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How To Help Promote the Pace

July 14th 2008

11 comments

Five days to go before the Meadowlands' premier pacing event and several of you have contacted me to express concern about the lack of national or local or mainstream media attention focused upon Somebeachsomewhere's expected American coronation. We all know the "why" behind this. So let's focus instead upon the "how"-- as in how you can make a difference.
 
Here is a list of New Jersey television stations. Here is a list of New York television stations.  Here is a list of Delaware television stations. Here is a list of Pennsylvania television stations. Here is the link to WOR Radio. Here is the link to WCBS Radio. Here is the link to WABC Radio. Here is the link to KYW Radio in Philadelphia. Here is a list of New Jersey newspapers. Here is a list of New York newspapers. Here is a list of Pennsylvania newspapers. And here is a list of Delaware newspapers.
 
Take a few minutes today and let these outlets know that you are interested in the Pace. Come up with a stock email-- you know what I mean-- and then send it separately to a few dozen sites. Pick any ten or 20 outlets and call them or email them and bring them into the SBSW loop. And then do the same thing tomorrow and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday. The USTA can only do so much in marketing the sport-- that much we already know. So let's take matters into our own hands, our own computers, and our own phones.
 
Often, journalists say they won't or can't cover an event because there is no interest in it. Let's make them change their minds.  
 

Comments

Randy McCown said...

I think its kinda sad that most people only try to sell our business when we got the Hambo days or Jug Week or Meadowlands Pace but in reallity we all should be on the push to promote our industry 365 days a year and its very easy to do. It doesn't take money; it takes just a little bit of time.

Out here at Kleinhans Racing Farms we take it upon ourselves to promote the farm and the horses by calling the local schools and making the farm open to them. We contact the Girl & Boy Scouts so they can come out to the farm, see the horses, and get their merit badges. We let the school for troubled kids come out to let the city kids come out to the farm and meet the horses. We never turn down any fair or town days invites. We just did one in Lapatong Township with Ken Weingartner and the Meadowlands Girls.

So what I'm saying is every farm every racing center should also be a part of the town they live and work in. Open up your farms and centers to the town. Be part of the community. Make yourselves open to the younger kids in school-- they all got parents and this shows the good side of our industry Thanks. Just my thoughts

Randy McCown, Farm Manger
Kleinhans Racing Farms

posted at 2:14 PM on Jul 16th 2008

Jessica Schroeder said...

Moira - I love the fact that The Big M is putting together a commercial and that HRC got USA Today coverage. Question is, how can we make it readily available to our members what our industry publicists are doing. I know there is a LOT of work being done out there, but most of us have no idea what is being done.

Andrew - Looked at your TV station lists. I wonder if we would have the best of luck with NBC affiliates considering we already have a relationship with them for the Hambo? Here is a link for the Philly NBC station that has a specific form for story idea submission:

http://www.nbc10.com/News/1431717/detail.html. I would love to send you my "query" in a separate email.

From Andrew: Jessica, my email address is aco-law@comcast.net

posted at 7:38 PM on Jul 15th 2008

murray brown said...

Moira,
That's wonderful
Go Girl Go!!
Murray

posted at 3:10 PM on Jul 15th 2008

Moira said...

SBSW is a publicist's dream and I can assure Murray that all promoting parties have been salivating for this horse to return.

New [and pristine] faces, a horse racing without a tag team or connections without any knockers inside the sport as far as I can determine, which is simply astounding.

HRC has already gotten him USA Today coverage with more promised and The Meadowlands has made a commerical to play at the near sold-out Red Bulls-LA Galaxy game featuring Brian Sears in his colors kicking a soccer ball around inviting the 50,000 present to come on over and take a look at SBSW.

The USTA is in full swing, too and everyone is just too busy to blog about their efforts so I will try to point out some things happening....There is much more going on...SBSW won't reverse years of media disinterest but at least we have a real juicy selling point they can't turn down without considering.

posted at 10:17 AM on Jul 15th 2008

Stuart Chambers said...

Andrew, my cousin in Nova Scotia emailed me this story link yesterday (see link below). IMO, SBSW is the fastest horse I've seen at this stage of his career and the closest thing since I saw Niatross live in Buffalo when I was a kid. Best of luck to your group. Your colt went a huge mile last week and will be one of the ones to beat.

http://www.trurodaily.com/index.cfm?sid=152428&sc=70

posted at 9:58 AM on Jul 15th 2008

murray brown said...

If in fact the staffs at The Meadowlands, USTA and the Hambletonian Society do not formulate a game plan and work on it as diligently as they possibly can to achieve this goal, then in my opinion they are negligent in their duties and responsibilities.

This is likely the last chance to match Harness Racing's newest superstar to the sport's greatest event. Its a unique opportunity to garner the greatest amount of media attention for the sport in a long time - if not ever. Just think Somebeachsomewhere and Deweycheatmnhowe on the same card in the media capital of the world!

From Andrew: Thanks, Murray. East Rutherford is the media capital of the world? :)

posted at 7:56 AM on Jul 15th 2008

Dean said...

I wrote about that actually. I would like to see him in the Holmes too. Feel free to reprint it if you want here Andrew.

http://pullthepocket.blogspot.com/2008/07/somebeachsomewhere-in-demand.html

From Andrew: Thanks, Dean.

posted at 10:32 PM on Jul 14th 2008

Paul Siegel said...

Standardbred Canada is trying to put together a volunteer PR group to get as much press as posssible for SBSW:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/iss0708/somebeachsomewhereprteam0714.html

posted at 9:12 PM on Jul 14th 2008

tim mansfield said...

I'll get something mocked-up and send out tomorrow.

BTW-what about sending something to some of our most popular websites in addition to YouTube?

posted at 8:14 PM on Jul 14th 2008

Paul Siegel said...

Andrew, I suggest sending an email to Tom Charters expressing your support for the idea.

posted at 8:11 PM on Jul 14th 2008

Paul Siegel said...

Looking beyond Meadowlands Pace night, there are a number of people on the Yahoo harnesslist, with yours truly in the lead, trying to drum up support for convincing SBSW's connections to remain at the Meadowlands through Hambletonian Day and race in the O. W. Holmes. The horse's connections have said the horse will head back to Ontario after the Pace to race ina an Ontario Sire Stakes at Mohawk.

Hambletonian Day provides a unique, once in a year opportunity for harness racing to put its best foot forward for a national audience that extends beyond the sport's "regulars." It is the only day with live national broadcast network television coverage of harness racing, and one of the few times during the year when mainstream print media covers the sport.

Isn't this a golden opportunity to expose a "hero" horse to the general public? Shouldn't everyone with some "pull" be working to keep SBSW here?

Believe it or not, I've taken a lot of grief from some quarters for having the audacity to suggest that we make SBSW's connections aware of how important it would be to the business if he would race at the Meadowlands that day. Fortunately, at least one industry leader, Murray Brown of Hanover Shoe Farms, agrees that the Hambletonian Society and the Meadowlands should be working to keep the horse here. I hope many others are also quietly doing so.

From Andrew: That's great. What can I do to help?

posted at 7:52 PM on Jul 14th 2008


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