Sponsorship

When I was studying marketing the teachers/lecturers/professors/janitors and a couple grounds keepers always stressed targeting your audience. Seemed to make perfect sense. Why try to sell tractors to bakers, right? Bakers are a relatively small market and they're probably more interested in wisks and rolling pins than farm equipment. I do know a baker more interested in wisks, flour and whipping cream rather than... nevermind.

So what happened to that? Sell to those who're after your product?

I was watching a bit of bowling. I saw adverts for Brunswick® and AMF® which made a certain amount of sense. Although not too much when you think about it because I've never been in a bowling alley and left because they had AMF® equipment and not Brunswick® and I sure as hell haven't built a bowling lane.

Geico®? Ok. Everyone there and watching at home needs, or thinks they need [ed- I disagree], insurance.

GO RVing®? Now you're stretching it a bit. Perhaps people who find bowling to be action enough with a high personal risk factor would be likely to GO RVing® as opposed to those who choose, say, hang gliding. Hey wait. Those people probably would need an RV too. Be that as it may, we're in a bowling alley right now.

Pepsi®. makes perfect sense. They stick their name everywhere and anyone in their right mind drinks nothing except Diet Pepsi® Light. Whatever they're calling it at the moment.

Lumber Liquidators®? Right, ya got your hardwood alleys, wooden pins, block heads.

I apologize for that last remark. If bowlers are blockheads then I qualify.

So let's leave the alley and move on.

Staples®? That's a bit of a stretch for a sporting venue, isn't it? I know a truck driver who is nuts for Post-It® notes and bubble wrap, but we just think of her as pretty strange and mountains of fun, especially when she's bowling.

Connecticut Sports Arena. Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to be in Connecticut to be in that arena? Complete waste of advertising money to my mind.

Marple Sports Arena. Now that's unusual. Apparently naming rights were purchased by an Agatha Christie fan. Kinda makes ya wanna leave and read a nice novel. Who needs a sporting event? And you can always read while awaiting your turn to bowl. That is unless you're concentrating on the trucker.