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#1
06-29-2010, 04:09 PM
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How Woodbine is attracting New Fans
Nice Article I Just read on ESPN.com by Bill Finley
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/hor...ill&id=5328333 Since as long as anyone can remember, horse racing has been trying to attract new fans -- trying and failing. Rock concerts, t-shirt giveaways, "Go Baby Go," marketing campaigns, dollar beers, new bets, nothing, really, has worked. At Woodbine, they grew so exasperated that an expensive television production was producing so little in the way of results that they were ready to pull the plug on the show. But, first, Woodbine management was willing to start over and give it one more try. Their idea was a simple one: make the show all about gambling and portray betting on horses as the exciting cerebral exercise that it is. No longer would they pitch the beauty of the sport or show features on the circuit's top jockeys, trainers or drivers. They would, however, teach you how much a $1 six-horse superfecta box costs. The results have been nothing short of remarkable. Though ratings are not yet available for all of the shows, which are called "Bet Night Live," one recent broadcast attracted 60,000 viewers or about three times the size of the average audience before the new format was put into place this year. Just as significantly, the new show is producing a significant amount of new customers for Woodbine's on-line wagering site, HorsePlayerInteractive.com. The amount of new sign-ups increased four-fold once the new show started airing. 
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#2
06-29-2010, 04:38 PM
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Good idea.
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#3
06-30-2010, 08:51 AM
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If you teach them...........they will play.
__________________
A racehorse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time. ~Author Unknown
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#6
07-01-2010, 06:11 AM
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Actually watched the SHow last evening which is called "Bet Night Live". really thought it was kind of neat, there was alot of information given out that most everyone on DT would take for granted but it was geared towards the new player which made it pretty cool.
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#8
01-20-2011, 10:01 PM
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Old thread, old excerpt (about 6 weeks old)...
For the second consecutive year, Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) is announcing a sharp increase in betting handle on its live Thoroughbred racing season. The 167-day meet, which concluded December 5, saw an "all-sources" total of $393,507,233 wagered, a stunning 8.9 per cent overall rise from the $361,435,208 figure recorded from the 167 dates offered last year. It comes after a solid 7.0 percent hike in handle seen in 2009 over 2008. "We are pleased with the sustained gains in handle," said Sean Pinsonneault, WEG's Chief Operating Officer. "To see a seven per cent rise in 2009 and an 8.9 per cent jump this year against the softness in the betting marketplace is significant." Similar to last year's gains, much of the $32 million-plus increase in betting came from U.S. sources. http://www.horseraceinsider.com/Pres...again-in-2010/ My reason for bumping this up is that I'm not about to start another Eclipse thread. This is related. For all the talk of "saving" the sport, of generating new revenue ummm didn't they kind of blow it with the awards? I'm staying neutral and I don't want this to turn into an extension of one of those other threads BUT whether or not individuals believe she deserved the award I think most would agree that the big mare gave the sport some name-recognition. Where was the press in the non-horsie media? Why did no one realize that you have to take the ball and run with it? A few full page, back page ads in Sunday papers (I know, I know but people do still buy / read them) in a handful of major cities, a 30 second spot on a few cable channels that cut across demographic borders... C'mon. No one thought of that? I live out here and the whole celebrity thing gets real old but I mean Bo Derek is on the CHRB. Not that she's so extremely famous or anything but she is attractive, articulate, a good spokesperson. The Mig would be fantastic but I'm talking about people non-racing fans would know. There are people in Chicago, in NY... celebrity types - owners - who I would think, if approached, would consider (  ) doing an ad of some kind. The powers that be though... did they do ANYTHING? Our sport had momentum. Had. It happened around the BC, (like it or not) following the 60 minutes piece (I never saw it and I'm well aware some would argue but people I know who think I'm insane for loving the sport suddenly knew her name. Weird.) and it could have happened again this past weekend. This is from 2 years ago... http://www.derbytrail.com/forums/sho...hlight=Waldrop If no one in power is going to do anything more than to ask us for input every couple of years what's the point? Even the pretty horsie brigade knows that the end game, that the playah is what keeps the sport alive. We need to take what is marketable and well... sell it! The sport of kings is a fantastic catch phrase BUT isn't it time to stop the ridiculousness and make it about the payoffs? I love the idea of using the glamour angle. The only problem is IT WONT WORK. Make it about what it's about. (Rare Bog, please don't have a field day with that one). Cha ching! We need to take a page from the Woodbine book or we need a visionary... someone that they'll actually listen to. If they started now then by the first Saturday in May maybe they would have a plan. In the meantime? Good for Woodbine. What do you all think?
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#9
01-21-2011, 09:37 PM
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Well I'll try to answer but for the record I just got back - I have kids and other things to do besides being here.
 I have never actually watched the show. I do love the idea of it. If you google it you can see parts... I just did this and it appears - for part of it anyway - they give someone X amount of $ to place wagers on specific races... Like I said, I just watched about 3 minutes so am not qualified to give an answer of any substance. One thing I will say is if you succeed in getting airtime in whatever medium please for the love of God market yourself and do it well! Wouldn't it have been cool if there were say for example, ads on bus benches from New Years Day on... The Eclipse is coming. Nothing else. Just that. People would think what the ****? It would be talked about, become water cooler conversation... 2nd round of ads add a date and then hit them with the 3rd round (commercials, etc). Hit up people well in advance... people who won't be up for Golden Globes since they're close together. Anyway back to you... market yourself, dress in colors that flatter you, learn what to do with your hands and pay attention to the set (that was another thing that was aweful about the pre-Eclipse show. Were they kidding? Wtf was that about?), things like the bottom of your shoes (do you know how distracting that can be?)... I went through a similar conversation once with someone here. No idea if they thought I was nuts or what but image is so important so focus on every thing that is visual down to the last detail or it can be a turn off no matter how interesting or smart you are.
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#10
01-21-2011, 09:40 PM
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Quote:
Sorry for the rushed response and for not seeing that you answered yourself already. That didn't come out right...  edit - This is kinda haphazard but here's something else (in terms of "saving" the sport)... http://www.insidesocal.com/horseraci...innovativ.html So I guess my point in all these different thoughts on the same thread is this... in order to help the sport market it right, do things like Woodbine does and in general, tracks need to see what is working. The powers that be - all of them - need to pay attention and get a God damned clue instead of doing things like happy fun day at Santa Anita with face painting (you know what I mean) and thinking oooh that will bring in new revenue on a consistent basis. See what works and implement it. New ideas targeting the people who will become playahs on a regular basis. Last edited by my miss storm cat : 01-21-2011 at 09:55 PM.
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