Speed1288
Nitro Member
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2008
- Messages
- 569
- Age
- 35
- Location
- fairless hills
Ashley > Danica > Milka
Ashley has no pressure on her (to find sponsors) what's so ever.
At no point did I say Ashley was not very marketable or not well spoken..... tell me when I said that.
This whole topic was blasting Danica for the way she competes, acts and markets herself.
If I had to pick one of the two ladies who I would like to have on my team I would pick Ashley, she is well spoken, humble, yet driven (and did I say very pretty).
Danica has to market herself every time she goes out.
Every sponsor on her ride(s) she has earned on her own merits, that is really my point in all this. If the sponsors did not like the way she acts or presents herself or the way she drives a race car she would not keep them.
It does not matter how Ashley does performs, the only pressure on her is the pressure she puts on herself (and that is likely lots because she is competitive, it is her nature, it is in her jeans (ya I know the wrong spelling, but man she looks good in them)
Ashley has not had to to out and find sponsors, they were already there.
The bonus for Ashley happens to be that she can drive a car on the 1/4 mile
Again its in her genes.
Because of who she is, she was in the perfect situation for someone wanting to be a race car driver.
And she happens to be extremely good looking, win win!
None on my posts on this thread were written to say I though Danica was better than Ashley, I did not try and portray that.
But Danica has a much tougher job in motorsports than what Ashley does.
Every faucet of her success is based on her ability to market herself and then perform to satisfaction on the track.
Ashley really just has to drive.
The sponsors will be there as long as team Force is in existence.
Hope your comment on liking the calendar was not tongue in cheek Timah
If you did like it, PM or email me your address and I will send you all five different ones
Dean
[email protected]
Woooo... easy there killer. I just asked you a simple question.
What is your definition of "Marketable?"
I'd really like to see how you believe Danica Patrick is a 'marketable' persona. I'm not saying either one is better, I'd just like you to show me and everybody else in this DRAG RACING MESSAGE BOARD, what makes Danica marketable and attractive to a marketing partner?
For example, let's say I'm John Q. Board Member and you are trying to sell me on sponsoring Danica Patrick Vs. Ashley Force. Convince me of who is the more 'marketable' persona. And for the sake of argument, let's assume my product is 'widgets'....not gender or target specific.
And yes, I liked your calenders. If I didn't like them, I wouldn't have said it.
In today's world I would pick Danica any day over Ashley as a more marketable individual to sell any product. Danica has built a worldwide reputation as a female race car driver and everywhere she goes media follows her by the hundreds. Sorry, if you ask 100 random people on the street if they knew who Danica or Ashley were, the overwhelming majority would say Danica. Danica's reputation alone makes her much more marketable to company compared to Ashely. After looking at the response to Danica at Daytona I am thinking Go Daddy is really happy with their investment. I have to ask, what new major sponsorship has Ashley brought to the table? Castrol shifted their funding from Medlin's car to Ashely's car. Company's have built advertising campaigns behind Danica, the same can't be said about Ashley. Until that changes, the question between who is more marketable will always have an answer of Danica.
Once again guys, I'm not saying Danica is not marketable. But if I were investing 3 million dollars into a "BRAND", DANICA or ASHLEY... convince me HOW Danica is more marketable. Saying because more average joe's on the street know her does not convince me.
"DANICA'S REPUTATION ALONE MAKES HER MUCH MORE MARKETABLE?"
What reputation is that Paul? And how does it equate to her selling my widgets in my make believe company? Is name recognition as big of a deal any longer? Look at how many companies are dumping Tiger because of the 'negative' stereo-type he has created because he has a 'SEX ADDICTION'...... So, how is DANICA'S REPUTATION "Marketable"?
Once again guys, I'm not saying Danica is not marketable. But if I were investing 3 million dollars into a "BRAND", DANICA or ASHLEY... convince me HOW Danica is more marketable. Saying because more average joe's on the street know her does not convince me.
Thanks for answering my question....
Dems fightin' words.
She beat her teammates? I could beat Hideki Mutoh. Tony Kanaan was injured after Indy and Marco Andretti is wildly inconsistent. By the way, not one pole or win between any of them last season. So congrats to her for being the best of the mediocre. And do you really think she is the best driver on that team? Kanaan, when healthy, drives circles around her.
I am not saying she shouldn't be out there ... she is a good driver ... but I keep waiting for the results to catch up to the hype to merit the opportunities and equipment she gets.
What happens when the beauty fades and she will be expected to actually produce results rather than buzz?
Danica 84 race starts in IRL...
5 top 3 finishes including one win and one runner up.
Years Teams Races Poles Wins Podiums Top 10s Indy 500 Wins Championships
5 2 81 3 1 4 41 0 0
Ashley's Pro Career numbers
Starts Wins #1 Qualifier Runner Ups Indy Wins
65 3 5 5 1
Podium finish = Top 3
So, putting the numbers in perspective, they are 'comparable' to a point. Ashley has won (2) US NATIONALS championships in two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TYPES OF RACE CARS. Danica has yet to win a 'MAJOR' event.
In three years in the PRO category Force has won more events, had more pole positions, and let's not forget the most important title of AOL's HOTTEST FEMALE ATHLETE WHICH PROVED MALE DRAG RACING FANS HAVE MORE CLEVER USE OF THEIR COMPUTERS AND MORE TIME ON THEIR HANDS THAN THE AVERAGE IRL FAN....
Lesson here, You can't compare Danica and Ashley without interjecting your own personal opinion or bias. One goes round in circles or drives on a road course, the other goes straight VERY QUICKLY. They are both beautiful women.
As far as my own opinion, I think Pro Stock Bike rider "Kalifornia" Katie Sullivan and TAFC driver Cassie Simonton are the better driver/rider......
but then again, I am bias with those two
Paul and Dean:
I will chose to disagree with you guys on this topic. Enjoy your discussion.
Tim
That would be too easy, why do you disagree? You are a marketing guy, if I am an investor please explain to me why my $3m would yield a higher return if I sponsor Ashley vs. Danica. Please keep this discussion factual and not hypothetical because this is what you will have to do in the real world if you had to pick between the two.
Thanks for responding Timmah, I always enjoy a good conversation. I have been very fortunate to have been in various jobs in Marketing, Operations, and now Commercial/Strategy so I have a little insight on what goes on from the inside of a large organization. My views are based on what I have been involved with when marketing decisions are made.
Ok, I can weigh in on this because I can be completely unbiased in my opinion. I am a Drag Race fan and participant by blood. I have made a living in drag racing for the past 11 years. I have done things simply because I love the sport and love what I did, that most people would drop tool and walk away from in the real world.
That being said, Timmah, and you know I love you man, you are biased toward drag racing. Step back a minute and look at the pure exposure DP has had in the last week alone. She increased the TV ratings for ARCA single handedly. She dominated the interviews, the press, the TV coverage on mainstream news and sports. All that and she is doing the equivilant of driving Super comp/Alcohol Dragster in NHRA. She was all over the TV last weekend, she was on CSI:NY on Tuesday? CBS Prime Time infront of at least 5 Million households of the public consumer. She was featured in a Super Bowl ad! GoDaddy probably spent more on airtime in the last week than they did all of last year, because they want to be sucked along with her press. Good or bad...If your selling "widgets" to the general public...and not Intake manifolds for a Big Block Chevy....your $3Million is way better spent on the DP comet than with Ashley. I love Ashley like a sister, and she is a great addition to the sport we all know and love. But from a pure, ROI standpoint, DP is a machine.
Wins and success in a given field are secondary to recognition and name/brand awareness. Michael Waltrip and NAPA is a prime example. Also, throw Aarons into that mix, because Mikey can't drive a sharp stick up a goats ass compared to JJ, JG and TS, but NAPA loves him enough that they still pay him to be their spokesman...and he isnt even going to be driving much this year....Dale Jr is another example...hasn't won a race in over a year, hasn't really lived up to the Earnhardt name(easy Jr. Nation) but he is a marketing juggernaught.
Ok, I'm out of gas.....somebody else talk now.