Help Promoting RC

[David Church]

I would like some help in my new position as the PRO.

I know I can surf the net and come up with alot of info, and I shall be doing so, but I thought I would also ask on here.

What I am after is local to you, where you live and race, names of local newspapers, local TV, local radio, and any other means of promotion. And websites address, e mail or phone numbers.

I am going to focus firstly on the National series, so people living/racing close to a National venue would be most helpful to hear from you.
I think this is the best place to start as this is the highest level of 1/10th off road in the country and would be a bigger story for local promotion, but I am also hoping to get some National coverage also, well one can hope eh???

Then I will focus on all 1/10th off road, meaning regionals to local series, one off races and even the local club run in a small village hall!!!!

So please give me as much info as possible, then I will pester these people till something good happens!!!!!

Thanks in advance for your help.

DC

[Pedler]

Anything else I can do to help mate, just give me a bell. Ian P.

[Alfonzo]

My favourite local club, Lawford Buggy Club, run an annual meeting at a local car show. This always gets the crowds and catches peoples attention. The club occasionally gets articles into the local paper, which stimulates interest too.

Obviously this is pretty low key stuff, but PM me if you want to discuss.

Good luck

[Chrislong]

Around here we have:
Manchester Evening News
Metro
Bury times
Bolton Evening news

These are all very popular.

Then on the radio:
Key103
Galaxy
Rock FM
Xfm

Why not also try local news stations, they tend to report on things like this - sell them the topic "certain hobbies are bucking the trend in light of the current recession".

Also, get loads of clips on youtube, the more findable stuff like this then there will be more kids screaming "I want one of them!"

Chris

[Belsten]

South Wales Argus is the local rag, an even more local one is the Caldicot Free Press. South Wales Argus would cover the region for the Talywain National
We also have the Western Daily Press

[millzy]

and the Echo

[ashleyb4]

Oswestry is :

Shropshire star
The avdertiser

Radio stations are:

The severn
Beacon FM

A

[David Church]

Thanks guys, keep em coming, all very valuable info.

I will be in contact in the near future to discuss things, thanks again!!!

[David Church]

Around here we have:
Manchester Evening News
Metro
Bury times
Bolton Evening news

These are all very popular.

Then on the radio:
Key103
Galaxy
Rock FM
Xfm

Why not also try local news stations, they tend to report on things like this - sell them the topic "certain hobbies are bucking the trend in light of the current recession".

Also, get loads of clips on youtube, the more findable stuff like this then there will be more kids screaming "I want one of them!"

Chris

Would these mentioned cover the Southport national???

[ashleyb4]

The shropshire star reported on our first national im pretty sure they took some pictures of cragg with his worlds trophie but they never published them here are the two they published first is phil channon...

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/738/philry3.png (http://imageshack.us)
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/philry3.png/1/w592.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img205/philry3.png/1/)

then jamie and nick where on the front page....

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2863/nickandjamiesr5.png (http://imageshack.us)
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/nickandjamiesr5.png/1/w317.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img171/nickandjamiesr5.png/1/)

A

[mole2k]

I think a bigger online presence would be good, as was mentioned quality videos of the racing online easily accessed, Lots of photographs and in general just raise the public exposure of it.

TV spots for the national series would be good but quite how to go about that I'm not sure but if you had some good videos done up with good close racing cut well together with a commentary reel over the top and graphics showing the race car positons and basically more professional style cover. Then it couldn't hurt when trying to drum up some interest if you can show them that it can be a spectator sport and isn't just people playing with toy cars around a field.

[Chris Doughty]

I think effort also has to be made for them to be potrayed as 'we' see them, not as the local press see them.

far too often I have been disapointed by the coverage of these paper reports

'mini-car grand prix' and various other shitty headlines like that - give it its proper frickin title!!! :mad:

and they make us pose like 'tards just because the cars are small, that really narks me :mad:

rant over

[mobile chicane]

We have a great local club at newbury with a massive indoor hall and purpose built rostrum.

club website

http://www.newburyrcclub.co.uk/

local papers

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/nwn.aspx

http://www.applegate.co.uk/company/11/71/503.htm


local radio

http://www.kickfm.co.uk/

http://www.2tenfm.co.uk/

local tv

meridian


hope that helps.


Its might also be worth contacting secondary schools near the club to see if an a4 size poster could be put up on their notice board, the same goes for local model shops, hobby stores in reading ( quite near newbury) dosent have anything on their walls as far as I'm aware.

also do the monthly model mags have club listings where when etc or just the area and a website.

It would cost a bit but how about the brca send each model shop a list of local clubs in the model shops area simple a4 photo coppies in a cheap stand promoting local racing, the shop can only realy benefit.

[David Church]

All of these are really good ideas, wow, I am gonna be busy!!! LoL:D

[David Church]

I can happily confirm my first little bit of possible success!!!
I have an internet TV company interested in making a documentery about RC!!!!!!!!! Had an e mail today with many questions that I just replied to all of them, fingers crossed eh!!!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[ryan_93]

Was it Rc Racing TV? if not try and get them to a 10th offroad event as all of their tv shows i have seen tend to be on tourers, 12th and 1/8 nitro cars.

Ryan

[David Church]

No it isn't them, I have asked many times in the past, but they have to keep their sponsors happy so we are still waiting for our chance, BUT I am hoping 1/10th off road will get some coverage soon!!!
In fact I think I will e mail them!!!!:D:D:D

[Northy]

They were going to come to the EBOR 24 but went to the TC Euros instead :cry:

I got some stuff in the local papers and on local radio about the EBOR :)

[mole2k]

I think the trouble is you have to be quite firm with any media coverage you get as they will tend to portray it as people playing with toy cars. I'm not sure what the best way to go about getting them to realise it's more than that is though.

After you convince them then you gotta get coverage that would convince the unwashed masses as well.

[David Church]

I agree, but they are asking what I want, and I told them that previous coverage was pants, so hopefully, he says with the utmost optimism, we can get something that looks good and is good!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sosidge]

I think the trouble is you have to be quite firm with any media coverage you get as they will tend to portray it as people playing with toy cars. I'm not sure what the best way to go about getting them to realise it's more than that is though.

After you convince them then you gotta get coverage that would convince the unwashed masses as well.

I'm afraid that approach won't work unless you are paying for coverage. The media is a fickle beast and if you try and dictate terms they will walk away - or do hack job on you instead!

[mole2k]

I agree, but they are asking what I want, and I told them that previous coverage was pants, so hopefully, he says with the utmost optimism, we can get something that looks good and is good!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would be great if there could be a good documentary made showing the true side of it and the sport some proper positive publicity

I'm afraid that approach won't work unless you are paying for coverage. The media is a fickle beast and if you try and dictate terms they will walk away - or do hack job on you instead!

I don't think dictating terms is the best way to go about as you said they will just walk away or do a bad job but at the same time you end up with the decision to make that is any coverage better than no coverage even if that coverage would give a fairly unfavourable impression of R/C racing being people playing with expensive toy cars.

[Alfonzo]

The problem is of course that it is largely iplaying with toy cars. It needs someone to get to depths with the underlying psychology of the sport, some of the characters involved, etc. The technical aspect will never appeal much, but the papers love people related stories.

[David Church]

The problem is of course that it is largely iplaying with toy cars. It needs someone to get to depths with the underlying psychology of the sport, some of the characters involved, etc. The technical aspect will never appeal much, but the papers love people related stories.


This i true, and I have said all of this to them, I have listened to people's advice!!!
I have asked if they can film, the races, the track, the pits, the cars and the people!!! I am also hoping that I can be involved in what they film, maybe even further my MC-career, well if they film at all cause they have not said yes yet.
But they are def interested:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[terry.sc]

Firstly as has been said, no matter how seriously some people take it we are all just playing with toy cars.
Not 1/10 OR, but to give you some ideas for filming these are the best videos I know of which give much better examples of what r/c is about than the usual dross TV companies film these days as 'entertainment'.

All have been filmed for TV.
WLRC on Top Gear - when they didn't take the piss http://www.wlrc.co.uk/video/videos.htm

Wheelie Small - 2007 bike world champs focussing on the drivers
http://current.com/items/88858800/wheelie_small.htm

Why Don't You - aimed at kids but more chance of getting them interested in starting racing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cRrV7j7tWo

[showtime]

unfortunately like keeps being said we'll never going to get away from the "Toy Car" thing no matter how you dress it up!

take a final for instance from a spectator point of view-
the cars are small so its difficult to see them reacting to the terrain etc!
after a couple of laps you really can't tell who's in the lead :confused:
plus the race leader is even harder to predict in Nitro due to different pitstop strategies! :confused:

i suppose you'd need to focus almost as much on the characters driving to give a human element but as we all know RC isn't populated by a great number of "Rock star" types!
plus how appealing would a rostrum full of blue faced wooly hatted big scarfed large coated frozen gumbos look
bearing in mind we have at least 50% shit weather over here :thumbdown:
even a wet meeting in the summer would look dreary!

i think the only way you'll have anything with any universal appeal HAS to be indoors, in a well lit, temporate environment. the track HAS to be spectacular with a long straight so people can appreciate the speed & plenty of big jumps for the OOOH AAAH reaction plus maybe incorporate something else a bit more interactive in another part of the building, maybe other side of pitting area, drifting or something else joe public might be attracted to? let em have a go! maybe even just a bank of linked up driving games?
(remember the 4 way Sega rally from years ago?) that might be popular?
you need trophy babes, decent announcer, the odd bit of loud music etc
some thing to add a bit of Razzmatazz :D

look at wrestling, its rubbish big sweaty blokes pretending to fight BUT people go mad for it as they Jazz it right up & put on a hell of a show!

you'd need to think of building some HYPE in to the event & more importantly into the run up to the event;)

then once you've got peoples attention they can just get used to watching the regular watered down stuff :D

[bodgit]

Ok so were all just playing with toys....So was Lewis Hamilton not so long ago, and he still dabbles I believe. This is what you have to get over to the media. For some its just a bit of fun , for others who knows could the next F1 world champion be right under their noses. Its a photo opertunity for the future..
A couple of lifesize banners or cut outs of Lewis with his buggies from years ago would certainly get the youngsters interested..

[mole2k]

I think if you had some videos of the events to advertise that use quite long lenses and track the cars around the track quite closely so you can get to see the cars bumping over the track and reacting to the bumps and jumps. Lots of different camera angles varying from static camera's to people with camera's tracking the cars with a good easy to follow commentary track over the top of it.

A single camera following some cars with a fairly wide angle lens wont let you see the cars work and consequently wont make anywhere near as good or interesting a video. Unfortunately doing a video that way massively escalates the costs of it as instead of one guy with a mini-DV you're talking about a team of people with DV cams who can use them well.

I've wanted to do some proper videos for a while unfortunately aside from racing in a small hall on polished wood there is no 1/10 off-road racing here. I am going to be doing a video similar to that I described for a touring car race that's being held near here, if im honest I would prefer a 1/10th off-road meeting as I think there would be more interesting stuff happening and close up shots would let you see the suspension working.