Making R/C bigger

[Aran]

Saw this video on YouTube from the guys from xfactory:

nTJEEVh70xo

Raised some interesting points, what is being done to raise the profile of the hobby?

I know the BRCA have a stand at the Autosport international show, but do we any ideas to help grow the hobby?

I've noticed Live R/C do some good coverage but is it accessible enough? We have this forum with a wealth of knowledge and Jimmy does a great job, especially with the race reports, but how do we appeal to the masses?

[neallewis]

Try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTJEEVh70xo

Yeah, he does have a good point. Jimmy, get onto setting up oople.tv ;-)

[Jim Spencer]

Hi

The Autosports show is only One of well over a dozen events the associations PR machine goes too.

PR isn't 'The BRCA's' job.
It's very much part of what the Exec Committee do on our behalf, but it doesn't, and shouldn't work just like that - it isn't somebody elses responsability.

As we ARE the BRCA - every single member IS the association.
It's everybodies job to do PR activities, sure some folk volunteer to do the events that are too big for a local club to cope with and try to get the trade enthusiastic to help out too - but that shouldn't be seen in any way what-so-ever as replacing what we're all doing as individuals and clubs in promoting our sport.

While we can use the collective resources of the BRCA exec to provide PR material, guidance and general support, local grass roots PR is always going to be down to us all to do.

Apart from the obvious that every club must do some PR activities each year, obviously - or it'll eventually wither away, the single biggest PR activity is the totally obvious one of us all taking people along to our clubs, introduce One new person each and the sports doubled..

Saying all that though, the sport has continued to grow in 2012 while most other activities are going, some drastically, the other way.
So between us were doing something right - though i'm certain there's lots more than can be done, so if You see something that needs doing - Do It.

[Mad-Wolfie]

Hi

The Autosports show is only One of well over a dozen events the associations PR machine goes too.

PR isn't 'The BRCA's' job.
It's very much part of what the Exec Committee do on our behalf, but it doesn't, and shouldn't work just like that - it isn't somebody elses responsability.

As we ARE the BRCA - every single member IS the association.
It's everybodies job to do PR activities, sure some folk volunteer to do the events that are too big for a local club to cope with and try to get the trade enthusiastic to help out too - but that shouldn't be seen in any way what-so-ever as replacing what we're all doing as individuals and clubs in promoting our sport.

While we can use the collective resources of the BRCA exec to provide PR material, guidance and general support, local grass roots PR is always going to be down to us all to do.

Apart from the obvious that every club must do some PR activities each year, obviously - or it'll eventually wither away, the single biggest PR activity is the totally obvious one of us all taking people along to our clubs, introduce One new person each and the sports doubled..

Saying all that though, the sport has continued to grow in 2012 while most other activities are going, some drastically, the other way.
So between us were doing something right - though i'm certain there's lots more than can be done, so if You see something that needs doing - Do It.

Spot on :)

[Lee1972]

Hi

The Autosports show is only One of well over a dozen events the associations PR machine goes too.

PR isn't 'The BRCA's' job.
It's very much part of what the Exec Committee do on our behalf, but it doesn't, and shouldn't work just like that - it isn't somebody elses responsability.

As we ARE the BRCA - every single member IS the association.
It's everybodies job to do PR activities, sure some folk volunteer to do the events that are too big for a local club to cope with and try to get the trade enthusiastic to help out too - but that shouldn't be seen in any way what-so-ever as replacing what we're all doing as individuals and clubs in promoting our sport.

While we can use the collective resources of the BRCA exec to provide PR material, guidance and general support, local grass roots PR is always going to be down to us all to do.

Apart from the obvious that every club must do some PR activities each year, obviously - or it'll eventually wither away, the single biggest PR activity is the totally obvious one of us all taking people along to our clubs, introduce One new person each and the sports doubled..

Saying all that though, the sport has continued to grow in 2012 while most other activities are going, some drastically, the other way.
So between us were doing something right - though i'm certain there's lots more than can be done, so if You see something that needs doing - Do It.

I'm not an expert on demographics etc but I personally believe the increase in racing is probably due to the number of people like myself who left in the late eighties to find birds and booze :D and have returned with their children.
It amazed me initially when returning to racing how many other people were in the same position. Agree that in order to promote the sport and to aid continuity it's vital that clubs get involved with fetes etc to promote clubs as children these days are obsessed with the latest version of COD or Battlefield.; whereas I have always tried to encourage my son to try real life hobbies: camping, walking and climbing. Tonight I have taken a friend of my son along and he's keen to try Mardave racing as a low cost entry point and i'm almost at begging point getting my best friend to come along with his son as someone at our club quite eloquently put it "without children there is no future for the club."

[James]

What has the BRCA membership been over the last 20 years? Would be very interesting to see numbers and how much its grown and in which years..

Leon, Muzzy and the boys did a great job getting R/C onto the gadget show a couple of years ago, it would be great to see more of this type of thing to a wider audience.

What are the other dozen events the BRCA goes to? I've done autosport before but would be interested in going to these others too..

[DanB4]

What are the other dozen events the BRCA goes to? I've done autosport before but would be interested in going to these others too..

Union Square GP in 2010....thanks Jim, Mark, Kris, Ade, Keith and others!! ;)

[mark christopher]

its often crossed my mind if the brca should look at attending a games console show etc? bnot sure how many would take up the real world chalenge.

[SlowOne]

As one who has been a member of the BRCA for over 25 years, and a racer for longer, I would love to know what we are doing right!

Every year someone comes up with a list of the usual suspects for making the hobby bigger - get it on TV, go to shopping centres, get into the game market, atend big shows, etc., etc. We've been doing that for over 20 years! Rory Cull and Craig Drescher have been on Blue Peter, Lewis Hamilton likewise, we've been on the Gadget Show, the NEC shows including Autosport, at model shows like the Model Engineer and NEC, at shopping centres like Milton Keynes and Union Square, countless large shows including Stoneleigh and Essex, at model extravaganzas like Old Walden... and the list goes on. Yet...

None of these have been shown to have any relation to numbers at our organised events or Clubs, or membership! As Jim says, we are on the up when others are not, and we haven't done any more of these things in the last few years, some might argue we have done less.

One thing does follow the increase in membership and participation - local clubs being promoted and getting drivers through the door. I am really interested in Lee's comment about the demographics. If that's so then there is a route we haven't tried. Nonetheless, that route still relies on a good local club run well by enthusiastic people who are there to welcome the returning drivers and their offspring.

I am sure I will see a score more of these posts about what we do to get more people racing in RC, and I am sure I will put this post up again and again. The answer to them all is go back to your club, work harder to be part of it, get the local press and TV to come and see you and have fliers in the local model shop. Support and encourage every driver that turns up by giving your time and expertise to them, and come on these forums and tell us about it in your Club thread.

Only one thing has ever been certain about getting more people into RC, hard-working and well-run clubs who welcome and encourage new drivers gets us more people racing. The rest of it? Been there, done that, not seen it make much of a difference compared to the supportive club.

I;m not saying don't do it, I am saying, as is Jim, you do it. If you can get cars into TV, radio, shows, events, whatever, call Jim and tell him and get the BRCA to support it. But the emphasis is on you, not Jim or the BRCA. Go for it!!

[Frecklychimp]

From experience the best way to promote the hobby growth is at grass roots club level... local advertising stating that clubs will run beginners/novice classes pulls the kids/parents in and if greeted with a friendly and helpful approach they will take the plunge and be back the week after with first cars.

We always try to get them on the track with one of the members mild SCT's to have a go.

This hobby can 'hook' beginners very quickly, particularly kids(and empty wallets!) but the interest can also drop quickly because of expense and the fact that it needs patience and practice to get good results rather than buying the fastest motor.

It is the younger generation that we need to bring in to guarantee future growth and success... parents would sooner kids were actively involved in a social hobby like this rather than siting in front ov a TV/console getting fat and not interacting with people face to face.

Running meetings at shows etc always brings crowds and interest but if they think it's going to cost £1k to set up and be competitive fom the start by looking at the top drivers kit then they will soon lose interest.

I still think the hobby magazines are the best interface for new blood... newbies can get lost or misguided too easily on the internet .

TV is obviously the ultimate but unless there are large viewing figures the shows wouldn't be viable.

I've often thought that getting the energy drink suppliers such as Red Bull involved in a large series would soon catapult the hobby into the limelight.

There is the problem with buggys not relating to real vehicles looks wise that makes it harder to market to a mass audience.

[Jim Birkitt]

From experience the best way to promote the hobby growth is at grass roots club level... local advertising stating that clubs will run beginners/novice classes pulls the kids/parents in and if greeted with a friendly and helpful approach they will take the plunge and be back the week after with first cars.

We always try to get them on the track with one of the members mild SCT's to have a go.

This hobby can 'hook' beginners very quickly, particularly kids(and empty wallets!) but the interest can also drop quickly because of expense and the fact that it needs patience and practice to get good results rather than buying the fastest motor.

It is the younger generation that we need to bring in to guarantee future growth and success... parents would sooner kids were actively involved in a social hobby like this rather than siting in front ov a TV/console getting fat and not interacting with people face to face.

Running meetings at shows etc always brings crowds and interest but if they think it's going to cost £1k to set up and be competitive fom the start by looking at the top drivers kit then they will soon lose interest.

I still think the hobby magazines are the best interface for new blood... newbies can get lost or misguided too easily on the internet .

TV is obviously the ultimate but unless there are large viewing figures the shows wouldn't be viable.

I've often thought that getting the energy drink suppliers such as Red Bull involved in a large series would soon catapult the hobby into the limelight.

There is the problem with buggys not relating to real vehicles looks wise that makes it harder to market to a mass audience.


+1 on energy drinks supplier....i also often have a daydream about nitro and electrics newbie like myself and possibly top scale going to goodwood and doing demos and possibly suppliers and shop to give advice and costing and plenty of club flyers and possibly uk map with clubs in all area's on

[Si Coe]

I've been at a few of these promotional events in the past - not so many recently mind.
Whilst they serve to promote the organised racing aspect of RC, I'm not convinced it has a massive impact on total sales. Part of the problem is that we fail to fully capitalise on the publicity - most such meetings are run by clubs with no model shop presence. You want people to watch your cars in action, then see a stall selling Madrats and B4.1 Brushless RTR's. Keep the really pricy stuff out of sight and just focus on the 'cheap but effective'.

The vast majority of 'new' members at Bury are in fact ex-racers who have come back to the sport. Some have brought their kids too, others do it to escape them! The amount of true newbies is very very limited, and most of them don't seem to say long.
In the past, cost was very much an issue - basic cars were cheap enough but adding everything else soon ramped the price up. The number of racers that used to turn up with a Boomerang complete with MSC and 540 motor just to get blown into the weeds by a CAT XLS with a mod motor and never be seen again was unfortunately high.
Today its actually the opposite - I've seen more than a few kids with brushless RTR's that are actually pretty capable in the right hands. Unfortunately that also means they are far too powerful in their hands, they crash a lot, break stuff and give up.

I don't expect the BRCA to promote RC as such, though it might be a good idea for them to publish a guide to affiliated clubs for how to organise a promotional event, and perhaps list a few examples others already run. Promotion needs to be grass roots level ie clubs and shops, but having a central body to encourage, advise and support makes a lot of sense.

[mark christopher]

+1 on energy drinks supplier....i also often have a daydream about nitro and electrics newbie like myself and possibly top scale going to goodwood and doing demos and possibly suppliers and shop to give advice and costing and plenty of club flyers and possibly uk map with clubs in all area's on


i tried red bull and monster, no interest

[dwp102]

Put posters up on the school notice boards or clubs and societies notice boards on the below thread is an attachment on what basic information i think should be contained on the poster

(See Dan pickards contribution to the thread)


http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104768

This will be a quick and cheap way to drum up awareness of the hobby aimed at school children

[Si Coe]

Its not always that easy though. I'm a teacher, my kids know all about my RC's, but there are no tracks near my school, and no model shops either. By near I mean distances a 14 year old can reasonably achieve independently.

The biggest obstacle with getting young people into any hobby/sport/activity is parents. All the kids we have racing now - their dads race now or did as a kid. And when they were kids racing, their dad came along. Our track is based next to a cycle club, and they have the same situation.
Sadly far too many parents don't want to get involved, won't spend their Sunday as taxi driver and pit monkey and hence their child will never keep it up.

Perhaps the moral of this is that we should focus heavily on the family aspect. Show where 2 or even 3 generations race together, promote the 'father/son' bond part, point out the 'educational but fun' aspects of teaching your child basic engineering skills etc.

[stumpy]

Agree with everything you said we have one young lad at our track and his dad comes with him every week and he is his 'pit monkey' but this is the only one.

We have a 'Fun Day' each year and encourage all family members & friends to attend; we also had an arena at the Dorset show this year to put on a display (show off) we had sponsorship from Lesro Models (Dorset) and HPI although the interest at the time was good nothing has come of it.

I believe the cost element of it also play's apart but if the parents have got £300 or £400 to spend it will (under pressure) go on a games console, then the child spends all his/her time in their room playing on it, why go outside to drive a car around a track when you can do it in the comfort of your bedroom (alone).

It's a shame because they could gain so much, social skills, basic engineering, hand/eye co-ordination they might even find there competitive side.

[badger5]

Could schools be involved more? With the Schumacher SupaStox and Mardaves I think there is an opportunity to promote cheap indoor racing that could also be linked with the engineering, craft and technology subjects to get kids interested with making things instead of stuck in front of a games console. Couldn't this be done as an after school activity? Roll some carpet out in the sports hall and you can quickly have a circuit track.
Perhaps it would take a company like Schumacher to get an affordable package together and with the help of the BRCA or other industry leaders to get the ball rolling with schools and possible government help.

[Dave Dodd]

Another way to promote the hobby is through model shops, if clubs ask around lhs's and asked to promote there club which in turn the club then promote the lhs's

im always promoting my local clubs if the customers are interested in racing or taking the bashing to another level.

its always nice to see them turn up to have a look and sometimes join in. :D

promoting your club at various shows and events are good fun, we try to do that at our club when we can :D

[Dave Dodd]

Could schools be involved more? .

unfortunately the school where we race, will not allow us to promote our club on their website or newsletter as we are an after school club (3rd party) and its against school regulations (child safety).

so despite us racing there for 20+ yrs the children only know about it if they visit the lhs's.

[Si Coe]

unfortunately the school where we race, will not allow us to promote our club on their website or newsletter as we are an after school club (3rd party) and its against school regulations (child safety).

so despite us racing there for 20+ yrs the children only know about it if they visit the lhs's.


Now that one I can help with. You just need a suitable person involved in running your meetings.
I'm a teacher, CRB checked, safeguarding trained and cleared to work with children. Our club chairman is a policeman, so the same applies. If you've got people like that in your organisation that should mean you can actively promote at the school, though you need to make them clear of this.

[Hpi_guy]

in my eyes there is quite a few factors that put people off, a few of these have been mentioned, first being the appeal from manufactures such as durango, i was 14 when i first started and could never afford a car such as a durango, never mind a tamiya, my budget only just got me a rtr blitz (this is also where my love of ansmann cars comes from, purely for their cheap price but still competitive), for anyone who cant drive such as people like me then transport is a issue, my local club is about half a hour away, luckily there is 1 or 2 people that race at the club who live near by who i can get a lift with, price of equipment can be a issue, when i first started all i knew was brushless was better and the lower the turns the faster and shocks require oil, i stupidly thought engine oil would do, but when i asked people what i should get i was told speed passion and tekin and such brands that cost more than my car was worth, these are a few issues that i had.

[Mad-Wolfie]

I think we are all forgetting something here, which goes back to what Jim & a couple of others have said.. WE are the BRCA, without us there would be no BRCA at all, that means WE have the power to make the sport bigger.

The best way to promote the sport/hobby whatever you want to call it is by doing it. I mention i do RC racing to people i know, meet down the pub etc & everyone usually takes an interest & a few of my friends/family have asked me to take them along to a race meeting in some cases some have bought their own cars & had a go.. it may of only been for 5 or 6 months in some cases, but they have shown interest & as a result have a better understanding.

The big problem as i see it is not many people know how to go about starting, but there are people out there with a bit of guidance are willing to have a go or just go along to watch. Lots of people have had RC cars as kids or seen them in shops but are totally unaware where there are clubs or tracks to take them to (even some RCers you talk to don't know there are clubs near to them in some cases), I know what you are probably thinking, this is where the BRCA should come in but we can't blame the BRCA for this lack of knowledge, this falls on the club chairman or his committee members to get out there & do their bit & as i say we are the core of the BRCA, it's members.

Also someone mentioned getting a major sponsor on board to help with advertising etc. as in any menial sport, most sponsorship comes from within the sport itself this is why we have companies like Schumacher & CML etc sponsoring events rather than corporate sponsors such as drinks companies. The more the sport appeals to a wider audience the higher the chances of those types of corporate sponsors coming on board, but it's catch 22.. you can't get the wider audience because to do that takes high profile PR or advertising which is why you need sponsorship.

Some things i've considered if/when i ever run an RC club
* having a lads & dads championship or meeting.
* getting in touch with local schools or colleges - sounds daft, but think of it this way, RC can be a great way of teaching kids about engineering, you may just come across the next Adrian Newey, so what is wrong with asking if you can offer your club to the school system to learn about automotive engineering in small scale.
* get into the shopping centres.. set up a table with a car on it, or build a area to run round in & hand out flyers or vouchers
* hold training... attract the newcomers & take them to one side for a few minutes before heat 1 starts to talk about car set-up or race craft, i've seen this done & it attracted a lot of keen interest showing people how to set up a car with a very basic school maths set & a couple of coins rather than using an expensive set-up board & loads of special tools or gauges.

[DanB4]

I ran this event for Red Bull over here earlier in the year.

Students were given red bull cans out of which they had to make a shell for the car and then race one another, it was a knock-out competition with the finalists from each country visiting Red Bull F1 in the UK! I always worried about masses of cut fingers though didn't see any ;) The racing wasn't exactly exciting on the tiny track though!

It must be a global competition if the finals are in the UK? It's called Red Bull Racing Can....anyone heard of it? We provided the cars, transponders and BBK/MyLaps timing.

Also built a circuit in a shopping centre car park and inside another big centres food court - they aren't managing it well though and at some point my 'real' job and family have to come first :)

Contrary to the worlds perception, it's equally as hard if not harder to persuade people here.....they're bloomin' awkward and tight!

Dan

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