The below-referenced is a post written by Fast Lenny:
I love what TAR is doing,the production is really good and the show is filled with great players and characters which is fun to watch.I do believe the business model they have is not going to work sadly.I think instead of PPV,the pool should be free,sponsors should pay the money.Imagine if all these PPV matches were free,i think as time went on we would see 1000s watching these streams,thats great for sponsors.More hits and viewers equals more sponsorship dollars for sure,i do see they have sponsors listed but dont know what they really contribute.I think that its the best way to do a live stream is sponsorship,the ppv thing wont work on a large scale,it seems people either dont have the means or money and also the technical problems that come with doing a live show you will have complaints about the stream being PPV and not being perfect.I hope this happens and TAR gets some good solid financial backing from sponsors to take this to the next level and everyone wins,the fans, the sponsors and TAR!
I thought about this post last night several times and came away with how effective branding is. Brand names had to start somewhere, though.
In pool, I can remember when Predator gave just about every single pro pool player, who was active on the tournament trail, a Predator break cue. Some pro players even got a beautiful case with the Predator logo on it, as well as some shirts with the logo on it as well. I remember being at one tournament and thinking, man, all the players are shooting with Predator. It must be a really good product for these players to be using it.
I remember seeing Ryan McCreesh with a brand-new Predator break cue, and I wanted my horse to have one, too! LOL!
Well, truth be told, the players got it for free. In exchange, the Predator was able to get their brand name out there in the pool public. The product is very popular today and is used by many players. In this instance, Predator did have to invest a lot of monies to give away their product for free, but look at the return. Today, they are one of the leading pool manufacturers, and BTW, bravo to Predator for giving back to the professional pool community by hosting this 10-ball tournament, as well as other events.
AzBilliards is the leading website in pool, bar none. Though pool seems to be gaining in popularity overseas, with many events now being held there, the fact of the matter is AzBilliards still ranks number one on the net for pool. Best of all, it's free, too.
Could AzBilliards website be a vehicle for pool manufacturers and industry members to utilize for their products by giving away some items free? Maybe contests for a brand-new pool table, like HGTV is doing right now, giving away a green house in Hilton Head, South Carolina. [I entered the contest every day, and I want to win]. Along the way, reading about this green house, I learned about Shaw carpet, Sears washer and dryers, paperstone countertops, and the GMC Hybrid vehicle, as an example. The branding strategy in this contest worked for me. Next carpet I get will be a Shaw carpet, and when I remodel my kitchen, I will definitely be looking at paperstone countertops.
There is some merit to what Fast Lenny has written, and as such, I thought it deserved its own thread. I am not initiating this thread about TAR per se, but rather I wanted to develop a colloquy about branding and how beneficial it can be. If Predator got to be high in the ranks for giving away their product for FREEE, then maybe, just maybe, this can be effective.
Again, I am not trying to say TAR should give their product away for free. I want to explore the concept of how effective this strategy can be in advancing a company's profit margin.
I would be interested to read the thoughts of others. What say you?
JAM
I love what TAR is doing,the production is really good and the show is filled with great players and characters which is fun to watch.I do believe the business model they have is not going to work sadly.I think instead of PPV,the pool should be free,sponsors should pay the money.Imagine if all these PPV matches were free,i think as time went on we would see 1000s watching these streams,thats great for sponsors.More hits and viewers equals more sponsorship dollars for sure,i do see they have sponsors listed but dont know what they really contribute.I think that its the best way to do a live stream is sponsorship,the ppv thing wont work on a large scale,it seems people either dont have the means or money and also the technical problems that come with doing a live show you will have complaints about the stream being PPV and not being perfect.I hope this happens and TAR gets some good solid financial backing from sponsors to take this to the next level and everyone wins,the fans, the sponsors and TAR!
I thought about this post last night several times and came away with how effective branding is. Brand names had to start somewhere, though.
In pool, I can remember when Predator gave just about every single pro pool player, who was active on the tournament trail, a Predator break cue. Some pro players even got a beautiful case with the Predator logo on it, as well as some shirts with the logo on it as well. I remember being at one tournament and thinking, man, all the players are shooting with Predator. It must be a really good product for these players to be using it.
I remember seeing Ryan McCreesh with a brand-new Predator break cue, and I wanted my horse to have one, too! LOL!
Well, truth be told, the players got it for free. In exchange, the Predator was able to get their brand name out there in the pool public. The product is very popular today and is used by many players. In this instance, Predator did have to invest a lot of monies to give away their product for free, but look at the return. Today, they are one of the leading pool manufacturers, and BTW, bravo to Predator for giving back to the professional pool community by hosting this 10-ball tournament, as well as other events.
AzBilliards is the leading website in pool, bar none. Though pool seems to be gaining in popularity overseas, with many events now being held there, the fact of the matter is AzBilliards still ranks number one on the net for pool. Best of all, it's free, too.
Could AzBilliards website be a vehicle for pool manufacturers and industry members to utilize for their products by giving away some items free? Maybe contests for a brand-new pool table, like HGTV is doing right now, giving away a green house in Hilton Head, South Carolina. [I entered the contest every day, and I want to win]. Along the way, reading about this green house, I learned about Shaw carpet, Sears washer and dryers, paperstone countertops, and the GMC Hybrid vehicle, as an example. The branding strategy in this contest worked for me. Next carpet I get will be a Shaw carpet, and when I remodel my kitchen, I will definitely be looking at paperstone countertops.
There is some merit to what Fast Lenny has written, and as such, I thought it deserved its own thread. I am not initiating this thread about TAR per se, but rather I wanted to develop a colloquy about branding and how beneficial it can be. If Predator got to be high in the ranks for giving away their product for FREEE, then maybe, just maybe, this can be effective.
Again, I am not trying to say TAR should give their product away for free. I want to explore the concept of how effective this strategy can be in advancing a company's profit margin.
I would be interested to read the thoughts of others. What say you?
JAM
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