Cairo, NY -- Throw away your textbooks.  Disregard what the Marketing 101 instructor tried to pawn off on you.

Simply stated, marketing is the process of determining what potential consumers desire and/or require in a product or service.

Sales is about getting that product from the factory or office into the hands of the consumer.

Secondary or follow-up marketing, in conjunction with the efforts of salesmen, distributors and retailers, continues to emphasize to potential and existing consumers that their product, above all others in the marketplace, will meet or exceed consumers' requirements and continue to do so until the end of time.

Product/brand recognition and loyalty plus sales success are the unsurprising byproducts of a correctly executed marketing plan.

However, marketers must be mindful of the incontrovertible fact that no sale is ever consummated unless and until the individual consumer's perceived value of the product or service meets or exceeds its asking price (or request for time and/or share of mind).

Is there anything about today's MINO version of open-wheel racing that matches or surpasses the product that preceded it or the product of any existing competitive series?

It is no wonder, then, that post-Champ Car open-wheel racing --  including the significantly over-valued Indy 500 -- has devolved into little more than reality TV-style drama built around the strength of an arguably sexy female participant juxtaposed with the fence-climbing antics of an indicted metro-sexy TV dance contest winner. 

The middle-American values and work ethics of veteran foreign-born "stand up guys" and un-dramatic newcomers who emulate them have been thrown in for "balance" in an attempt to hold onto traditionalists.

Rarely following a true marketing plan, latter day so-called motor sports marketers almost always rely too heavily on salesmen -- promoters, PR guys, media personalities and other assorted shills -- to do their legwork. 

Not only are consumers left cold for lack of stimulation (no news isn't good news) but they also tend to be somewhat angry with the hard sell tactics of the salesmen that, once tried, never meet or exceed their expectations.

What helped kill quality open-wheel racing, aside from greed, poor management and the shortage of sponsorships, were attempts to build a marketing plan on such gimmicks as the Handford Device and Power to Pass. 

While the implementers were principled enough not resort to the splitter's soap opera scripts and NASCAR/WWE-like grudge match-ups, these measures were, nonetheless, added to the mix out of desperation and not of valid marketing strategy.

Attempts to resurrect on-track passing when purist core fans became disenchanted with parades whose outcomes were decided by pit strategies and yellow flags instead of in the manner in which nature intended made little difference.  Instead, gimmicky stuff de-valued the Champ Car brand and gave competitors a chance to kick the series when it was down. 

It is fair, therefore, to criticize the splitter and those who support f-inheritor for perpetrating their ridiculous episodic version of open-wheel racing upon the fans of our beloved speed sport. 

More importantly, let this rant be a reminder and a warning that all will continue to be lost in the absence of a disciplined marketing plan that meets the requirements and desires of racing purists.

Archive

© Copyright Ed Donath

October 17, 2008

All rights reserved.