Part 1 done..

Part one of this blog is done. This is of course the part that was due for my class (creative strategies). These first twelve post explored quite a bit about our sport, Track and Field. By talking to these industry leaders ( a meet director, website owner, agent and three elite athletes) so very valuable information was shared. We know that our sport needs to change to bring it into the mainstream and everyone I talked to had some really great ideas. I think that frank honest discussion can only help our sport.

But, I am not done with this blog. There is still more to look into with our sport. There are still plenty of questions to be answered. I will continue to update this blog as much as possible. So spread the word! Lets keep this going.

Fast time vs. being marketable; Interview with Nathan White

Many people within the sport of Track and Field think sponsorship should take the model of cycling or triathlons where one person has many sponsors. To examine this better, I interviewed current triathlete Nathan White. Nathan is a new pro and recently finished  25th-place finish in a time of  2:09:21 at USAT Elite National Championships. He comes from a Track and Field background having run at Northern Iowa. 


OTRT: Turning Pro as a Triathlete seems to be a bit of a different process compared to other sports-can you explain the how your process went?

Nathan White:  USAT, the governing body of triathlon, determines at the beginning of each year which races will be the "pro" qualifiers. For different race distances, there are different standards the athlete must meet. In my case, I compete in olympic distance races so I will stick to that qualifying standard. USAT nationals in 2008 was the race in which I qualified to receive my pro card. Instead of taking it that year, I decided to stay amateur and race another year to gain experience. In 2009, I won the Hy Vee triathlon(one of the races they deemed a pro qualifier at the beginning of the year). After the season, I decided to sign up as a pro and compete as a pro in 2010. The qualifying procedure in triathlon is VERY difficult to understand. Most triathletes don't even understand it.

 OTRT:Triathlete has more than sponsor, can you explain how you gain sponsorship and how that works?

NW: Most of the time, beginning pro triathletes have product sponsorship only. They usually have a bike shop that allows them to use a bike for the season or have a running shop they can get free shoes at for the year.  As a triathlete progresses in their career, they can get corporate sponsorship. Most of the time, athletes will get appearance fees, just to show up to a race. To get sponsorship in triathlon, you have to get your name out on the national level. Doing well at races, talking to the right people, things like this will get you more known in the triathlon community. 

OTRT: How has social media / technology changed how you market yourself inside the sport? Perhaps the sport as a whole?

NW: Social media has helped in getting my name out to more people in more markets. Having a website, a twitter and facebook account has reached more people than just racing. I can post my workouts, tell people what products I use, show potential sponsors how I can get their company name out there. Triathlon is a rich sport. A lot of the people that compete in triathlons, even just for fun, have an average income of over $100,000/year. Technology plays a huge part in triathlon. The bikes are expensive, the running shoes are expensive. As an athlete, you have to be willing to try new technology and embrace it.


OTRT: What do you do to make yourself for marketable?
 
NW:To make myself more marketable, I have to do well at races. Its about as simple as that. If sponsors see you do consistently well at races, they're more willing to link you to their product or company. Another big marketing tool is how many people can you reach? If you can only talk to triathletes, companies are more likely to look you over to the athletes that can reach the average person. The more people you reach as an athlete, the better.

I try and meet new people everyday. You never know when that next person you meet is the CEO of some big company looking for a new outlet to promote their business. Living and training in Tucson, a healthy and active city, there's new people with like interests to meet everyday. Another way is thinking of new ideas or ways to promote a business. Thinking outside the box is a good place to start. If you're that athlete that can go up to a business and pitch them an idea they haven't already heard a hundred times can go a long way.


OTRT: You have moved across the country, what are some of the challenges you face as pro triathlete? 
NW: Its very hard to support yourself as a professional triathlete at the beginning of a career. Luckily, my wife has a full time teaching job, so she pulls in the majority of the money for our family. That allows me to train basically as a full time job. BIG help! I do have a very part time job at Carmichael Training Systems, a coaching company that my older brother and coach, works for. Its still a struggle to try and find money to travel to races in other countries on your own bill. It was and still is a big risk we took to move halfway across the country so I could TRY and see how far I can take triathlon. My wife left a great paying teaching job in Waukee, IA and I left a job at a running shoe store with a pretty good salary for Tuscon, AZ to train at a higher level.


OTRT: What are some actions that you think could be taken to gain a wider fanbase in the sport?
 
NW: Creating a bigger fanbase, I believe relies on race results and being able to communicate with the "average" athlete. I tend to think about it in terms of if I was a person that competed in triathlons for fun. I would want an elite athlete to come up to me and talk about regular stuff, not just about triathlons but normal, everyday life.

Micro Marketing at a Marathon Expo

Micro level marketing is an important part of the track and field world. There is no better place to connect one on one with a target market then at a major marathon or any other running event. I recently ran the Chicago marathon (that is another blog that most likely won’t go on here).  I had spent the morning interviewing elite athletes and spent the afternoon at the expo generally exploring but was intrigued on what the function of the expo exactly was, the following are some pictures with the responses on how the marathon expo works. 

I’ll start first with the Chicago Area Runners Association- “It is good to get our name out to the community and show that we support our local runners. We might not sign up a lot of members due to participants being out state but it is really to show that we support the sport of running”

All the major shoe companies were there including Brooks (pictured above), Saucony, Mizuno, Asics and Nike. Nike having the largest presence but it is known that Nike has the most money to spin. The booths offered custom fitting and apparel that is not sold in stores.  The workers at the booth were more than friendly and I talked for quite a while with an Asics rep that was a regional apparel rep. He explained that the relationships built on a ground level such as a marathon expo bring in sales ( though he would not state numbers), introduce new product  and  more importantly “begin to make customers loyal to a brand”. 

Another interesting aspect was the use of elite athletes.  Brooks circulated their elite club of Brooks-Hansons athletes, Nike brought in middle distance stars not running and Asics brought in their biggest star that actually dropped out of the marathon-Ryan Hall.  The line was very long.

What I was most surprised about was the non-running brands that were there.  VW was the most noticeable one with a neat installation piece of a doodle bug. Verizon had a booth, along with many charities.

One could not only buy or try a lot of products at the expo but you were give a lot of products in your Marathon expo bag. This of course give advertisers instant connection to an audience (I will admit I did use quite a few of the free products and pretty much ate my way through the expo)  Below is just a sample of the stuff I was able to take home with with me. 

Women and Track: Interview with Ann Gaffigan part 2

Ann Gaffigan is the cofounder of the website Womentalksports. In the first section, we talked about advertising women and to women, it can be found in the post below this one. In the rest of the interview, we talk more specifically about the sport of Track and Field and she leaves us with some words of wisdom from Young Jeezy.


OntherightTrack:When looking specifically at Track and Field, there has been a huge upswing in women’s performances in the past few years, do you think there has been an added popularity because of this for the women’s side of the sport?


Ann Gaffigan: Absolutely. Our female track & field athletes have been making huge strides as of late. I was particularly excited in 2009 when we had 3 women run under 4:00 in the 1500 plus Shannon Rowbury getting the bronze medal at World Champs. For years, every time someone ran a 4:05 and won USA's, the reaction was always "US women suck and could never make it on the world stage." Then in 2009, 4 women from 4 different training groups either ran sub 4 or won a medal at World Champs. That was a healthy thing for the rest of the distance runners - it showed everyone what they could do if they kept at it. This wasn't one group having this success - it was a variety of situations working out for the respective athletes.

Similar things have been happening in the other events - we had Chaunte Lowe go head to head with Blanka Vlasic week after week and give her a run for her money. Kara Patterson beat the world record holder in the javelin. Lolo Jones won indoor worlds. Molly Huddle set the American Record in the 5K.

When I say "healthy" I am referring to the positive effect certain advancements can have on other athletes. It is healthy for track & field to have a variety of athletes succeeding in a variety of events and coming from a variety of training groups. It proves that there is no one magic formula, there is the right formula for YOU and you just have to find it to reach your potential. It makes things seem very doable and less "pie in the sky."

The variety also encourages mainstream media as well as sponsors to push more than just one star athlete or one marquee event. This makes track & field more appealing to a wider range of people. It also means less risk - when there is a single point of failure (the men's 100m for example), then what happens if Usain Bolt can't run that day? If he is all anyone promoted leading up to the meet, why is the casual fan going to watch once he cancels?
OTRT: You are the former American record holder in the steeplechase, since the time you were competing what are some of the largest changes within the sport?

AG:Well for starters, they added the steeplechase to the Olympics! When I won the trials in 2004 and set the American Record, it was the best day of my life, but I couldn't go to the Olympics! It was the first time in my life I couldn't do something because of my gender. I had never faced that barrier before. It felt so silly and ridiculous. That was when I realized that the women's movement was not finished.

Besides the belated inclusion of the steeplechase, I am in general very proud of track & field for being gender neutral. Since men and women compete at the same competitions, they are always shown together. Our biggest mistake may be favoring certain events over others, not gender.

I was happy to see the field events get more attention this year. Amber Campbell won the indoor VISA Championships Series, so they were forced to cover the throws. Kara Patterson set the American Record in the javelin at USA's, and they made sure to cover that on TV. We always got to see Chaunte Lowe jump. I want to see more of the decathlon and heptathlon. I don't think we emphasize those athletes enough. They are arguably the best athletes on the track and we totally ignore them.

A big change in track & field has been the implementation of the Diamond League. From a fan's perspective, I think it is a very positive thing because we can look at a website listing all of the Diamond League meets and know who is going to compete where and when. We have something to look forward to. It seemed to encourage big name athletes to show up, even if it meant going head to head with their biggest competitor. The meets were shown live at universalsports.com, so we knew where to go to find them. They were also shown on Universal Sports' TV channel later in the day. This is a step in the right direction but not many people get that channel yet. Also, it was usually a watered-down version that didn't compare to the live broadcast, which was usually a BBC feed (or so I've been told).

Not everyone likes the Diamond League, including some athletes. I can't speak on that because I haven't competed since it came about.

Another positive for track & field since 2004 has been the growth in the number of quality training groups for athletes around the country. We have seen more pop up and the numbers rise at each individual "camp." This means (1) people are having success in these training situations and (2) sponsors are putting money into these camps, both of which are positive things.

Finally, the Track & Field Athletes Association has been formed. This is something that the athletes have been in need of for quite some time, especially with the cuts to sponsorships of individual athletes in recent years. The TFAA is in its infancy stage but will soon offer group health insurance, disability insurance, fund-raising efforts and more to its members.


OTRT: If you could set some action items for the sport of Track and field to make it more popular what would they be?

AG: We need to get track & field on TV on a channel (or channels) that value it and want to cover it like the Outdoor Channel covers the Tour de France and Spike covers MMA - in FULL and LIVE. I want to turn on the TV and watch the track meet live just like I can at universalsports.com....except with a more reliable, clearer feed. Putting one meet every once in awhile on NBC and promoting one name, such as Usain Bolt, doesn't cut it. The average Joe might tune in, realize he'll have to wait until the end to see Bolt run, come back later to watch and then be disappointed if Bolt doesn't set a world record. It's not a good formula.

It needs to be on TV regularly and we need to emphasize every event that has a good competition going on, which is usually most of them! Just watch a feed from overseas, they have it down. We can just copy them, see it's easy!

We have some great personalities in US Track & Field. The athletes' personalities sell themselves. But we have to put the camera on them on a regular basis! 

Finally, what are some lessons you have learned from Women Talk Sports that can be applied to the sport as a whole? 
AG: If you build it, they will come. We've been told our whole lives that no one cares about women's sports. They never have and never will. Guess, what? They're wrong. We are constantly outgrowing our server because of increasing traffic and increasing additions of member sites to our network. Now they've announced espnW - I think the world is starting to wake up.

Another thing I've learned - if you don't like it, do something. That's how things get done. I think it was Young Jeezy who said, "where I'm from, if we don't like it we do something," but I should be more philosophical and reference Ghandi's quote, "be the change you wish to see in the world." Same idea, no?

Women and Track: Interview with Ann Gaffigan part 1

Ann Gaffigan is a co-founder of a the website Womentalksports. The goal of the website is to promote and empower female athleticism. WomenTalkSports.com is an online network that connects the best blogs relating to women's sports. The site aims to raise the level of awareness of women in sport by providing comprehensive sport coverage, spotlighting outstanding achievements, and working with sporting associations on advocacy issues and empowering programs. She is also the former American record holder in the woman's steeplechase and participated when the event was not included in the Olympics. Ann had much to say so this interview will be broken into two part.



On the Right Track: You are a cofounder of the website Women talk sports, which fills a niche with women and sports, can you explain how this founding came to be?

Ann Gaffigan: Shortly after the 2008 Trials, I happened upon a blog called "...Because I Played Sports" written by Megan Hueter. One of her posts talked about Sports Illustrated for Women, which lived a short life in the late 90's/early 00's and how disappointing it was when it stopped coming to her house. I felt the same way. We connected and casually said that one day we would make our own version of a women's sports magazine online.

I became a regular visitor of her blog. One day she posted an interview with Jane Schonberger who started Pretty Tough, a brand and media company aimed at empowering girls and supporting their athletic endeavors. Jane's two daughters were the inspiration for starting the company. There is a fantastic website, book series, and now a video series is in production based on the books.

I was fascinated with what Jane had to say. She talked about that pivotal point in a young girls' life where they are forced to choose between what everyone else is pressuring to do and what you want to do. She wanted to make it cool to be tough so that girls didn't have to make that choice. I related on so many levels - not just from my own experiences but from being a mentor to younger girls as well. I contacted Jane and asked to be a contributor to her site, covering the latest happenings in track & field.

When I moved to California a few months later (October 2008), Jane and I met for lunch and talked about Megan and the three of us working together on a women's sports website. It was Jane's idea to bring all of the sites together that already cover a women's sport or women's issues related to sports. That way we didn't have to start from scratch content-wise. And there were so many fantastic writers out there doing things on their own - what if we brought everyone together in one place, amplifying everyone's voice?

Jane, Megan and I held conference calls (Megan was in DC) and then worked on our pieces of the puzzle and launched on February 1, 2009.2.

OTRT:Oftentimes people complain that women’s sports are not as exciting as men’s sports, how does your website counter that argument?


AG: We counter the argument by covering women's sports. People don't think it's exciting because no one thinks it's worthy of putting on TV. But they don't put it on TV because they think no one cares. And the cycle continues.

We decided to take matters into our own hands. I am more of a women's sports fan every day because of this site. It's no different than men's sports except there's a lot less ego and scandal. In terms of the level of play - does it matter? Can't a high school basketball game be exciting even though NBA players are lightyears ahead of them? You're not watching them play the NBA players, they're playing other high school kids, so it can be a good game regardless of the number of dunks. A "good game" is about the competition more than anything.

Plus, with women's sports, there are so many other factors that come into play - the barriers they faced growing up and trying to find opportunities to play and practice. Taking time off to have a baby and the uphill comeback afterwards. The pressure to pose for men's magazines in order to make yourself known - and along those same lines, the pressure to prove you are "still a woman" even though you're an accomplished athlete. And the list goes on. Women's sports are complicated. The athletes are all different - there's something for everyone it seems.
OTRT: When I talk to other women, it is surprising that many do not support women’s sports and find men’s sports more entertaining, how do you specifically market towards women?

AG: Women don't see other women play sports very often. You have to dig to find it. It's easier to just watch what's in front of you instead of searching for something different.

Personally, what I do is talk about it. I've converted many a friend just by talking about it. "Hey, did you know women's ski jumping is the only sport left to only be in the Olympics for men and not women? The IOC has refused to add it for the women, even though they have a World Championships for it and the international federation has recommended it be added for years." They say "Really? Why? Tell me more." Women don't realize that our work is not done here. Until you come up against a barrier because of gender face-to-face, you don't get it because it hasn't affected you.

On our site, we market to women by working at building a community they can be a part of. If they're already women's sports fans, this is where they can go to get their fill of women's sports. If they don't really care about women's sports yet, we want them to find our site and be intrigued. Our Facebook ads target women ages 18 to 55 who are interested in sports and/or active and healthy lifestyles. A woman who doesn't watch sports but trains for and enters triathlons is going to identify with female athletes. She just might not know it yet! If she finds our site, she will find motivation, inspiration, training information and more.

More importantly, she will find a place where other women like her go. She will find support as well as a place to debate the issues around women in sport. Message boards and the comments sections in mainstream sites, especially sports ones, are notoriously hostile territories for women. They get told by the anonymous male posters to "go back to the kitchen" or something similarly condescending. It's not worth their time.

Fast time vs. being marketable; Interview with NYAC Lesley Higgins

Lesley Higgins is currently a member of the NYAC team and an elite runner. She was a two-time NCAA DI track All-American at the University of Colorado and was  the Big XII champion in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 2002, and was a 2002 USA track and field championships qualifier in the 3000 meter steeplechase. She finished 13th in the final of the 3000meter steeplechase at the 2008 Olympic Trials. She has a unique perspective on the event for she is also a  political consultant for both Governor David Patterson and Governor Eliot Spitzer.   

OTRT: So first of all, how did you become a member of NYAC? How does that relationship with Brooks work?

LH:I became an NYAC runner because I was friends with Julia Stamps. The Track & Field chairman wanted Julia representing the club, and I got swept in as a package deal. That was back in 2003. In 2008, Brooks approached me at the Olympic Trials about sponsoring our team. The NYAC has great resources, but it does not make clothes. So the relationship has been very good for us. I hope it has been good for Brooks as well.

Within NYC and the surrounding area, we have a designated Local Elite team. The standards are very objective and we usually have about 8 men and 8 women with this designation. These athletes are expected to participate heavily in the NYRR year-long team points competition and in return they receive Brooks/NYAC gear and shoes. There are a total of roughly 25 men and 25 women on our team in the city. The rest of the team does not go empty-handed by any means, but we find it's good to have time and place goals to keep everyone motivated and to reward those who keep running a priority in their work/life balance.

Additionally, several of our athletes are part of the Brooks ID program, which is such a great program for the running community. I am pretty sure Brooks is the only company that has a program that offers varying levels of sponsorship to all kind of runners, based off of their ability to inspire other runners, rather than just performances.

OTRT: How has social media / technology changed how you market yourself inside the sport?

LH: Social media has actually been very good for me within New York City.  I have a tendency to come off a little, let's say, "cold," to many the large numbers of runners in NYC.  Twitter has given me the opportunity to connect with other runners in the city that I probably would otherwise have not met. I am hoping they start spreading rumors that I don't bite.

I do have one friend who hates that my twitter feed is mostly running-related, but I am also aware that most of my non-spam followers are runners. So, I consciously talk about running because I think we can all learn from what we each do on a daily basis. I also try not to be boring because there are a few professional runners that I have followed who have sort lost me as a fan because they are painfully boring on twitter. On the flip side, there are a few athletes who have lost me as a fan because their egos are practically exploding out of their 140 characters. I may sometimes be at fault of being both boring and/or egotistical, but I try my hardest not to be.

OTRT: You are also a political consultant, when it comes to branding (or advertising) how do these two compare?

LH: I actually have about 6-10 twitter feeds / facebook pages going at any given time and I handle them on a scale of tact. For example, when I am myself, I have a pretty relaxed level of tact, though I try not to be overly offensive. I also avoid talking about my clients or my political opinions because I don't want to go down on record has having said anything that could affect my current or future employment.

When I am speaking on behalf of the NYAC or the Governor or someone else who has a lot more to lose than I do, I choose every word very carefully and often with the consultation of others who I can pass off any blame. I also live in constant fear of accidentally tweeting from the wrong account. It would be awkward if the Governor was tweeting about hill sprints.

When I am doing stuff for WomenTalkSports.com, I can be a little more liberal, because we are trying to make a splash in the world of women's sports, and you can't be too politically correct all the time if you're going to get people's attention.

OTRT: What are some actions that you think could be taken to gain a wider fanbase in the sport of running?

LH: I actually wrote a blog about this after I spent a week with Team USA in France going into the DecaNation meet: http://www.womentalksports.com/items/read/71/678734

This meet was so much fun because it was a team effort. It wasn't as overwhelming as college track, with multiple runners and multiple heats. Each country had 10 men and 10 women competing in 20 total events, and the only prize money was the team prize money that was scored on an accumulation of both men and women's events. In my opinion, the way to create a fan base in running would be to treat it like all the major sports - baseball, football, etc. There needs to be teams and there needs to be betting. Fans need to become emotionally or financially invested in their teams. Then they will care.

OTRT:  You live in one of the largest most passionate running communities in the nation, what does New York do that other cities could do to make running more of an industry for them?

LH:New York is very lucky that it is small in size but large in population and there is a huge park right in the middle. And this large population has a lot of disposable income. I am not sure if other cities could really replicate this. I suppose the one thing they can learn from NYRR is to never think small. NYRR has very big goals. They want to be the biggest and best at everything and they make a lot of money holding expensive races every weekend, so they have the resources to do all these big things they want to accomplish.

 OTRT: What have you learned as an Elite runner that you think can be applied to the whole sport to improve it?

LH: I have two answers for this. The first lesson I learned by accident. I could not call myself an elite runner for several years in my early 20s because I chose to work instead. I learned that working was not all it was cracked up to be, but I also got really lucky and worked my way into a position of being able to run again. The greater majority of elite runners keep competing straight out of college, and usually retire by 30 to begin their "real" lives. I think if all elite runners could find a fulfilling and lucrative endeavor in conjunction with their running, they would have longer careers. And this is not necessarily about money. Often athletes just start to feel unfulfilled. For example, it was a huge loss for the running community when Chris Lukezic, one of the most talented runners in the country, decided that he was ready to explore a different passion at 26. It's a shame that he didn't feel like he could do both, and so USA running lost a huge talent. There are other runners who manage to work a real part-time job while they run - for example, former American record holders Ann Gaffigan and Lisa Aguilera. 

The other thing I have learned is that most runners are probably deficient in some important nutrient. Maybe not at the highest levels, where athletes have free access to great doctors, but at the sub-Olympic and lower levels. There are a lot of athletes out there who are not reaching their potential because they are extremely low in iron or vitamin D or Amino Acids or something else. It is very hard to find a doctor that understands the levels that runners need to be at and it is very expensive to get advice from a doctor that is an expert in the field. I was lucky to get fully tested by bioletics.com this summer before they doubled their prices. I learned a lot from the experience, but I cannot afford to take these tests again. Our governing body could do a lot more to both educate athletes and provide the resources to test them. USATF has good funding for the top-tier athletes, but on the non-Olympian level, you are largely on your own.

Putting on a show: An interview with meet director Scott Bush-Part 2

The rest of the interview with Scott Bush, in this segment we go on to talk about what is wrong with USATF

OTRT: Track and Field is the largest participation sport in the US for high school and marathon running is growing ever larger-yet it does not have as many fans as basketball or football, how do you try to create fans at your event? What do you think that Track and Field in general can do to garner more fans?

SB: To be honest, if this sport (track and field & road racing) is ever going to grow in popularity, it is going to have to happen because the event organizers get together and make it happen.  The governing bodies that “manage” the sport due a horrible job.  They don’t do much of anything to promote the sport to junior high or high school participants, and they certainly don’t do anything to try and attract in road runners.  It’s something I’ve come to realize over the past five years, and truly feel the only way the sport will grow, is if event directors come together and actually do something about it.

It’s all about reaching the potential fan base.  Once you reach them, which really isn’t that hard, you have to show them why they should care.  For example, a high school kid who does cross country and track should love their sport, follow it at the prep, collegiate and professional level, and simply consume information on the sport.  Go to a local high school football team and ask every kid on the team if they know who Drew Breese is.  I bet 100% of them, even the fourth string, freshman offensive lineman knows.  Go to a local high school cross country practice and ask every kid if they know who Dathan Ritzenhein is and I bet less than 30% know who he is, and even less know what event(s) he runs and what accomplishments he’s earned.

To be clear, it’s not the kids’ fault for not knowing about the sport or caring about it, it’s the fault of the organizing bodies, it’s the fault of the event directors, it’s the fault of the system and the respect it earns from the rest of the sporting community.  The New York Road Runners dominate the scene in the busiest sporting community in the world.  They stage world-class events, educate through their various programs and races, and make sure the media pays attention to them.  They give people reasons to care.  More of this needs to happen.  There are a hundred different ways to do this, but it has to start happening, and it is squarely on the shoulders of those in charge to make it happen.

OTRT: I know you have a quite a bit of knowledge when it comes to field of communications and you keep a blog on the website, how do you think this helps your meet?

SB:  I’ve been interested in communications since I was a freshman in college, back in 2000.  I started a website called IllinoisRunner, which covered the sport at the high school level.  I saw tremendous things happen coming from the information I reported and others shared, and ever since then I’ve had a rather obsessive interest regarding communications.

I think my knowledge in this area helps the Gala tremendously.  The more stories you can share, the more you grow your community, the greater your event can become.  You have to give your fan base, and potential fan base, a reason to care, and so much of how our world works is being able to entertain and inform.  We try to do both, on a regular basis, whether it be from our blog, our website, our e-newsletter, our Facebook page, our Twitter feed, or the event itself.  The most successful companies and events do both, and we try to do the same.

OTRT: How does social media and twitter help the meet?

 

SB: Social media allows us to interact with the high school distance running community.  We can ask questions, answer questions, share information and so much more, all of which is becoming easier and easier to do with social media.  Instead of going through their coach, they can communicate with us directly, which makes it easier for everyone at the end of the day.

OTRT: What have you learned by putting on the Midwest Distance Gala that could be applied to the sport on the whole?

SB: I’ve learned that you have to produce something original and entertaining if you want people to care.  It’s not enough to simply ride on your history, or assemble races with thousands of people, there has to be something else there, something that sparks people’s interest.  Once you find that spark, you have to remind people about it year-round.  

I’ve also learned that while it’s fine to have passion, if you want something to truly succeed, you have to treat it like a business.  If you can combine passion for the sport, with the excitement of building a brand, the sky is the limit.  Too few of the people in the sport have one or the other, not both.  If you are only passionate, you look unprofessional, and while that works sometimes, it isn’t lasting.  If you are only business-like, you are boring, look selfish and can’t create enough buzz to have a growing event.  It’s all about finding that middle ground. 

Fast time vs. being marketable; Interview with Tommy Schmitz

Tommy Schmitz  is currently an elite middle distance runner for Saucony but had a bit of a different way of getting to this point.  He ran Marquette University where he graduated in 2007 but at the time not really considered a star of the Track and Field world.  Since college his has been running for Wisconsin Runner, and Saucony. In February Schmitz qualified the US indoor championships and continued running well into the outdoor season. 2009 was a  breakout for Tommy as he has set PRs of 3:41 for 1500 and 3:57 for the mile.

On the right track:  How did the relationship with Saucony come to be? Some would call your  college career mediocre, how did you convince a company to sponsor  you when you are not a big name coming out of college?

Tommy Schmitz: Wow...You get right to the point. Mediocre?That actually might be a complement after the college career I had there were  many injuries and disappointments in my college career.  But I was able to have a few semi-respectable performances late in my college season. I actually got very lucky with Saucony wanting to represent me.  But I started with building a relationship with them while I was working in a running store.  I was a member of their Hurricane program that got me in with the company.  Most running companies actually have these programs which is a good place to look if you’re a non-sponsored athlete out of college.  But after that I was able to break 4 minutes in the mile which showed to them that I just may be "good" after all.  That's when they approached me with the "Elite" contract which I have now. But still as of now I am pretty sure I make more money forthem through my job at Santa Barbara Running Store than I cost them.

OTRT: As an athlete, what do you do day to day to make yourself more  marketable?

TS: The most marketable athletes are the fastest athletes.  Plain and simple. But Facebook and Twitter have definitely helped.  I mean Twitter is the reason I am doing this interview now.  But I definitely feel it’s important to be promoting the brand as much as possible.  It’s amazing how much traveling in my Amp Pro2 Recovery Calf Sleeves will be for conversation starters.  Many people don't know about track but are able to tune in because they now "know someone."

OTRT: How has social media / technology changed how you market yourself inside  the sport? Perhaps the sport as a whole?

TS: Technology has definitely changed the way we view sports.  Sites like Flotrack are giving the youth of today a look at role models before only seen in the Big 3 sports.  I was in a bar about a year ago with some friends  and someone came up to me and asked if I was Tommy Schmitz.  He had said he watched many of my races on flotrack.  Races in Europe than nobody would be able to see now can be shown live. Cross Country races now to. It’s almost expected that races now be online.  Technology definitely allows for a bigger fanbase to runners that before had just been known by friends and family.

OTRT: When it comes to getting into the larger meets,  what are the factors for you to gain entry?

TS: Getting into the bigger meets is 70% time based and 30% who you know.  So definitely building up relationships is key.  The last few years I have gotten to know a few meet managers around the country and it definitely helps when you can just call them and say you’re interested in the race andthey will let you know straight up if there is a spot.  It’s easier and less stressful that way.  But ultimately regardless of how fast you are itsdefinitely important to have an agent who can get you into races by using his contacts or just sheer number of athletes he will be bringing may help get you the chance your needing.

OTRT: What are some actions that you think could be taken to gain a wider fanbase in the sport of running?

TS: Twitter for sure but really the faster you run the more people want to watch you.  It’s that easy.  So if I continue to improve on the track, hopefully the people supporting me will increase. But the new running clubs definitely help. The Bay Area Track Club and Rogue Racing in Austin are starting to get entire communities involved. This will help build the sport at the ground root level we desperately need.

 OTRT: How do you explain to people that run for living? What are some of the challenges you face with this?

TS: I remember Jon Drummand talking about this same thing a few years back at USAs.  We compete in a sport that really doesn't have Drafts or league teams.  So telling someone you run professional often is very confusing.  It’s something that doesn't come up to much. But it’s cool to be able to tell someone your following your dreams and traveling all over the world.  Although most of my friends think I will "automatically be running in London" and have asked repeatedly to be my trainer or whatever can get them into the stadium.  But I like being able to say that I run professionally. It makes me feel that I am doing all of this for something.

OTRT:What have you learned as an Elite runner that you think can be applied  to the whole sport to improve it?

I think we definitely need to define many of the definitions in our sport.  I think we give out USATF sanctioned races to everything and it belittles the sport. Doug Logan was on the right track in trying to legitimize our sport.  I only hope the new person that is appointed can pick up where he left off.  But there definitely needs to be more money put inthe hands of the athletes rather than the officials or boards.  It’s the athletes that will take the sport to the new level.  Not a former one.  ButI think the sport is on the right track.

What does an Agent do?; Interview with Chris Layne

Total Sports Management was founded in 2004 and has quickly become one of the world's leading track and field management companies representing athletes in every discipline from around the globe. Chris Layne is currently the managing director where on a daily basis he deals with athletes and the major shoe sponsors. He is also the head coach of Milligan College.  In this interview, we talked about the agents role and how athletes should help market themselves.

               

Ontherighttrack:  So let us start with the basic information, how does an athlete go about finding a contract?

Chris Layne:  The easiest route is to land with an agent that has a relationship with each of the shoe companies. Certainly there are variables that will impact the possibilities (age of athlete, current level of performance, event, etc.)

OTRT:What can they do besides run fast times to present themselves as an athlete worth investing in?

CL:While marketability is important, the bottom line is performance. I've seen very few cases where an athlete is signed and they're not performing or young enough and showing the potential to perform

OTRT: What is your role as agent during the contract negations and how does this change as the relationship continue?

CL: The role is to simply keep the athlete's best interest first and foremost in the process. We're trying to maximize the bottom line and also find a good fit based on the athlete’s needs, event, position in the sport.

OTRT:  Is there anything that you urge your athletes to do to better market themselves?

CL: It never hurts to be proactive, do interviews (the right ones!), be visible in a positive light on social network mediums, keep your nose clean, be charismatic on the field of play. Not everyone is concerned with being marketable; you get certain athletes that just want to perform however.

OTRT: How important is it to craft athletes into household names to the sport?

CL:  Extremely important, this sport is struggling when it comes to visibility and being in the mainstream media. Our higher powers need to really think about how they can re-invent the sport, otherwise we're all going to continue to be in a constant struggle

OTRT: What are some unique problems with being an agent of a track and field athlete compared to the other sports?

CL: I don't have experience in other sports, but I would imagine our travel schedules. We're at 90% of the events with clients, overseas, for 2-3 months, and then an additional window of time domestically before the European season. I think the other misconception is there's tons of money in this industry, I compare what we do to minor league baseball, and there aren't many of us that would be doing this if we didn't love the sport of track and field.

OTRT:  As an agent, you are on the other side of the sport of track and field, what are some actions that could be taken to better the sport?

CL: A big picture overhaul. We need to look at each event closely, decide if we need to be going the route we're going. Too many variables in track and field. It's like a 5 ring circus, the general public can't keep up I'm afraid.

OTRT: Finally, what have you learned as an agent that can be applied to the rest of the sport?

CL: Contrary to what most think, I think the good managers are some of the most organized entities in track and field. I would like to see the sport come together more, and it might be happening on a small scale, but overall, the stereotype will always be there.

Boston sells out in 8 hours

Boston is one of the most prestigious marathons in the country. This Monday they sold out in eight hours.  How did they do this? What were the factors? My guess is three contributing factors.

1-The qualifying time- Boston you have to qualify for with your time for your age. I would have to run a 3:40 for Boston. Give people a way to feel special and they will surely sign up.

2. Limiting the field-Even if you qualify you have to register quickly again making the runner feel elite.

3. History- The history of this event is known through out the community. It has this air of legend.

Just a quick post on recent news-Cara

When running goes mainstream

Last week most of us were glued to our TV (or whatever) screens watching the Chilean Miners get rescued one by one. Of course being a runner myself, a certain tidbit caught my-one of the miners, Edison Pena, won up to 6 miles a day while listening to Elvis. This is pretty awesome feat but that is not I am focusing on.

The coolest part of this story, is that the New York Road Runners were smart enough to gain some PR from this by inviting him to run the New York City Marathon. I for one truly believe that anytime a marathon or any running event can get into the mainstream news as positive news item it should be done. Congrats to Mary Wittenburg and her staff for this smart move.

Putting on a show: An interview with meet director Scott Bush-Part 1

Scott Bush is the meet director of the  Midwest Distance Gala which is one of the premier track events in the country, bringing together many of the top high school distance runners across the U.S. This meet draws a large crowd and compared to even some of the more elite meets (ones with pro runners) it draws more. Bush has much to do with this using social media to promote the meet and shaping it has an entertainment event. I was able to catch up with him to discuss how he does this.

On the Right Track: You are the meet director of the Midwest Distance Gala, can you describe the event and what your aim is?

Scott Bush: The Midwest Distance Gala is a high school-only track event that brings many of the top male and female distance runners to the Chicagoland area, competing in a competitive and entertaining event.  The aim of the Gala is to provide fans and athletes a track event that they won’t experience at any other time during the season.  An event that has a very high-level of competition, but also unique elements off the track that make it stand above their state meets and even the national championships.

OTRT: The meet brings together some of the best high school talent in the nation, how do you go about recruiting the athletes? What do you offer differently than your typical track meet?

SB: The athletes are recruited in a variety of ways.  The initial contact for an athlete we want to recruit generally takes place with an email or phone call to their coach, expressing interest in having their athlete(s) attend the Gala and asking them what their post-season plans are.  Generally, the coach either discusses our event with the athlete(s) and gets back to me, or they give me the athletes contact information, so I can reach out to them directly. 

While reaching out to the coaches is important, we also have a fairly sizeable group of parents reach out to inquire about the event.  Lastly, we do some direct outreach to athletes if their coaches are unresponsive or they contact us regarding the event.  

In terms of what we offer that’s different...we feel there are a handful of things that distinguish our event from every other high school track meet.  We run a two hour event, with no more than 2 minutes lag time in between events.  We play music before the event, during events, in between events and after the event.  The music isn’t “Chariots of Fire” garbage either, it’s music that is relevant to what high schoolers are listening to now.  We don’t just look at the music charts or listen to the radio, we ask the athletes what they want to listen to.  This makes a world of difference compared to other events.

Also, we host the event on Saturday night, which gives the event a bit more energy.  The Gala becomes the focus of the weekend, not just a way to start the weekend.  Running under the lights is something our sport should embrace more. 

Additionally, we have rabbits for all our top races.  The rabbits allow the top athletes to sit back, relax and not stress to run a fast pace.  While this remains controversial among some fans, it has always allowed kids to shoot for personal bests, while not having to do all the work.  So many of our athletes have done all the work all season long, because they are the best in their state.  Well, we allow them a break, to just focus on the running fast, putting themselves in the race, and hopefully coming out of the event with a new PR.

There are other aspects to the Gala that make it unique, but these are the top few.

OTRT: What is the crowd size like? What do you to drawn these fans?

SB: Our crowd size has grown each and every year since the event started in 2005.  Our first year, I always like to say we had more athletes compete in the event then we had fans in the stands, and we only had 35 athletes compete. 

We changed venues each of the first four years.  We moved from Vernon Hills High School to York High School, mostly to put the event in a more centralized area of the Chicago area, and we had strong ties to York.  In between year two and three we moved to Elmhurst College, but we sold out the stadium capacity and actually had to turn fans away.  Most of them stood behind the fencing outside the stadium and watched, but it was still a sign that the event was expanding and we needed a bigger home.

In 2008 we moved to Benedictine University and found a permanent location.  In 2009 we had 1,650 fans attend the event.  This year we had around 1,500, but we attribute the loss of fans in the stands to the weather (an incredibly intense thunderstorm rolled through at the start of the event, postponing the event for 45 minutes).

We draw fans by promising them an entertaining time.  Lively music, a passionate announcer, some of the best competition you’ll find and fast races, make our event something unique, and we market the event around that uniqueness.  

OTRT: How hard is it to drawn fans that are not related to the participants?

SB: Honestly, it’s not that hard to draw fans that are not related to participants.  Track and field is one of the largest participatory sports at the high school level.  There are so many kids that love this sport at the high school level, but very few events give them a reason to go out on the weekend and celebrate their passion for it.  If you give them a reason to attend, if you give them a reason to see something they won’t see anywhere else, then they’ll come. 

On the starting line

The CEO of USA Track and Field, Doug Logan, was dismissed today.  This bit of news is of note because it might be the perfect way to start off this blog. There is wide speculation on why exactly Mr. Logan was dismissed but it seems that the wide consensus is that he did not do enough for the sport of track and field to raise its popularity in the mainstream. When board member, Deena Kastor, an Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon was asked about the dismissal she responded, “``It came down to reviewing his performance and not finding great results in the past 2 1/2 years and (his) not being able to fix things brought up in our evaluation of him,'' Kastor said (Hersh, 2010).

There are plenty of people within the sport that are making running cool again and social media is the one leading way. Twitter lets fans interact and follow their favorite starts ranging from the fastest man in the world Usain Bolt to America’s marathon hope Ryan Hall. LetsRun’s message boards serve as a gathering for many fans to talk about the sport.  Flotrack, a video website, is providing the coverage the sport never had (Lobby,2010). Track and Field is the number participation sport in high school (Jones, 2010).

Despite this social media boost, track is still considered a very minor sport.  TV coverage is lacking at best. Of all the track and field events on this summer, the most viewed running  broadcast happened to Shaq VS. featuring Tyson Gay.  According to a Runner’s World poll, 13% of runners surveyed did not know who Ryan Hall or Meb, American Silver medalist in the Marathon, were (2010). 

Now, I should explain a bit on why I am starting this blog. My name is Cara Hawkins and I am a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin.  For one of our class assignments we are to pick a subject that we care about and relate it back to advertising. I have chosen to examine how to advertise or market track and field. I hope to every week to bring some aspect of advertising in track and field to you.  I guess I should to share a bit more about myself. I ran track and field for a small D2 college, Carson-Newman and was an unsuccessful middle distance runner. I am currently training for a marathon.  I interned for Runner’s World my last semester of undergrad and I am currently working for Flocasts that owns Flotrack. 

 

So tune in next week when I kick off the series. 

 Cara

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BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION:

Hersh, P. (2010, September 13). Globetrotting. Retrieved from http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/sports_globetrotting/2010/09/usa-track-field-dumps-ceo-logan.html



Jones, G. (2010, September 4). Number of prep athletes up. Retrieved from http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100908/BLOGS06/100909571/1008/SPORTS



Lobby, M. (2010, September 1). Social media making running cool again. Retrieved from http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=20360