UPS not coming back in 2009 (1 Viewer)

[Tim5636sc]

If Fed-Ex have a short term memory loss Bob might be in with a shot again. Haha!

....and that is when hell would freeze over!!!!

I am not happy to see UPS leave NHRA Drag Racing. However, it really does not suprise me at all. The Shipping market has dropped overall by about 15% in the past 2 years. The Fuel prices have created a HUGE drop in Margin accross the board. Margin creates Profit. The goal of all the shipping companies right now is simply to STAY ABOVE WATER! DHL has been trying to Merge it's Domestic business with UPS, (and even Fed Ex). UPS had a great spokesperson in Bob Vandergriff jr. He does a great job representing his sponsors, and has over the years. I am sure he will land another big fish pretty soon! This also creates a problem with the NHRA as they have had a contract with UPS to be the "Official Shipping Company" of the NHRA. I'm sure this is going away as well.

Good Luck to Bob and his team in securing funding for their team!

Timmah!

 

[clwill]

Hopefully the Camping World relationship is a strong as was initially perceived. Maybe they will step in and pick up Bob next year?

Oh, I don't think so... The RV market is in major trouble with companies in the industry filing for bankruptcy left and right. And if you go to Camping World's Racing site (CampingWorldRacing) you'll see there's not a mention of drag racing anywhere. Hmmm...

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Makes me wonder about companies that still at least appear to be on their way up. Cabella's. Bass Pro Shops. Dick's Sporting Goods. Seems like they might have some pockets.

I hate to say it but, I made most of my living for the last three years hauling cabinets thanks to ladies watching cooking shows and saying "I want my kitchen to look like that." Thanks to the economy, that's not so much a need now.

Poor people to the rescue! I now haul for a major rent to own chain. People walk in and say "You mean I can have $3,000 worth of crap if I just sign a note that says I'll spend five years and $6,000 paying for it? WHERE DO I SIGN?"

They have a LAMP that's $7 a week. Who makes a weekly lamp payment? Do your friends ask if you want to go out this weekend and you say "I can't. I have a lamp to pay for." Who makes out THAT check?

 

[rocketman]

There's a lot of reasons they leave and often it's not the team's fault as they are doing everything possible to do a good job for the sponsor. Three years is the average run for a sponsor.

 

[Jim]

no marketing expert here, but over the years how many sponsors have
truely been long term with NHRA?.....automotive related, beer, tobacco.
all three may be able to say their ROI pays for itself.....but times change
(david keech's comment about the tobacco comment at BIR), and
companies evolve (miller beer reorganizing as SABMiller), and recently
CSK purchased by O'reilly.

so where does leave sponsors like rockstar, monster, vis viva, UPS and let's
include a few from recent past; McDonalds, MBNA (now Bank of America)
K&N, Mad Magazine, Snickers, Strivectin, Brut, Fruit of Loom, Jerzees,
Penthouse, Exide, MGM Grand, Jolly Rancher, WWF, WIX Filters, Century 21,
and the list goes on and on.?

I guess the point is: business and business needs are ever changing.
10 years ago, there was no retail DHL DeutchePost spent enormous $$$s to get a toe hold in the US market - (I'd like to have the money they spent just to buy and paint new trucks in the last 5 yeras.) The market and fuel prices conspired to make them "throw-in-the-towell". Soon they'll be gone entirely.
UPS is prolly at a point where they are uncomfortable telling the shareholders they are spending $$$ on Motorsports when gas prices are REALLY hurting them. They're pulling in their horns - maybe for a while - maybe a long while.
Still, there are ALWAYS plenty of new products and services that need exposure and companies will spend money for exposure (Who thought NHRA would be selling Organic Pet Food??) if they get good value. For that matter, maybe Jim Dunn is a great example of delivering "bang-for-the-buck". While he doesn't have the charm or slickness of a Kenny Bernstein operation, he doesn't have the cost structure either.
Maybe the future of professional drag racing will require teams to plan on revolving sponsors - that is 1 or 2 year deals - and the ability to turn-on-a-dime to promote a new product or service. 'Kinda like the billboard business. Maybe that's the way its always been for most teams.

 

[TJ]

One industry that is never mentioned is the elevator/people mover industry.
Schindler and TyssenKrupp who are the world leaders gross over 30 billion every year......nothing but profit every quarter w/ low overhead.....and they love to spend money!

 

[The Counterfeiter]

One industry that is never mentioned is the elevator/people mover industry.
Schindler and TyssenKrupp who are the world leaders gross over 30 billion every year......nothing but profit every quarter w/ low overhead.....and they love to spend money!

Interesting . . . unfortunately, the average drag racing fan probably does not have the authority to purchase an elevator or people mover (target audience).

And - who would buy an elevator ya can't stand up in? Low overhead - get it?
Sorry, just couldn't resist -

 

[Nitrohaulic]

And - who would by an elevator ya can't stand up in? Low overhead - get it?
Sorry, just couldn't resist -

Good one! Nice catch.

 

[Jim]

UPS will now sponsor the NASCAR #6 of Davis Ragan UPS signs multi-year deal to sponsor 6 car, Ragan

 

[kd]

no marketing expert here, but over the years how many sponsors have
truely been long term with NHRA?.....automotive related, beer, tobacco.
all three may be able to say their ROI pays for itself.....but times change
(david keech's comment about the tobacco comment at BIR), and
companies evolve (miller beer reorganizing as SABMiller), and recently
CSK purchased by O'reilly.

so where does leave sponsors like rockstar, monster, vis viva, UPS and let's
include a few from recent past; McDonalds, MBNA (now Bank of America)
K&N, Mad Magazine, Snickers, Strivectin, Brut, Fruit of Loom, Jerzees,
Penthouse, Exide, MGM Grand, Jolly Rancher, WWF, WIX Filters, Century 21,
and the list goes on and on.
and the point is, do you think all these sponsors got into NHRA or any other
sports/entertainment for a 10+ year run?.....i don't think so; and it's
called brand awareness; they're in, they're out and everybody
says thank you.

and the argument that too many sponsors only sponsor events and not
cars; look no further than T. Pedregon and Q Power.....wasn't too many
years ago there was an event known as the Quaker State Northstar Nationals.

not saying it doesn't look bad rite now, and i of course know nothing
about the inside politics between racers/sponors/sanctioning body.
NHRA seems to chug along at about the same pace (sponsorwise)
for quite a few years now and i imagine it will continue to do so.
i am optimistic that there will be new sponsors to replace those leaving,
but am not foolish enough to think each new sponsor will be retained
for multiple years; and kudos to those partnerships that flourish and
are retained for many years.

regarding the topic of this thread - if UPS was making more money shipping
parts for the drag racing world than they spent on bob's TF'er, do you think they'd be pulling out?

AWESOME POST!!!
Lots to think about...especially for sponsor seekers and romancers...very few Buds, and Castrols (with respect!), out there !!!!

 

[afx421]

UPS will now sponsor the NASCAR #6 of Davis Ragan UPS signs multi-year deal to sponsor 6 car, Ragan

there ya go, we lost another sposor to nascar. the reason is they know how to promote thier sport. like ive said, nascar has a million commercials on during drag racing and its non stop during a nascar race, how many commercials with drag racers are on? none! nascar is on 4-5 hours on sundays between pre race ect, and the fans at home see that sponsors name on a car go around the track for 5 hours , now with the stupid 1,000 ft stuff the sponsor is on the screen even less time, drag racing needs to compensate for the little time with real promotion of the sport like commercials not track fact, or another tony $humacher interview, or laurie force watching john run, they need commercials at the very least, until then the sponsors will keep dropping like flys

 

[handsome]

there ya go, we lost another sposor to nascar. the reason is they know how to promote thier sport. like ive said, nascar has a million commercials on during drag racing and its non stop during a nascar race, how many commercials with drag racers are on? none! nascar is on 4-5 hours on sundays between pre race ect, and the fans at home see that sponsors name on a car go around the track for 5 hours , now with the stupid 1,000 ft stuff the sponsor is on the screen even less time, drag racing needs to compensate for the little time with real promotion of the sport like commercials not track fact, or another tony $humacher interview, or laurie force watching john run, they need commercials at the very least, until then the sponsors will keep dropping like flys

ups was sponsoring a nascar ride for quite a few years before they came into nhra.

 

[Mad Mark]

They have a LAMP that's $7 a week. Who makes a weekly lamp payment? Do your friends ask if you want to go out this weekend and you say "I can't. I have a lamp to pay for." Who makes out THAT check?


That doesn't suprise me, but damn that was funny.

 

[d'kid]

ups was sponsoring a nascar ride for quite a few years before they came into nhra.

Since during the time Dale was at Yates...
been a FEW years... pre-nextel

d'kid

 

[G'ginna]

Sign of the times... I heard that for the first time, they also will not be paying their driver's uniform allowance next year.