Campaign......the verdict?

[TheGurkha]

Just to clarify Freddie, Brian is the "older british guy" you were asking about on MSN the other night You know, the one who was photographed stroking Mellis' hair, the one who was nearly thrown out for pouring drinks over Goj's head...yeah, that one

oh dear... he HAS been naughty. 'Older British Guy' sums him up nicely.
pouring drinks over someone?!?! not like Brian to waste a drink!

 

[stongle]

Actual numbers from the CC:

CPL paid € 32,900 = 18.28 % of total entry fee
SPL paid € 52,640 = 29.24 % of total entry fee
Dv1 paid € 43,945 = 24.41 % of total entry fee
Dv2 paid € 27,025 = 15.01 % of total entry fee
M5 paid € 23,500 = 13.05 % of total entry fee

Assuming Frank is right that 90 % of Div. 1 are "serious teams" - then almost 70 % of the entry fees are paid by teams that view paintball as a "sport".



Nick

Even if 70% of teams as you state take it seriously, there's still a decline in teams attending the events. Seeing as the upper divisions are locked, do you really think the promoters are going to keep putting on events for 150,000 EUR?

Do you think the paint manurfacturers are going to bale out the Mill? (well they might, but some of you will be eating tough cheddar then), or that the companies will keep paying the Millennium for stands when they don't sell anything?

Until a closer link between Sport Paintball and customer or rec exists, Tournament is just an expensive luxury the industry can no longer afford. I guess we'll just have to wait and see who's right in the long term.

 

[Nick Brockdorff]

Until a closer link between Sport Paintball and customer or rec exists, Tournament is just an expensive luxury the industry can no longer afford. I guess we'll just have to wait and see who's right in the long term.

I completely agree with that statement - so we don't have to wait

But that is not something that is fixed at tournament level... unless we revert to what competitive paintball was in the early 90s.

As I have been saying for years and years (and in these debates too) - the biggest problem this sport has, is that we are not playing the same game as the entry level customers (or vice versa).

From a marketing standpoint, that is insane.

So, paintball tournaments are a niche, and will continue to be so untill more fields run arena ball games for the base consumer.

If paintball events were put on with the purpose of trade selling to their base consumers and media selling content to the same target group.... it would be big games - or possibly team wargames..... because that IS what the base customer is doing in Europe.

But event so, that would make even less sense in Europe than what we are doing now......

You have to realise that there is a very fundamental difference between European and US paintball here..... in the US, there is a HUGE market for rec players to buy equipment - in Europe there is not.... they rent at the fields..... or they are tournament players (I would guess no more than 1 % fall outside those two categories).

So the companies that support the European events do it for two reasons:

1. To sell to the tounament niche
2. To market themselves to the many tournament players that are involved with descision making at fields around Europe

NONE (not a significant percentage anyway), of the casual visitors at European paintball events buy paintball equipment - they wouldn't know what to do with it! - They buy t-shirts, shorts, casual pants, hats, bags, etc.

So, the notion of changing European events to cater for the "rec crowd" makes very little sense - because they don't go there anyway.

Nick

 

[Robbo]

Just to put the cat really among the pigeons, I have had one big industry figure tell me that they no longer see the value in supporting the Millennium, for them it makes no more sense and they will be taking a serious look at changing the way they do business with the Millennium for 2008 and if they are not happy with what's offered, then they will pull out, no arguments, no delay, they will be gone.........their budget is gonna be refocussed elsewhere away from tourney ball if or when they pull out.

I wonder how many of the other big guns are thinking the same way....hmmmmm......

PS and just so's nobody thinks this is a wind up, I give my word this is the truth of the matter .....

 

[frenchie]

oh dear... he HAS been naughty. 'Older British Guy' sums him up nicely.
pouring drinks over someone?!?! not like Brian to waste a drink!

Whoa!!me pouring drinks over Gojs,head,never would i waste a drink on anyone!!!as for being photographed stroking mellis,s hair,i would like to see the evidence b4 passing comment/wind.And as for being drunk in charge of no wallet....i absolutely resemble that remark.......as for you Gurkha,youth and speed are no match 4 age and treachery,lol,try and keep up if u can..love you all guys,but not in that sort of way.........Brian

 

[Nick Brockdorff]

Just to put the cat really among the pigeons, I have had one big industry figure tell me that they no longer see the value in supporting the Millennium, for them it makes no more sense and they will be taking a serious look at changing the way they do business with the Millennium for 2008 and if they are not happy with what's offered, then they will pull out, no arguments, no delay, they will be gone.........their budget is gonna be refocussed elsewhere away from tourney ball if or when they pull out.

I wonder how many of the other big guns are thinking the same way....hmmmmm......

PS and just so's nobody thinks this is a wind up, I give my word this is the truth of the matter .....

Makes sense, as long as the MS suck at pulling in the crowds - and the paintball industry has not understood that IF there is a crowd, it will mainly be non-paintballers, so 90 % of their stock should be casual items and luggage - NOT paintball equipment.

What is the purpose of urban venues, when even the most basic stuff is overlooked by the event organisers?

Look at the CC - do you think ANYONE in Basildon happening by the venue, felt they were welcome? - Do you think ANYONE driving by on the street thought "hey, that looks interesting, let's check it out"?

Some may even have tried, but walking or driving 1,5 miles around the venue in the mud, to get to the entrance, must have discouraged most.

Having made it to the entrance - was there a sign telling people they were welcome to come in? - was there a person to meet and greet people?

Once inside, was there any information on what was going on available?

Even making it to the grand stand - did you find any materials or an event speaker that catered for people not knowing paintball intimately?

Face it - the MS SUCKS at planning their events for anyone except paintballers..... and so does most other leagues by the way.

If I was in charge of marketing at any of the big paintball companies, I would buy the smallest possible trade stand available (and put my stock in the truck out back) - and then a tech tent - and nothing else.... anything else is complete overkill the way the events are done currently.

Nick