IMS and their Marketing Campaign

[FanofMario]

You have to think that ticket sales to this year's vision must be at an all time low. In all of my years of living in central Indiana I can't ever remember seeing and hearing spots for Indy tickets in this market. :D Does anybody know just how bad sales are? I know that last three years you could buy tickets at the track the morning of the race from IMS, but I can't believe they have to spend marketing $'s in their own backyard! It sure must suck to be FTG! :thumbup:

[Lizzerd]

Just for fun, I went here (https://imstix.brickyard.com/inettix/OnlineTicketing.aspx) and poked around for a while. In most any section, blocks of 10 or more are still available...

I remember the "good old days", in the mid 80's or thereabouts, when I was elated after finally being one of the elite to be granted tickets. Back then, first timers could only go for the infield bleacher seats (long since replaced by those hideous mounds). After two or three years of writing a check and requesting tickets the day after the race and being rejected (they refunded the check several months later), I was approved to be one of the lucky ones. I HAVE MY OWN TICKETS! I think I bought 4 the first year and 8 for a couple years after that, always requesting an upgrade. As soon as I got my tickets, I would call a broker from the classified ads and bargain a bit with them for two vista seats. One year, I got two very good seats in turn 2 plus 50 bucks for my 8 bleacher seats Imagine that. The brokers still considered infield bleacher seats a money making investment.

My oh my, how times have changed...

[cart7]

I've seen some posts at TF from posters in cities like Chicago that are stating that they're seeing the ads in those cities to. I've also seen some other posts where ticket holders are getting major upgrades. This rarely ever used to happen as it was rare that those in good seats ever gave them up. It took us 6 years to get into J stand and we had the same seats for around 6 years more, in just a couple years, we've been upgraded twice in the last couple to very good seats in the double lettered rows. Alas, I'm officially through with the race and am not even going to renew let alone go this year.

Drats. :mad:

[DjDrOmusic]

WOW, just for the heck of it I checked the Paddock and the Tower and there are still seats available, Thanks for fixing things Tony! :shakehead

[Jervis Tetch 1]

Tony's vision is clear to me. He wanted to see how he could fluck a once great race.

[Spicoli]

It's bad, real bad.

Just take a look at CrackForum, and see how about half of them have thrown in the towel.

Also in Indy, you are seeing bilboards, magazine and newspaper ads, and radio and local TV ads as well.

Not a good sign.

[cart7]

What's never ceased to amaze me is the almost complete lack of civic pride the city of Indy has lost on IMS. Pole and bump weekends are probably costing the Speedway more money to open the gates rather than keep them closed. I mean, for $10, you can go in, sit anywhere you want, BBQ your own stuff, bring in your own coolers and yet no one shows up. You'd think the one thing that is most associated with Indy would be supported just to keep it from becoming the embarrasment that it's become... but it isn't. Amazing.


TG seems to have pretty much wizzed off everyone with the formation of his pathetic league. :shakehead

[Chief]

Here's how well the marketing campaign worked this AM on "Good Morning America":

- Diane Sawyer referred to DNFisher as the "first woman in NASCAR".

- Sarah mangled the declaration "what IndyCars is all about".

- "So fast, so amazing, you can run 'em upside down".

- She can't explain what driving 200MPH is about.

- "It's like a passenger plane taking off".

- EarL barely mentioned once, the 500 uttered maybe twice.

- The "double dumper" crapwagon never starts, never runs, even with rain tires.


Not only was the presentation horrible, but IMHO it clearly showed the broadcast partner doesn't GAF and them pimping DNF to the masses is a humongous failure. Charlie Gibson was more concerned with the angle at which the rain was falling than anything this PR stunt could bring forth. I came away thinking she doesn't know jack about her sport, not the technology or terminology and what an embarassment playing to the criticisms of the sport (in rather ignorant fashion as well).

[sundaydriver2]

I REALLY hope that this years race garners a sub 3.0 TV rating.

That would be hilarious!

:laugh:

[nrc]

- "It's like a passenger plane taking off".


Wow. Just, wow.

[pchall]

I REALLY hope that this years race garners a sub 3.0 TV rating.

That would be hilarious!

:laugh:


And effing sad as well.

[Spicoli]

What's never ceased to amaze me is the almost complete lack of civic pride the city of Indy has lost on IMS. Pole and bump weekends are probably costing the Speedway more money to open the gates rather than keep them closed. I mean, for $10, you can go in, sit anywhere you want, BBQ your own stuff, bring in your own coolers and yet no one shows up. You'd think the one thing that is most associated with Indy would be supported just to keep it from becoming the embarrasment that it's become... but it isn't. Amazing.


TG seems to have pretty much wizzed off everyone with the formation of his pathetic league. :shakehead

You are right and wrong.

While everyone will agree that idiotgrandbaby has all but killed the 500, the IMS defense is that they have created 2 more "thrilling and exciting" weekends of racing. And to keep the city fathers quiet, TG hands out pace cars and tickets like crazy. If you are a government employee, police, sherriff, fireman, EMT, retired Allison guy or just about anything else, you can find your way in for free if you want.

And if you are IDI (indianapolis downtown Inc.) or any hotelier or restaurant owner, you can't bitch either. - Again you now have 3 weekends of racing.

as much as you might think it is - this really isn't much of a racing town anymore (thanks to ****face Tony). Even though Channel 13 and IndyStar try to make it "important", it really isn't anymore. The Pacers in the playoffs (and best franchise record EVER) is a much biggger story. The Colts going for the Superbowl - bigger story still.

Anyway, go up to the average guy on monument circle and ask him to name 3 guys in the I500 field this year. I'll bet 10 bucks not 50% can even do it. NO ONE CARES.

Walk into a bar when EARL is racing (or champcar or F1 or anything but NASCAR) is on live, and 99% of the patrons could care less. Golf, BBall, Football, Hoops, hell even Heidi would out perform any EARL race. It's sad.

Oh, they care about the free Chevies, the free tickets, the raceday free parking, free booze in the suites at Carbday...etc.... But no one cares anymore -Im not sure even Trackforum really cares anymore. They say they do, but they don;t.

Thanks for fixing **** Tony. **** off and die you *******.

[RichK]

- Again you now have 3 weekends of racing.


Does that make up for what the full MONTH of May used to be?

[Madmaxfan2]

If you want a real indication where the 500 is at in the minds of convention & tourism types in Indianapolis, the latest Midwest Living magazine features tourist attractions in Indianapolis with no mention of the speedway, not even the museum. IMS is falling fast, but the minions who value thier jobs at 16th & Georgtown utter no negative news to the naked emperior.

[RobGuru]

I remember the "good old days", in the mid 80's or thereabouts, when I was elated after finally being one of the elite to be granted tickets. Back then, first timers could only go for the infield bleacher seats (long since replaced by those hideous mounds). After two or three years of writing a check and requesting tickets the day after the race and being rejected (they refunded the check several months later), I was approved to be one of the lucky ones. I HAVE MY OWN TICKETS! I think I bought 4 the first year and 8 for a couple years after that, always requesting an upgrade. As soon as I got my tickets, I would call a broker from the classified ads and bargain a bit with them for two vista seats. One year, I got two very good seats in turn 2 plus 50 bucks for my 8 bleacher seats Imagine that. The brokers still considered infield bleacher seats a money making investment.

Could one of the reasons why there's so many tix available be that the brokers finally gave up and didn't renew their supply this year, thus glutting the market?

[dando]

There have been constant ads on the local Cbus sports talk station for the past month. First time I can ever remember ads for the 500. I recall ads the past two years for the USGP. I can remember when getting a chance to catch the time trials was quite rare.

-Kevin

[Spicoli]

Could one of the reasons why there's so many tix available be that the brokers finally gave up and didn't renew their supply this year, thus glutting the market?

Absolutely.

[Lizzerd]

Could one of the reasons why there's so many tix available be that the brokers finally gave up and didn't renew their supply this year, thus glutting the market?

Perhaps, but in the time period I spoke of, ANY ticket could be SOLD to a broker for 2x face value. ANY ticket PURCHASED from a broker was 3x face value, minimum. Now, the best they can get is half face value on race day. For the good tickets. They won't even consider buying anything less than primo seats.
:)

[Lizzerd]

[dando]

Here's a thought...shouldn't IMS start requiring 500 tix be purchased w/BY 400 tix? :gomer:

;)

-Kevin

[Mike Kellner]

Yea, season ticket sales only. Indy, NASCAB & F1 in a bundle. Prices $400 - 1000 per. Season ticket holders only allowed in for practice, & Pole Day, and no more TV. Season Tickets for parking and hotel space as well. They are only in Indy parking and using hotel rooms because of IMS. Parking and hotel vendors should have to buy tickets from IMS to accomodate race fans, those are Tony's customers, he should get a cut.

Stop people from exporting value from Indy. No more free riders.

mk

[DaveL]

I remember the sites around Speedway, IN in 1995. If you had a cardboard sign with crayon writing advertising that you had 500 tickets available, people would have been lining up offering their first born to get their hands on tickets for the race.

Near as I can tell, tickets for the 500 now that Anton has fixed things are as hard to come by as upper deck seats for Montreal Expos games.

[cart7]

I remember the sites around Speedway, IN in 1995. If you had a cardboard sign with crayon writing advertising that you had 500 tickets available, people would have been lining up offering their first born to get their hands on tickets for the race.

Near as I can tell, tickets for the 500 now that Anton has fixed things are as hard to come by as upper deck seats for Montreal Expos games.

The scalpers, what few are left, are dying out there. Good seats for around face value. I guess it's all apart of that vision thing that we all just can't seem to grasp, understand nor embrace. :gomer:

[Madmaxfan2]

It is what happens when the vision is not based on the realities of economics and marketing, such as what IS YOUR FAN BASE. The vision did not work based on old USAC Gomer fans, and it is not working to attract neo-CART fans, a non existant fan base, and the real CART fans will gravitate to OWRS. Casual fans have changed to NASCAR. No matter how much they change the vision, there is no fan base for the IRL that currently exists.

[mueber]

It is what happens when the vision is not based on the realities of economics and marketing, such as what IS YOUR FAN BASE. The vision did not work based on old USAC Gomer fans, and it is not working to attract neo-CART fans, a non existant fan base, and the real CART fans will gravitate to OWRS. Casual fans have changed to NASCAR. No matter how much they change the vision, there is no fan base for the IRL that currently exists.

I don't care what happens in Indy or to the IRL, but this is great news for all of us.

The truth of the matter is that there is no fan base for open wheel as it currently exists. Gomerville has corrupted the values of the participants, sponsors and suppliers who should be good stewards of the sport but aren’t.

The deader Gomerville gets, the sooner open wheel can get well. That's just the way it is.

[racer2c]

The race has lost it's luster because the racing sucks.
So what's the cause of this lack of interest? A bunch of the old CART boys are there, that can't be it. A bunch of old CART owners are there, that can't be it either. Old CART engine makers are there, couldn't possibly be that. So why the lack of interest? The racing sucks, that's why. We don't call them crapwagons for nothin'.

Bump day is non existent because Tony's vision has alienated the very teams that originally believed in him.

IROC Avengers were the first stock cars to ever turn a lap at Indy and I remember like it was yesterday saying out loud "there goes the neighborhood".

The bigger NASCAR gets, the less important a diminished 500 becomes.

It is a very telling sign when Tony has to put billboards up in Indy reminding people of the 500. I wonder how that moron can sleep at night, but then, ignorance is bliss they say.

[bdogg187]

It is a very telling sign when Tony has to put billboards up in Indy reminding people of the 500. I wonder how that moron can sleep at night, but then, ignorance is bliss they say.

I think Tony is well shielded from reality. People just tell him that everything is OK. Just like Saddam, no one will tell him the truth that he royally F'ed things up and that people hate him.

[eiregosod]

The race has lost it's luster because the racing sucks.
So what's the cause of this lack of interest? A bunch of the old CART boys are there, that can't be it. A bunch of old CART owners are there, that can't be it either. Old CART engine makers are there, couldn't possibly be that. So why the lack of interest? The racing sucks, that's why. We don't call them crapwagons for nothin'.

Bump day is non existent because Tony's vision has alienated the very teams that originally believed in him.

IROC Avengers were the first stock cars to ever turn a lap at Indy and I remember like it was yesterday saying out loud "there goes the neighborhood".

The bigger NASCAR gets, the less important a diminished 500 becomes.

It is a very telling sign when Tony has to put billboards up in Indy reminding people of the 500. I wonder how that moron can sleep at night, but then, ignorance is bliss they say.

I was gonna say, that the best advertisment is the racing, but that doesnt even cut any mustard!

[Jervis Tetch 1]

I think Tony is well shielded from reality. People just tell him that everything is OK. Just like Saddam, no one will tell him the truth that he royally F'ed things up and that people hate him.Well, when you have the Minister of Propaganda behind you (Fraud Nation) and other lackies as well (I*L and IMS propaganda machine), it's easy to digest the lies and innuendo.

[Railbird]

TG is well and truely isolated from reailty, but that's mainly his doing. The guy not only just hires yes-men, he's built a few of his very own.

You want loyalty? Buy your favorite car wash lackey a college education and give him a job "handling affairs".

"Yes sir Tony, Sarah and the two seater were a big hit today"

On the ticket sale front, the scalpers smart enough to claim the name are still making a few bucks by buying for 25 cents on the dollar and selling at 50 cents on the dollar.

But one thing that jumps out at me is the apparent easy upgrades I am seeing people talk about. Like others here, I easily remember ticket packages in wills and divorce settlements and folks renewing crappy seats every year just hoping to get moved to a stand where you could actually see something.

On the hotel/restaraunt front the locals not only have no reason to complain with having three weekends rather than one and a half per year, they seem to enjoy jacking up their rates much to the consternation of IMS. Of course, if truth be known, the Brickyard Crossing increases their rates threefold on those weekends.

But that's different, right?

I know a lot of the folks here at OC never saw Indy in the same light as I have, but trust me here racefans, this deal is painful to some of us who grew up "in the shadow".

Wasn't too long ago that I would be pumped up getting my scanner and stop watch ready to burn up a week of vacation. This year I'm planning on taking in "fast friday" just because my kid and a few good friends are going to get together for a day of partying rain or shine. Other than that it will be heading over after work if it's a sunny day and I don't have anything thing else to do.

Used to be an ordeal just getting to the track on raceday, half hour drive to park and walk for fourty five minutes, now it takes about fifteen minutes to get to a spot within beercan tossing distance.

Thanks TG

[Madmaxfan2]

TG is well and truely isolated from reailty, but that's mainly his doing. The guy not only just hires yes-men, he's built a few of his very own.

You want loyalty? Buy your favorite car wash lackey a college education and give him a job "handling affairs".

"Yes sir Tony, Sarah and the two seater were a big hit today"

On the ticket sale front, the scalpers smart enough to claim the name are still making a few bucks by buying for 25 cents on the dollar and selling at 50 cents on the dollar.

But one thing that jumps out at me is the apparent easy upgrades I am seeing people talk about. Like others here, I easily remember ticket packages in wills and divorce settlements and folks renewing crappy seats every year just hoping to get moved to a stand where you could actually see something.

On the hotel/restaraunt front the locals not only have no reason to complain with having three weekends rather than one and a half per year, they seem to enjoy jacking up their rates much to the consternation of IMS. Of course, if truth be known, the Brickyard Crossing increases their rates threefold on those weekends.

But that's different, right?

I know a lot of the folks here at OC never saw Indy in the same light as I have, but trust me here racefans, this deal is painful to some of us who grew up "in the shadow".

Wasn't too long ago that I would be pumped up getting my scanner and stop watch ready to burn up a week of vacation. This year I'm planning on taking in "fast friday" just because my kid and a few good friends are going to get together for a day of partying rain or shine. Other than that it will be heading over after work if it's a sunny day and I don't have anything thing else to do.

Used to be an ordeal just getting to the track on raceday, half hour drive to park and walk for fourty five minutes, now it takes about fifteen minutes to get to a spot within beercan tossing distance.

Thanks TG


I used to look forward to the month of May, even though I am a road racing fan. Because of that outlook, I knew the old guard USAC gomers did not care for road racing and made no secret about that fact. Therefore when TG annouced his "IRL" vision, I knew it was bad news. History has confirmed my fears.

[Napoleon]

The deader Gomerville gets, the sooner open wheel can get well. That's just the way it is.

Totally agree. IMS was the worst thing ever to happen to formula car racing in the US.

[cart7]

This is interesting. There are at least 3 or 4 threads going on over at TF as we speak that sound exactly like this one. Even the lemmings are starting to see the edge of the cliff and are starting to question taking another foot forward.

How do you take the greatest spectacle in racing, a perenial sell-out and drive it into the ground in less than 10 years? Put a 3rd gen. grandchild incharge who's biggest claim to previous fame was an addiction to a controlled substance. Thanks Tony. :saywhat: :mad:

[FTG]

Robin Miller quoting someone as saying "Now we will see if this place is bulletproof" the day TG took over.

Bad managment can screw up anything, no matter how successful.

[Spicoli]

Great post rail.

Sad but true.

You can;t give tickets away anymore.

[Wabbit]

Guys, guys, guys, you're fogetting something.

It's all about the version.

In Tony's current version, it isn't the QUANTITY of fans at the Indy 500, it's the QUALITY of fans at the Indy 500.

BTW, what was the last version number? I haven't received an update since 10.4.2.

[dando]

It's all about the version.

In Tony's current version, it isn't the QUANTITY of fans at the Indy 500, it's the QUALITY of fans at the Indy 500.

And don't forget that attendance is just a number....

-Kevin