Jesse Abbate a free agent

[XRe]

For most of these companies, the IPSC/USPSA marketplace is a teeny tiny sliver of their whole market. Anyone who is employed by them solely as a marketing device to this market is not generating a significant portion of their sales across the board, even if they have some influence on this marketplace.

Most folks who have a salaried type of sponsorship seem to perform other duties for their sponsoring company other than just shoot for them.

That said, the IPSC/USPSA marketplace is still fairly lucrative, and there's a lot of money to be made in it - and sponsorships do create some marketing buzz, especially if the sponsored shooters are chosen wisely. Anyone half way intelligent with their business isn't going to enter the losing side of a deal like that, so if they feel having some person's name attached to their product will return a greater marketing value than their cost to be able to attach said person's name, they'll probably do it - and they'll stop doing it when it stops working for them. So, whether or not you can show it in hard numbers directly related to the sponsored shooter, these companies obviously feel they are deriving a benefit equal to or exceeding their support for their sponsored shooters. That should say enough about the whole thing to suffice, I'd think....

[steel1212]

How many of the "sponsored shooters" out there do NOT work for their respective gun manufacturer? thats a question to ponder. I would be willing to guess most of them work for the company and thus shoot on their factory shooting team.

When your a sponsored shooter you are working for who sponsors you one way or another. You might not get a paycheck from them but you are a marketing tool for them and hopefully your are getting kick backs for doing so.

[XRe]

How many of the "sponsored shooters" out there do NOT work for their respective gun manufacturer?

Define "sponsored shooter"... I'm a sponsored shooter, but I don't work for Brazos Custom Gunworks. Chris Tilley is a sponsored shooter, but (unless his situation has changed) he doesn't work for SV. There are a number of folks who are sponsored, with varying degrees/levels of sponsorship, who don't work for their sponsor directly... AFAIK, Todd didn't work directly for Para, either.

I would say that it's more rare for a person to work for their sponsor, actually - though in the case of those who have a salaried position, that would probably be the common scenario...

[bbbean]

I really should wade out of this, but my psych/marketing/pr background won't let me. Maybe I'm suffering from "Male Answer Syndrome."

The thinking isn't that John Newbie is going to walk into a gun store, see a Rob Leatham poster and go up to the counter to buy a gun "just like his!" While that does happen to a certain degree, the benefit of a Leatham, Abbate, Miculek, etc. is more subtle. The guys who write for gun mags, shoot for the shooting shows, and produce the shooting podcasts pay attention to the name shooters and what they shoot. The distributors who are always looking for an angle to sell their gun are eager to tout the fact that someone just won a match with their gun or with the latest model. The gun nut in your family who spends every waking moment shooting, thinking about shooting, reading about shooting, or talking about shooting knows who the champs are are and what they shoot. The clerks at the local gun shop or range are eager to point out that "this is the gun that won the world title". A few champion shooters who coincidentally conduct high profile LEO, security, and military training sessions earn the brand some extra credibility when it comes time to buy new guns for the department or for individual officers.

So when John Newbie is thinking about getting a gun, who's he going to ask? Where's he going to look? He may not base his buying decision based solely on the fact that some shooter won 3 titles last year shooting the newest Brand X gun, but I'll be you a box of primers that several of the people, writers, bloggers, podcasters, cops, instructors, or salesmen who do influence his decision are aware of that fact and it influenced their opinion of the gun.

Is it worth 5K-150K/yr for a gun company to sponsor a shooter? It is in my opinion. But if your looking for a direct correlation to some multiple of that in sales you're going to have to do some pretty serious MANOVA, and I'm not sure it can be done.

[Corey]

valid points. i would agree that the idea of a sponsored shooter is more of marketing to get the name out, vs strictly selling guns. When you see a shooter perform well and you see their logos on the shirts, it makes you want to check out the companies. you want to be like the winners and maybe new gear will help you....at least thats the marketing behind it.

[kgunz11]

I'd venture a wager that Dave Sevigny's success shooting a Glock has provided a significant amount of sales for them. If he can be the dominating factor for so long in IDPA and USPSA that has to speak volumes to a lot of people. I know it does to me. I've often used his accomplishments to validate the Glock handguns to potential customers. Now could he do the same with most any other handgun? Probably so, but the fact is he is doing it with a Glock.

[Wild Gene]

Interesting!

Whatever she does, she will succede at. I wish her luck, and admittedly sent Billy an offer to have her shoot on team "Wild Gene".

I think the most interesting part of the conversation is what "team shooters" do for their sponsors. I think as much as anything, they reaffirm a purchase of a product, in addition to more sales. People look at someone like Jessie shooting a particular weapon and say "hey, I can do that with mine too", or "that looks like fun, what is she shooting?".

People like Jessie have both ability AND personality. She is also able to bring in a Hugh potential market for anyone, female shooters.

She will be a great catch for any manufacturer or builder she shoots for, if she chooses to continue shooting in her current capacity.

I think it will REALLY be interesting to see how she does when she is no longer handicapped by the Glock (It's a JOKE).

Good Luck Jessie!

WG

[BritinUSA]

...and she's on the front cover of this months Front Sight magazine

They have a couple of my photos in there from Nationals...

Edited April 24, 2010 by BritinUSA

[JeffWard]

I feel bad for her... but if times are tough, she can stay at my place!!!

Wait... Married? What?

Never mind....

Damn.

Jeff

[Supermoto]

I'd venture a wager that Dave Sevigny's success shooting a Glock has provided a significant amount of sales for them. If he can be the dominating factor for so long in IDPA and USPSA that has to speak volumes to a lot of people. I know it does to me. I've often used his accomplishments to validate the Glock handguns to potential customers. Now could he do the same with most any other handgun? Probably so, but the fact is he is doing it with a Glock.

I would wager movies and rap videos have sold more Glocks than Dave. Similar to Lethal weapon selling a ton of Berretas

[mdschappell]

Keep in mind that Jesse is not just a pistol shooter, but a three gunner and a vry successful cowboy action shooter as well. Take a look around, FNH has recently been advertising that they are a company that produces a pistol, rifle, and shotgun for three gun competition. Furthermore, Cowboy Action has a MUCH larger following than action pistol, with Ruger supplying a lot of the guns for that sport.

Her options are wide open because she has been successful in many different shooting sports, and I wouldn't be suprised to see her get picked up by a company that you woudn't expect.

If I were Ruger, I would be looking to make an offer. They could get great marketing mileage in cowboy, practical pistol, and three gun....

[JimmyZip]

Keep in mind that Jesse is not just a pistol shooter, but a three gunner and a vry successful cowboy action shooter as well. Take a look around, FNH has recently been advertising that they are a company that produces a pistol, rifle, and shotgun for three gun competition. Furthermore, Cowboy Action has a MUCH larger following than action pistol, with Ruger supplying a lot of the guns for that sport.

Her options are wide open because she has been successful in many different shooting sports, and I wouldn't be suprised to see her get picked up by a company that you woudn't expect.

If I were Ruger, I would be looking to make an offer. They could get great marketing mileage in cowboy, practical pistol, and three gun....

Good angle and one of the reasons I find her just awesome as a shooter. She can handle multiple platforms at world-class performance levels. That is just really unique in our sport. I know there are some great three gunners, and cowboy shooters out there, but she is really good on many levels and that is the thing that makes me wonder where she will land. I'm not obsessing, but I am curious about it.

JZ

[Wild Gene]

Just got off the phone with Billy. I am sorry to say Jessie will not be shooting for Team "Wild Gene" this year. Other than that, I know nothing, and would never ask, nor would I want to know. It will be public when it is time.

WG

[rgkeller]

Team Glock shooters are not permitted by Glock to accept any other sponsorships.

JA will make more sponsorship money with her new freedom to accept multiple relationships.

[grayguns]

I guess NCIS has sold more Sigs than Bruce Grey has so maybe the ones who suggest professionals shooters don't really sell that many guns have a point.

I got a good laugh out of this one, thank you! It's spelled "Gray" BTW. I'm a Scotsman, not English, and by God it matters.

I can't speak to what NICS the TV show sells, as Beki and I don't own a TV. I can't comment on what anyone actually carries.

IN all fairness to myself, I believe that through my efforts I helped develop the market for the P-series SIG in competition that has had some wider resonance in upscale service pistol sales, if the many hundreds of SIG's GGI will work on this year are any indication. Beyond that, however, there's great truth in your post.

I agree that the marketing utility of sponsored factory shooters is pretty limited to the active practitioners of our sport and the folks who make purchasing decisions based on our competitive experiences, which are likely to be practical shooting fans and self-styled pistoleers, if not active and organized competitors. The old model developed by the gun media a while back probably still holds: for every active USPSA / IDPA / Steel Challenge shooter, another 50 or more shooters will buy similar equipment, do similar training and otherwise shadow the mainstream sport in some less formal manner, while following these trends in the gun media. For them, names like Leatham, Goloski-Golob and Sevigny may have considerable gravity. Outside that group, it's hard to say but my 37 years of personal experience give me doubts.

There are many reasons for this general situation, but chief among them in my opinion are these two propositions: First, our sport has little mass appeal and media recognition outside of our own industry. We've been fighting that uphill battle since I started in "combat shooting" in the mid-70's, and we are still struggling to gain a wider general audience for our discipline.

Beyond that unfortunate reality, I believe our industry's marketing is fragmented and compartmentalized within itself. The black powder shooters, archery hunters and trap shooters don't hear about us, nor do we particularly care about the personalities at the top of other disciplines. That leaves each discipline pretty much preaching to their own choir, so to speak, whilst having to work within the small budgets that these narrow lanes of shooter interest afford.

For my part, It's true that I was arguably the worst competitor who actually made a living by pulling a trigger in IPSC at various times in my long shooting career. What that really meant was that I drove a dented '73 Chrysler and ate a LOT of Top Ramen back in the day. Ah, if only I had heeded my Mom's advice and become a male model, I could have been somebody...but seriously, I have nothing but great memories and an enduring love for the sport that will live long after I am gone. I wouldn't take back anything...except that cracked sear spring on the last stage that cost me the '81 Nationals, perhaps.

That brings us to what sponsored shooters really can do to benefit a gunmaker. Ideally, it's less about direct sales pull and more about product development, training, credibility, and that biggest intangible of all: the value of supporting the shooting sports as an end to itself.

Companies which only see their shooters as championship machines might be missing the boat. They have people who fire more rounds from their product than any other living humans at their disposal; as no product is perfect, the smart outfits learn from that invaluable experience.

-Bruce

Grayguns Inc.

Edited May 6, 2010 by grayguns

[Duane Thomas]

Great post, Bruce.

BTW, I disagree that anyone who, right up til the end of his career, could pick up an HK and post in the Top 10 at a USPSA Nationals any time he felt like it counts as "the worst shooter, etc., etc."

Modesty, thy name is Gray.

[chemepharmd]

That brings us to what sponsored shooters really can do to benefit a gunmaker. Ideally, it's less about direct sales pull and more about product development, training, credibility, and that biggest intangible of all: the value of supporting the shooting sports as an end to itself.

Good post, and I really like this particular statement.

[lugnut]

That brings us to what sponsored shooters really can do to benefit a gunmaker. Ideally, it's less about direct sales pull and more about product development, training, credibility, and that biggest intangible of all: the value of supporting the shooting sports as an end to itself.

Bruce- your were one of my first shooting instructors up at the Sig Academy several years ago. You left an impression on me that will last a lifetime. You are one of the best- and not just for your shooting/training ability but for the great demeanor and personality you bring to the sport. We need more like you.

Edited May 6, 2010 by lugnut

[John Heiter]

I like that phrase too. "and more about product development, training, credibility". I'm not going to go buy a Sig to compete with just because Max Michel can make his dance. He would be competitive with a rock and a box of matches. What he likely will do is convince Sig to make subtle design modifications to make their guns even more competitive and those changes might make me look at one. I already own an XDm so why not. `