If you were offered sponsorship...

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voodoo_simon
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If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by voodoo_simon »

Would you take it?

Say the conditions would be something like a year contract, they’ll pay your current wage and provide bike and kit. In return, you’d have to hash tag your pictures on Twitter and Instagram all the time and do a quarterly expedition/ultra-distance trip away from home?
ScotRoutes
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by ScotRoutes »

Dare I say it would depend on who was offering? I guess it's a job, just like any other. Viewed in that light, it would need to be a company I wanted to work for. I can think of a few I'd turn down on the spot.
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whitestone
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by whitestone »

I don't think there'd be many companies offering a salary on those terms. Bike and kit maybe. I know of one or two very good riders who happen to be employed by bike companies and get supplied kit but they've a traditional job within the business so the brand exposure is just when they race.

For me it would take away the fun of doing things so no.
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PaulB2
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by PaulB2 »

If I was twenty years younger and didn't have a wife and kids then getting paid to ride a bike and go on paid for trips in return for regular, suitably hashtagged pictures sounds good. Yes, there's a danger that making it your job could take the spontaneity out of things and the pressure of having to ride day in, day out could suck some of the fun out but it's only a year. At the end of that year if you're not enjoying it you can walk away with the memories that you got paid to doss around on a bike for an entire year with financial security.
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voodoo_simon
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by voodoo_simon »

No, I can’t see many companies that would offer those terms but just a hypothetical question Bob.

You can pick the company Scotroutes
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Bearlegged
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by Bearlegged »

Any companies out there reading this, please get in touch. :-bd
Rasta
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by Rasta »

ScotRoutes wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 10:54 am I can think of a few I'd turn down on the spot.
I wouldn't mind hearing who and why - that would make an interesting topic.
redefined_cycles
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by redefined_cycles »

Yes... as long as it wasn't an ethically challenged brand with poor employment ethics etc etc
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benp1
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by benp1 »

For the right bike and kit I'd do it, but I'm not the right person as I'm on twitter but don't tweet and not currently on instagram or facebook. I'd join instagram but not fussed about facebook

But it would give me a good excuse to get out and about. In reality I also have no time so it's unlikely to happen
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Sponsorship is something of a weird one in this day and age. There's an awful lot of people falling over themselves to put hashtag after hashtag on anything and everything they post. Companies really no longer need to offer anything greater than a couple of stickers and a half eaten Mars bar in return. I think the rise in 'brand ambassadors' and 'influencers' is a result of peoples desire to be recognised, which for many would appear to be payment enough.

However, it's very much a double edged sword and I hear quite a few stories of people contacting companies asking for things much greater than a Mars bar. Many don't appear to be doing anything 'special' yet they consider themselves to somewhat 'special' and seem to hold a belief that a few pictures on instagram or an unread blog post is fair trade for a new bike.

Companies require a tangible return. As a rider, being in a position to produce that return is a long process. Firstly, you need to be a recognisable 'face', known amongst your peers - which in itself could take years. You need to be articulate and have thick skin. You also need a willingness to put in 110% effort knowing that only 20% will actually lead to anything worthwhile. Also, let's remember that you need to 'tow the company line' even if that goes against your own beliefs or ideas.

What's worth more - freedom or a new tyre? :wink:
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redefined_cycles
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by redefined_cycles »

^ Freedom
Lazarus
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by Lazarus »

I guarantee one one is on his list but heck i would even take a year of them saying Brant was brilliant, our customer service is the best and we design all our own products and dont copy or just take them directly from catalogues
Just realised I have to ride their bikes for a year and use their kit ...ok I am wavering now.

I assume we all understand being sponsored means being paid by but i would much prefer a brand i admired or respected but a year cycling anything you wanted to hell yes I would pick that.

I would also need to be a lot younger with no kids and mortgage to worry about
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dlovett
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by dlovett »

The number of people that contact me at work after sponsorship is crazy these days. 99% of them are wasting our time and of the 1% that might be slightly interesting, 99% of them seem to think that they are worth a small fortune.

One example recently had just over a 1000 followers on twitter and insta, yet wanted £500 per post. How he made us all laugh.

Basically if you are ever offered sponsorship, it’s certainly worth taking if they only want a few posts and the did trip. Can’t believe anybody would offer that unless you are a serious gold medal hope or equivalent.
Last edited by dlovett on Thu Aug 08, 2019 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
BobCatMax
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by BobCatMax »

if you don't mind me asking, who do you work for?
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jameso
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by jameso »

Would you take it?

Say the conditions would be something like a year contract, they’ll pay your current wage and provide bike and kit. In return, you’d have to hash tag your pictures on Twitter and Instagram all the time and do a quarterly expedition/ultra-distance trip away from home?
OK you said Ultra-, unfollowed before you began :wink:

A full wage to ride? Commitments aside, you'd be bonkers not to imo. I would, unless they made product I didn't want to ride - my riding is too important to be using bad kit. Working in the industry or making something your income kills it for some people but others can keep a balance OK. Not selling your soul to become a shallow brand shill is another matter. That comes from good understanding and credibility.
The number of people that contact me at work after sponsorship is crazy these days. 99% of them are wasting our time and of the 1% that might be slightly interesting, 99% of them seem to think that they are worth a small fortune.
Yes ... the number of riders I'd sponsor if it were my call is small. I see a lot of 'influencer' types getting stuff based on very little substance. It's getting harder to get supported I think, beyond some free kit that is. You need to have something to say and communicate well, visually or in writing. Rare skill imo.
jameso
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by jameso »

I don't think there'd be many companies offering a salary on those terms
There are a few - you'd need to get a main sponsor and a few side-liners but it could be done. Assuming you had the talent that is. Hypothetically I could think of a couple of riders who I'd pay a basic wage if I had a bike company that could support it. In terms of trad print ad costs or money paid to google I think it's more appealing. But in reality I wouldn't as I'd manage that company in a way that I could do my own trips, testing and reporting ... I would pay for someone with the ability to present it well though. So a purely sponsored rider, maybe not. An employee with riding, photography and some other useful skills - hired including 2 months holiday on the basis that 1 of them is a product trip. Hypothetically :grin:
ScotRoutes
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by ScotRoutes »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:38 am I think the rise in 'brand ambassadors' and 'influencers' is a result of peoples desire to be recognised, which for many would appear to be payment enough.
Blogger Blaggers they're called. Tourism industry is currently over-run with them.
"Hey, will you give me a hire bike and luggage for two weeks touring around Scotland if I mention in my blog"

Only marginally worse than "I'm riding LEJOG for charity, will you provide a free seat in your taxi back to Inverness?". Aye chum - you and a couple of thousand others :roll:
Fat tyre kicker
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by Fat tyre kicker »

redefined_cycles wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:15 am Yes... as long as it wasn't an ethically challenged brand with poor employment ethics etc etc
That wouldn't be a dig at a certain Uk based company would it ? As in No one ? :-bd
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In Reverse
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by In Reverse »

I'd bite their hand off.

I enjoy riding a bike inifinitely more than I enjoy sitting at a desk pretending to be a civil engineer so it's an total no-brainer. I would have no qualms whatsoever about being a corporate whore should I be given the opportunity.
Bearbonesnorm wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:38 am Companies really no longer need to offer anything greater than a couple of stickers
Now who do we know who gives out stickers? :lol:

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redefined_cycles
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by redefined_cycles »

:lol: nah... wasn't. But I dont think I'd accept a cheque of my salary to be the face on OnOne... I just thought of a namw for their next bike as it so happebs... One thats they've not yet used... OnOne W*ore.

It'd be a fully susser with 170mm suspension front and 150mm rear. Fst tyred itd be
Fat tyre kicker wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 3:53 pm
redefined_cycles wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:15 am Yes... as long as it wasn't an ethically challenged brand with poor employment ethics etc etc
That wouldn't be a dig at a certain Uk based company would it ? As in No one ? :-bd
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Now who do we know who gives out stickers? :lol:
Yeah but I'm finishing the Mars bar myself :wink:

You do make a good point though, I'd hate to be responsible for dragging any of you into a life of whoring ... no matter how much you might like it but then again, that'd make me 'Pimp Daddy'.
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middleagedmadness
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by middleagedmadness »

Not for me , not even remotely a poster boy except for maybe a prime candidate for alcoholics anonymous ,and I actually enjoy my job as much as riding my bike ,never have 2 days the same there's always something I've not come across before and the products advance ever year ,plus I only work 5 months of the year and I have trouble putting down my experiences in writing my grasp of the English language is blunt to say the least
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benp1
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by benp1 »

middleagedmadness wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 5:26 pm plus I only work 5 months of the year
Seriously?!

#impressed
middleagedmadness
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by middleagedmadness »

benp1 wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 6:24 pm
middleagedmadness wrote: Wed Aug 07, 2019 5:26 pm plus I only work 5 months of the year
Seriously?!

#impressed
4 on 4 off Ben and 6 weeks holdays could be less if I used my sick pay :lol:
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fatbikephil
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Re: If you were offered sponsorship...

Post by fatbikephil »

If Jeff Jones offered me a free Ti plus spaceframeset, hell yeah, where do I sign up? He wouldn't even need to pay me. However I can't see a middle aged balding bloke being much of an inspiration for others to buy his bike so this is a pipe dream.....
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