Advertising, sponsor messaging: what do YOU react to?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dan Wheeler on March 9, 2011 at 10:12am

This is a touchy subject and that I really like..  For me Yes I would love to have sponsors pay for my fishing But I think that some folks let the money do the talking not heart felt  dedication.. Example.. Personally I'm not a good talker anyway but if I was offered a sponsorship from a company no matter what they were paying If i didn't truely believe in it it would sound like a rehearsed speech and with my talking skills would sound even worse.. when it comes to a product I believe in from a company I stand behind it may still sound horrible but whoever I'm pitchin to will 100 percent feel my dedication and listen.. Like Ron says You can definately tell when someone is putting a plug in just to ( do thier job) and one who puts a plug in for somthing they believe in from a company they believe in..

Permalink Reply by Don Hogue on March 9, 2011 at 10:28am

Joel,

I agree with you.  I've seen what goes on behind the scenes at these events.  Lots of pressure is put on these guys to mention sponsors on stage.  When I was at the Classic, friends and family members asked me why guys were always promoting sponsors on stage to the nth degree?  It became very annoying for them.

B.A.S.S. spends time going over with the anglers the do's and don'ts of sponsor recognition, but of course not all anglers follow that advice.  Interesting that many mention Shaw as an example of overkill while Shaw is considered the master of sponsor promotion by many in the industry. 

 

I think the bigger issue is that professional bass fishing has always had to rely on product promotion to fund its circuits/anglers.  There is no other real revenue for bass fishing without sponsor contributions - either for the anglers or the circuits.  So what we get is this weird perversion where guys pimp their sponsors yet everyone dislikes it and doesn't pay attention.  Imagine if athletes incomes were based primarily on sponsor dollars?  As it is, very few of us know what shoes Payton Manning wears, much less what computer software he uses to analyze film.  Guys like Shaw aren't fishing as pros without sponsor support.  KVD is the real exception to this.  Guys like Gerald Swindle have made a career with his personality and product promotion - not tournament winnings.  He just got his first B.A.S.S. win.  So when the guys get up on stage and say they wouldn't be fishing the Classic without company x, y or z behind them, it's true!  There is a long list of anglers who can really catch 'em, but aren't willing or able to promote themselves or products well.  Imagine if Aaron Rodgers was told that even though we think you are better, we are going to keep Favre as the quarterback of the Packers because Favre sells more pairs of Wranger jeans.  Sound crazy?  Welcome to professional bass fishing!

 

When someone figures out how to generate TV or spectator revenue out of professional fishing, then the dependency on sponsor dollars and gratuitous plugs will be diminished.

Permalink Reply by Dan Wheeler on March 9, 2011 at 10:34am

Nicely said Don...

Permalink Reply by Jordan Doucet on March 9, 2011 at 5:35pm

I'm pretty surprised we've gone this entire topic without mention of our good buddy Roland Martin... SON!!!

Permalink Reply by Tim Bartle on March 10, 2011 at 5:55am

For years BASS has attempted to become NASCAR and they finally succeeded in this one small way.

Permalink Reply by Bob Akers on March 11, 2011 at 8:31am

Being one of many smaller bait manufacturers, it is easy to want to self promote. I have learned that isn't the best way to get attention. Marc M. made the comment about Hobbs, Sniper and Quick drops. All are well known and used product. I think you will find most anglers that follow the bigger national events or even the better known regional ones are familiar with most brands and styles of baits. What I look for is a name or style of bait that I am not familiar with. I try to get info that helps me see how it was used and under what conditions/circumstances. That info isn't always available but if I am looking for an edge, I will try to acquire as much info I can about that paticular bait. So, for an angler to repeat his sponsor, I look for that so I don't miss something new that I am not familiar with. I am sure there are a lot of unknown products out there being used by many different levels of competitiors, yet, they don't get the notoriety unless they help win an event. That is usually the stamp of approval. I feel, we, as competitive anglers should always keep our eyes and ears open for new ideas and product. So, let the guys rant and rave about their sponsors. You never know when something new will be introduced. 

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