Causing my pain with his stories,
Ruining my night with no Racing,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Killing me slowly with His Apathy,
Telling his whole life with NO CROWDS,
Killing me
He was missing oh, he was ruining my night.
Killing me harshly with His Apathy,
Killing me harshly with His Apathy,
Telling his whole life with his words,
Killing me harshly with His Apathy ...
With His Apathy ...

Due to 'technical difficulties', wont be flighted tonight !

This is bad news as Marketing is a major problem and possibly the best topic so far, hope the technical problems resolved soon!

I sincerely hope the 'technical difficulties' referred to regarding 'You Be The Judge' are not Phumelela 'editing' controversial comments from the programme!

Of greater concern to me right now is a trend that is rapidly developing on Tellytrack with regard to UK racing. Studio hosts are ( rather irresponsibly ) offering their unsolicited and uninformed opinions on Jackpot runners based on their personal opinions and fancies. Clearly they know absolutely NOTHING about the races in question - whether that be the ability or form of the participating runners.

It would surely be a good deal more professional and ethical to simply pass on whatever information they do have ( Going, scratchings, changes etc. ) rather then the self indulgent guesswork which they seem so keen to blabber on about.

If the UK networks were to simply put a 'talking head' on the air to pollute the airwaves with subjective guesswork regarding the chances of the participants there would be an outcry. But in good old RSA we get sheer, unadulterated claptrap and must just take it. To say nothing of the general hilarity and banter which breaks out when their selections inevitably go missing.

OMG the 'Cat' IS Back!!!

I take it you're raring to go with the Clan on the 19th?

All the best mate - sorely missed, regards Jim.

How things have changed - sand racing
Posted by: osgood (IP Logged)
Date: September 30, 2008 07:24AM


This was posted some time back.

This is from the minutes of the Racing Associations AGM held on 19 November 2001.

" Messrs Brugman, Ninow, R Blank and G Blank, with approval from others present, placed on record that they believed that Phumelela management was incompetent in that a decision had been taken to build a sand track at the Vaal and a second grass track at Turffontein rather than use the available funds for marketing. The comments were noted".

pot calling the kettle black

A thought on this issue crossed my mind this morning whilst on my way to work. I remeber a time when Radio Port Natal / East coast Radio used to broadcast live racing and or results (not to clear on whether live races were broadcast) but I do recall Craig Peters voice so it must have been broadcast.

The results were mentioned for the entire KZN region to hear. Is this not an opportunity in itself to market racing. Even if its just a results spot with mention on what the exotics paid for the day and if there are carryover pick6 they could punt this.

On the Highveld we have live racing on a radio channel called 14.85. They do switchover for live Joburg commentaries.

Only pity is that this radio station has a VERY POOR RECEPTION & even whilst driving out to the Vaal you can loose the signal...oddly enough as you get closer to the Vaal course, the signal fades !

Robert & co, can you not link up with a radio station that has a stronger / wider frequency ? It would sure help us punters driving in our cars.

Well done Adios and all the best to Mrs Adios and you new addition, hope you took my tip and wore oven gloves??

Dave

This email should not be construed as an endorsement of Phumelela/Gold Circle policies. Maybe just recognition of some of the realities.

1.) I am extremely doubtful as to whether there really is very much pent up potential in the South African market at present. The rather complex nature of racing in the modern world is quite difficult to market to a population that is predominantly poorly educated, unemployed and out of much of the technology loop . Furthermore this selfsame group has access to simpler and cheaper betting options such as the lottery.

2.) The function of most businesses is to provide a product or service of acceptable standard and a return to shareholders and/or owners. I use the word 'acceptable' advisedly as we are continually regaled with calls to be 'worldclass' in whatever we do. But being 'wordlclass' MAY not always be financially possible if the business is to remain viable.

3.) Despite apparent discontent often expressed on this site 'the game' seems to be going through a modest growth phase. That certainly does not mean that it could not be doing better! But taking stakes as one example - how fast do I need to raise stakes whilst there appear to be quite a number of people very willing to spend millions on yearlings at the current levels? Is this ONLY because of offshore options? Then why do our marketing delegations emphasize the keep/earnings ratio to prospective foreign buyers?

4.) The one aspect of racing which really makes me laugh is this obsession with trying to lure people back to the course. For what? Surely the business objective is about selling betting tickets ? So what does it matter if that is done from a phone or laptop? For the health of the sport I would rather see a simple self service tote machine in every pub and shebeen than 5,000 additional people wandering aimlessly around a racecourse.

5.) If 'international' is where the future lies then I have no particular beef with it. Inasmuch as I only watch topclass international sport I am not devestated by the prospect of seeing a lot more international racing - particularly flat and jumps. In fact I prefer it to most of the soupmeat on display locally. And I'm an owner.

Frankly - at the moment I think we are getting pretty much what we deserve given the historically apathetic nature of the forces which COULD drive the sport.