It's Monster

cheesepuffs said:
I'm not speaking/typing in a condescending tone and aplogize if it came off that way, but again, this is how companies market products. Is it that big a problem to think that corporations might want to target groups other than yourself? There are a lot of demogaphics out there.
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I think Brian has alienated the ''older'' fans and has no choice than to try different ''schemes'' to try to get fans back..... he has singlehandedly ruined the sport that his father and grandfather worked so hard to promote... You young kids are his only hope to sustain his legacy.... (which is not turning out to be so good)...... Most of us older folks.. (which most of you younger folks think we are so full of s@@t that we just need to get out of the way and stop the progress)... have seen a whole lot more in our lifetimes and are much more appreciative of it than you can ever imagine..... We saw and lived the Golden years of Nascar... When it was a real series and not a reality show...


R.I.P. Grand National and Winston Cup.......


This might not be a popular post to some ...but.... so be it.......
 
Charlie Spencer said:
See, this is the part I just don't get. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to see NASCAR land a sponsor, and don't really care who it is as long as the checks clear.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't see attending an event I've previously disregarded simply based on a new sponsor. Diet Pepsi could start sponsoring the NBA but I still won't watch basketball; experience shows it just doesn't entertain me. Microsoft has landed this huge tablet contract with the NFL, but I'm actually watching less football this year than in the last 20 years. Indeed, I started watching NASCAR despite Winston's sponsorship, a category of product I actively hated (and still do). The racing itself drew me in enough to gag down my revulsion to the sponsor.

Again, maybe it's just me. No offense intended, but I can't think of any other way to phrase this question: are people, especially those in Monster's young demographic, really that easily swayed? Is this another aspect of a 'product lifestyle' that I don't get? I admit I don't live a Diet Pepsi or Microsoft 'lifestyle' (if there are such things). If it's Monster itself that's bringing in the these new 'fans', will they stick around when Monster leaves or will this just be a smaller version of the boom of the '90s and '00s?

I just don't see how this will draw a new audience unless Monster plans major changes to the racing itself.
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Very well said and I can't think of a time in my life where I have wanted to associate with a certain brand and adopt the lifestyle it puts forth. The whole thing seems shallow to me but if it makes a person happy that is all that matters.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'm withholding judgement until we see what changes are made to the racing itself (if any). I dislike the Chase as much as the next guy, but realistically it hasn't changed the basic principle of the race winner being the driver who crosses the finish line first after the designated number of laps (give or take an overtime). As long as that stays the same, I'll be here. If not, there are always other forms of motorsports and entertainment.

For now, I'll welcome them, giving them the benefit of the doubt and an assumption of good intentions.
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It would be interesting to hear what type of racing millennials would like to see as it may not even be possible to accomplish. A school of thought I give credence to is that mainstream American racing is dying a slow death as tastes have changed.
 
ToyYoda said:
Given that Brian isn't saying how long, I'm assuming it's much shorter term than the Nextel/Sprint deal. 5 years more than likely.
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I am guessing that Monster is going to come in and see if they can get they can find a pulse and get the patient ambulatory and if they can't move the needle in short order they will write the whole thing off as a learning experience.
 
cheesepuffs said:
I dont't know if it's been brought up yet, but Monster is only paying 25 million a year as opposed to Sprint's 100 million per year.

Think about that. If you are Lowes or NAPA and you spend that much on one car, how would it make you feel that you could have had the entire series? That makes it even tougher to sell sponsorship for a car now.
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I thought it was 20 million but either way the leaks are coming faster than Nascar can plug them.

Nitro Dude said:
That was part of the few modifications. I wouldn't expect anything less though, after all Monster is based in Southern California.:)
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I wonder if the nubile young lasses will turn off any female fans? kd Lang, Ellen and Rosie notwithstanding.

gnomesayin said:
It seems to be relying on a tweet by ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell that was mentioned a few times in this thread. According to the vague math he cited, the total would be between $20-$28 million. Rovell's sources are more likely to be solid than not. It was widely reported that Nextel / Sprint were initially paying $70 million, then Sprint renewed for the two final years at $50 million. I'm surprised at the prospect of it dropping quite that low, but not surprised that there was a decrease. I'd be surprised if there wasn't one.
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I am not surprised at all as in reality Nascar needs Monster more than Monster needs Nascar. In reality Nascar should probably stroking a monthly check to Monster.

gnomesayin said:
That's a valid question and I really don't know what the answer is. A huge portion of the middle-class suburban family audience NASCAR thought it was chasing in the early 2000's has disappeared anyway. The marketing aimed squarely at that safe middle ground demonstrably hasn't worked.

When you attend a Monster Supercross race, you see a lot of families including women. Frankly this goes for motocross events generally, Monster-sponsored or not. You'll find that a large percentage of families in attendance have a son or daughter that is a rider and participating in the sport on some level. But you'll also see a lot of young women accompanying the young men in attendance.

I can see hot girls dressed hotly anywhere. I'm not going to the races to see that. But it's undeniable that it adds to the 'atmosphere' for many of us. I'd certainly rather have them hanging around than not. I don't like the idea that some significant portion of women who are genuine racing fans might be turned off by this. There's a line, and in my experience Monster is aware and does a pretty good job of showcasing the girls without being too aggressive or off-putting about it.
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For sure as it isn't uncommon to have 3 generations of the same family at Motocross events.

cheesepuffs said:
Exactly. It's like look, the stands are empty and the ratings ate tumbling year over year. The fans left are of undesirable demographics. Old and unwilling to try and buy new things. This is evidenced by members we have here that haven't and will not try energy drinks, do not have cell phones, etc. It's time to start over.
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As much as I would love for Nascar to return to relevancy for me my feelings should not be considered in any way as I don't even know what half the stuff advertised is and the other half I don't give a fig about.

cheesepuffs said:
It isn't my personal opinion, it's the facts. Aside from a select group of companies like Hover-round and Poli-Grip whose customers are elders, companies in general want young and spendy customers. And they want to cultivate younger customers to grow with their brands and ensure long-term stability.

It isn't about me brushing off older people, but let's be honest, even Cadillac has made a tremendous push in recent years to aggresively go after a younger audience because pandering to the elderly is not sustainable.
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Buick also has to get younger or they will end up on the scrap heap like Mercury. In the last few years I think all Mercury sold were Grand Marquis because...well you know.....it was the only 6 seater car and 3 couples may want to ride together for the early bird special. If I am a company and I can invest resources in trying to cultivate a long term relationship with a bunch of 20 somethings or deal with a bunch of crotchety old people (I am including myself) I know what way I am going.

cheesepuffs said:
But Brian France is now Monster's puppet. If Monster wants the boys to have at it, then the sanctioning body will let the boys have at it. It still sets the tone.
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Nascar is far more beholden to the networks than the title sponsor. If ratings go up the networks won't care if Christians are being fed to the lions but if Monster makes the current problem worse you can bet the networks will have something to say.

RacerrecaR said:
Great news but.....I just worry that things will be taken too far, meaning drivers who wouldn't normally lose their cool after a race end up punching someone just because they think Monster will like it.
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It is a great shame that in so many quarters men behaving badly is considered as a virtue. Give me a class act any day over the idiots who talk and act like ignoramuses. IDK as maybe younger people like seeing people behave like aholes.

cheesepuffs said:
That's not how its gonna work. The drivers won't become different people to put on a show for Monster. But emotions run SO high in this sport that the drivers have been so suppressed. Now you'll see more of the real them.
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It is strange how hockey and football players can lambaste each other all game with very few problems but if a race car driver feels someone has cut him off or blocked him he will have a temper tantrum like a 3 year old.

aunty dive said:
There are 8 years remaining on the TV / broadband deals.
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Lets all hope Nascar uses the time wisely to improve things to the point they are not losing a large portion of the fan base yearly.
 
kymartin6 said:
I think Brian has alienated the ''older'' fans and has no choice than to try different ''schemes'' to try to get fans back..... he has singlehandedly ruined the sport that his father and grandfather worked so hard to promote... You young kids are his only hope to sustain his legacy.... (which is not turning out to be so good)...... Most of us older folks.. (which most of you younger folks think we are so full of s@@t that we just need to get out of the way and stop the progress)... have seen a whole lot more in our lifetimes and are much more appreciative of it than you can ever imagine..... We saw and lived the Golden years of Nascar... When it was a real series and not a reality show...


R.I.P. Grand National and Winston Cup.......


This might not be a popular post to some ...but.... so be it.......
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Nascar is a shell of itself even from the 80's and early 90's. It is remarkable how someone or something could so royally screw up what was once a great series to the laughing stock it has become. I will get a lot of flack for this but I think when Nascar moved away from its strong southeastern roots and personalities the handwriting was on the wall. When drivers open their mouths I want them to sound like Harry Gant, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin, Barry Dodson, Waddell Wilson and all the other good old boys.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
It would be interesting to hear what type of racing millennials would like to see as it may not even be possible to accomplish. A school of thought I give credence to is that mainstream American racing is dying a slow death as tastes have changed.
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We want it to be geniune and undilluted. Motorsports are so intense that the watered down version we've been getting where the drivers can't step out of line without getting fined for their emotions is a joke. Racing is naturally exciting. Just let it be what it is.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
Very well said and I can't think of a time in my life where I have wanted to associate with a certain brand and adopt the lifestyle it puts forth. The whole thing seems shallow to me but if it makes a person happy that is all that matters.
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Well the majority of people feel otherwise. It's marketing. It's why we have "aspirational" brands like Mercedes and Rolex, and "rugged" brands like Jeep and Casio G-Shock. The working man wears Carhartt while the white-collar demographic buys Polo. Brands thrive on selling an image and accompanying lifestyle. This is nothing new.
 
If NASCAR was like every other public traded company Brian France would be history.But I think even family run businesses have a breaking point.Good luck to Monster,I don't drink it though,not very healthy.
 
When government regulation.eliminated Winston, its success was neutered. Today they have the drug and insurance companies giving support, not sure which is less appealing to me. Maybe they appeal to certain demographics, like the millennials or possibly the snowflake crowd.
 
cheesepuffs said:
I'm not speaking/typing in a condescending tone and aplogize if it came off that way, but again, this is how companies market products. Is it that big a problem to think that corporations might want to target groups other than yourself? There are a lot of demogaphics out there.
Click to expand...

Personally, I don't watch the commercials anyway, I DVR the races and zip past commercials, even the side by side ads. The only races I watch live are the ones I attend. All I know is that as long as they show up to race I will watch it, I could care less who the sponsor is.
 
cheesepuffs said:
We want it to be geniune and undilluted. Motorsports are so intense that the watered down version we've been getting where the drivers can't step out of line without getting fined for their emotions is a joke. Racing is naturally exciting. Just let it be what it is.
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That's about how drivers act out of the car. What do millennials / younger generations want to see in the RACING itself?
 
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sdj said:
Personally, I don't watch the commercials anyway, I DVR the races and zip past commercials, even the side by side ads. The only races I watch live are the ones I attend. All I know is that as long as they show up to race I will watch it, I could care less who the sponsor is.
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I watch most of them live, but out in the garage. I get up at commercials and do yard work. It's amazing how much you can accomplish in all those 2.5 minute bursts. And like many of you, I'm rarely affected by the ads I do happen to catch.
 
cheesepuffs said:
Well the majority of people feel otherwise. It's marketing. It's why we have "aspirational" brands like Mercedes and Rolex, and "rugged" brands like Jeep and Casio G-Shock. The working man wears Carhartt while the white-collar demographic buys Polo. Brands thrive on selling an image and accompanying lifestyle. This is nothing new.
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Yeah, but the examples you cite are trying to attract people to their own products. They sponsor something to reach that event's existing audience. Look at all the financial services associated with golf. They're there because that's where their target customers already are.

If Mercedes or Casio* started sponsoring the U.S. Quadriplegic Water Polo League (trademark pending), would that pull people to start watching that sport? This is the part I don't get about the notion that people will follow a sponsor to something they haven't previously cared about, especially people who likely have been exposed to it before but didn't connected with it. Monster isn't having to draw them to just the NASCAR variety of racing; it's has to pull them to four-wheeled races on paved, relatively lengthy tracks that will last several hours.

*Casio is considered rugged? In my day their calculator watches made them the king of accessories for early nerds. :rolleyes:
 
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Simple Fan said:
Is the effect on the racing bad though? I don't think so. With the playoff you have 16 drivers with a realistic chance at the championship as opposed to may four or five with a points system.Now some might see that as a bad thing but to me 16 teams pouring every bit of resources they have into the car to win a championship is better for NASCAR, the fans, and the racing. On the track you have more teams using their best strategy to win a race because a win means everything now. I'm not saying that teams before the chase didn't put everything into it but the playoff just gives more teams a realistic chance at winning the championship and being more focused on winning races which I see as better all around.
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There is one problem with Nascar vs Football. At no time in any football game can a tackle from a team not in the game run out on the field and take down your quarterback.
In Nascar their are 40-16= 24 players from other teams on the field able to run interference and or take out a Chase driver. If you want a Chase, make it most points in 3 races held at 3 different type of tracks and only your top 16 drivers are entered.
 
cheesepuffs said:
We want it to be geniune and undilluted. Motorsports are so intense that the watered down version we've been getting where the drivers can't step out of line without getting fined for their emotions is a joke. Racing is naturally exciting. Just let it be what it is.
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But what kind of on track action? We often hear things like boring and cookie cutter to describe the Nascar vibe so what on track changes would you and your generation like to see?
 
cheesepuffs said:
Well the majority of people feel otherwise. It's marketing. It's why we have "aspirational" brands like Mercedes and Rolex, and "rugged" brands like Jeep and Casio G-Shock. The working man wears Carhartt while the white-collar demographic buys Polo. Brands thrive on selling an image and accompanying lifestyle. This is nothing new.
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I have 2 Casio G-Shock watches that I love as they are as tough as nails, solar powered and get a signal from Denver each night to keep perfect time. I never gave thought to branding or what if any statement I was making when I bought them or wear them. I have Carhartt clothing because it keeps me warm in very cold conditions and that is the only reason. I just bought a truck because it is reliable and will do all I need to to do and I never paused to consider other choices based on making a statement or marketing or lifestyle.

From a young age I learned that marketing is about selling the sizzle instead of the steak and often times a case of selling style (a lifestyle) over substance and that always seemed daft to me. For me it has always been about the correct value and what works for me not about what someone else says I should do, wear or participate in to be part of the crowd.
 
ToyYoda said:
Actually I think there is a stipulation in the chase rules that if a driver is leading the points after the September Richmond race and doesn't have a win, they still get in the chase even if there are 16+ winners by that time.
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Win your in then the field is filled according to points. 16 winners means no one gets in on points.
 
sdj said:
Personally, I don't watch the commercials anyway, I DVR the races and zip past commercials, even the side by side ads. The only races I watch live are the ones I attend. All I know is that as long as they show up to race I will watch it, I could care less who the sponsor is.
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Me too as any commercial or in race pitch is fast forwarded through with lightning speed as I have no interest in having someone tell me how white my shirts can be or think that some dude can't be a man because he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me. Hey, hey, hey.........that's what I say.
 
Team Penske said:
Win your in then the field is filled according to points. 16 winners means no one gets in on points.
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The points leader after Richmond is treated as a winner for the purposes of setting the Chase field. If there are 16 winners and the points leader has no win then the winner that is lowest in points gets dropped off.
 
The Nature Boy said:
The points leader after Richmond is treated as a winner for the purposes of setting the Chase field. If there are 16 winners and the points leader has no win then the winner that is lowest in points gets dropped off.
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I don't believe that. So in fact there is no "win and your in". Damn they had me fooled.
 
Team Penske said:
I don't believe that. So in fact there is no "win and your in". Damn they had me fooled.
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From the HMS website...

Eligibility for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the NASCAR Chase Grid – provided they have finished in the top 30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race (except in rare instances). The 16th Chase position will go to the points leader after race No. 26, if he/she does not have a victory. In the event that there are 16 or more different winners over 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Chase Grid spot would be the points leader after 26 races.
 
ToyYoda said:
From the HMS website...

Eligibility for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the NASCAR Chase Grid – provided they have finished in the top 30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race (except in rare instances). The 16th Chase position will go to the points leader after race No. 26, if he/she does not have a victory. In the event that there are 16 or more different winners over 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Chase Grid spot would be the points leader after 26 races.
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Thanks. I hadn't seen that.

But of course it says that on the HMS web site. Does the Jeff Gordon exemption still apply? :D
 
Team Penske said:
There is one problem with Nascar vs Football. At no time in any football game can a tackle from a team not in the game run out on the field and take down your quarterback.
In Nascar their are 40-16= 24 players from other teams on the field able to run interference and or take out a Chase driver. If you want a Chase, make it most points in 3 races held at 3 different type of tracks and only your top 16 drivers are entered.
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I agree that the two sports are different but my comparisons have been based on how the sports are governed and the reasons for a playoff as I've said it silly to compare the two on the field and on the track. I like that a non chase team can get a win and spoil a chase drivers chance of advancing. If you take cars out of the field there is going to be less money to spread around so that won't happen although a 16 car race might be interesting.
 
does anyone know what Monster wants to change about the chase, etc? have they made any noise?
 
Are we going to ignore the fact that Monster tastes disgusting, is unhealthy mostly consumed by teens?
 
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