Everywhere Enforcer

[Kingair]

Now the V8 young guns might have gone off on holidays, but the fiesty old pensioner of the category is certainly working the media side of things big time.

Numerous newspaper articles on his retirement at the end of the 2013 season, his hopes for a more even playing field with the COTF, his title hopes for 2013 and even a radio interview including how he waxes !

It got me wondering whether he will be in this weeks New Idea discussing his Christmas lunch menu, delivering the Queens message, perhaps visiting the troops in Afghanistan, helping out at the local childrens hospital, feeding the orphan children etc.

2013 may be the year of the enforcer!

[Driver TBA]

I've said for years, when it comes to looking after sponsors Ingall is without peer. Lowndes might be the fan favorite, but old Russ seems to go above and beyond for his sponsors. Have a look when he has changed teams, manufacturers and sponsors, goes out of his way to try and make sure he doesn't burn bridges.

Lowndes has been on the idiot box of late. Flogging off Cresent tools and the Betta Electrcial / Vodafone Ford Scalextric sets.
Yet the reining 4 time Bathurst and V8 champ is no where to be seen...

[ford71]

Maybe there is no market for a Jamie Whincup 5-piece Manicure Set?



I'm gonna miss Ingall when he exits stage left.
His interviews on race day aren't full of the same standard lines and while he sometimes struggles to get his point across he's never been afraid to say whats on his mind.

I was not surprised when he left SBR to head back to the redside.
Its nice to know that he was there to win his Championship even if there were mumblings of a consistency win rather than numerous outright race wins.
He made up for that with his burnout while being outside the car

I hope he can challenge in COTF, would not be upset to see him take a win before leaving V8SC. Good luck Russ

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by Driver TBA

Lowndes has been on the idiot box of late. Flogging off Cresent tools and the Betta Electrcial / Vodafone Ford Scalextric sets.
Yet the reining 4 time Bathurst and V8 champ is no where to be seen...

It is interesting that someone who's acheived so much has such little presence amongst wider public. It would be interesting to know why?

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

It is interesting that someone who's acheived so much has such little presence amongst wider public. It would be interesting to know why?

Somewhere in the archives of a marketing group there would be some focus group results that show that he just doesn't click with the market segments most important to the sponsors. Vodaphone have very rarely used him.
Haven't been around that sector for years but it would be very interesting to see focus group ratings on the to V8SC drivers. Would guess from a marketing point of view it would be an interesting excersise between Lowndes, Ingall and Courtney.
Be interesting to see what the Red Bull marketing crew do with Winchup next year to give him some sort of with it image. At present paint him biege.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by Oldtony

Somewhere in the archives of a marketing group there would be some focus group results that show that he just doesn't click with the market segments most important to the sponsors. Vodaphone have very rarely used him.
Haven't been around that sector for years but it would be very interesting to see focus group ratings on the to V8SC drivers. Would guess from a marketing point of view it would be an interesting excersise between Lowndes, Ingall and Courtney.
Be interesting to see what the Red Bull marketing crew do with Winchup next year to give him some sort of with it image. At present paint him biege.

IMO. Craig appeals to fans who remember him from the early HRT years. I fail to see how a driver can still hold as much credibilty he has despite not getting the better of Whincup for six straight years. Six! Ingall appeals mainly to the bogan fans. Courtney appeals most to mainstream media, who think he is the perfect image to appeal to non fans. Most people who saw him on DWTS probably thought "Who's he?"

Red Bull giving Whincup an image, any image, would be living death for him, I think. Jesus! Having to be dictated to by Red Bull? Nasty.

[HProject]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

IMO. Craig appeals to fans who remember him from the early HRT years. I fail to see how a driver can still hold as much credibilty he has despite not getting the better of Whincup for six straight years.

My dad was a bit of a Lowndes cynic for a long period (ten years or so), until he saw him at Bathurst in 2010.

We were walking the pit-lane, taking pics, getting signatures, as you do. Then we spotted a crowd of 100 or so people crowding around the T8 trucks. There in the middle is Lowndes, signing everyones bits and pieces. We kept walking and looking around. About an hour later we double back to find Lowndes still signing things. It wasn't an official signing team signing session, it was just CL by himself. Smiling and chatting to as many people as possible. My dad couldn't get over it.

That's why he's so popular. He's the only driver in the field that will do that. People see him as the modern Brock equivalent.

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

Red Bull giving Whincup an image, any image, would be living death for him, I think. Jesus! Having to be dictated to by Red Bull? Nasty.

He who pays the bill calls the tune!

Seriously though focus group and Competition success have very little to do with how effective a sportsman/woman is in marketing. Craig will always be the better salesman because of his smile. He is seen as warm and friendly. And he can talk to a script. So can Ingall and Courtney.

The thing that V8SC is suffering from at present is the lack of profile of the top players. A Moffat and D Johnson have higher profiles than most of the current crop.
Where is the scripting, directing and production tallent that produced some of the Bazza and DJ ads. or the dedicated marketing effort of P Brock?

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by HProject

My dad was a bit of a Lowndes cynic for a long period (ten years or so), until he saw him at Bathurst in 2010.

We were walking the pit-lane, taking pics, getting signatures, as you do. Then we spotted a crowd of 100 or so people crowding around the T8 trucks. There in the middle is Lowndes, signing everyones bits and pieces. We kept walking and looking around. About an hour later we double back to find Lowndes still signing things. It wasn't an official signing team signing session, it was just CL by himself. Smiling and chatting to as many people as possible. My dad couldn't get over it.

That's why he's so popular. He's the only driver in the field that will do that. People see him as the modern Brock equivalent.

Your post is something I don't consider, since I don't go to V8 races. I agree with the modern day Brock analogy.

Originally Posted by Oldtony

The thing that V8SC is suffering from at present is the lack of profile of the top players. A Moffat and D Johnson have higher profiles than most of the current crop.

This is something I've thought about before. I wonder if the fact that Australia has become a smaller place since the 70/80s has something to do with it? I wonder how much the footy codes benefit form this? Back in those days AFL was well and truly followed in footy states, league in league states, there was a distinct separation of sporting cultures. The ATCC then, despite not having the wave of marketing and attempts at getting publicity V8sc has, was actually a genuine national comp, the only one I can think of off the top of my head. As a result, while the ATCC wasn't as popular as footy in Vic, it was way more popular in NSW than what footy was. I can't say similar nowdays, I don't know for sure. Also, I think the Ford/Holden rivalry was genuine in those days. Being a ford/holden man was part of your image, wasn't it?

Originally Posted by Oldtony

Where is the scripting, directing and production tallent that produced some of the Bazza and DJ ads. or the dedicated marketing effort of P Brock?

Was there actually a dedicated marketing effort? Unless winning Bathurst 6 out of 7 years in the country's biggest selling cars was the marketing strategy?

[Oldtony]

Winning mulitple Bathursts was important to motor race fans, but the core of the P.Brock marketing campaign was exactly what was described in reference to C Lowndes in this post.
That was more important to his market value than the wins.
Ask at a focus group who would buy from P.Brock or C.Lowndes or J.Winchup or M.Skaife or whoever and the number of Championships is irrelevant.
The importance is the impression, the perception, the sizzle not the steak.

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by HProject

People see him as the modern Brock equivalent.

Remember he grew up around the HDT in it's heyday as a kid and spent a lot of time around Brock.

Plus in my indirect dealings with him he is actually a nice guy and he does spend a lot of time with the fans at events.

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by Oldtony

the sizzle not the steak.

[mayhem]

Without having much to add, can I just say how well thought out and interesting this thread is, without vitriole and bias everyone here has made some great points. Merry Xmas.

[Darcia1]

Im very suprised that Jamie hasnt been pushed by the sponsors and the team to raise his profile though, i do think there is a focus group that says the majority of fans dont warm to him . As a marketing force Lowndes was always the Brock protege and was taught from an early age how to treat the fans and to present himself to the media and general public.

[Buckshot]

Originally Posted by mayhem

Without having much to add, can I just say how well thought out and interesting this thread is, without vitriole and bias everyone here has made some great points. Merry Xmas.

I'll try and get my point across without ruining the lucky run of this thread but a lot of people just don't seem to like Whincup, myself included. I absolutely can't stand him but I couldn't constructively tell you why. At first one could think it's just the tall poppy thing so people are hating on Whincup and Roland Dane / 888 but I couldn't see Lowndes attracting the same levels of hate if he was getting all the results instead of Whincup.

Back to the original point of the thread, Mr Ingall. It's so refreshing to see someone who speaks their mind and just doesn't dribble the usual sporting corporate sponsor line clichés when he's on camera. I'm really going to miss him after 2013 - hopefully he can get some sort of gig on camera with V8 Supercar because after he is gone there's going to be a huge personality vacuum with Lowndes the only one left.

[mayhem]

Funnily enough, I agree, I can't put my finger on why I don't like him except to say I find him a tad smug and arrogant, but then with that talent and those results, he's probably entitled to be....
Ingall on the other hand is a champion, I don't care if he drives Ford/Holden, I always like to see him go well. From my brief experiences with him over the years I've always found him to be up for a chat and usually a laugh. Dave Reynolds is the only one from the new brigade I've found to be of similar make up....

[Buckshot]

Originally Posted by mayhem

Dave Reynolds is the only one from the new brigade I've found to be of similar make up....

Yeah agree, he seems a little awkward on camera at the moment but once he gets more used to it I expect some gems from him.