"main Stream" Sponsors For Shooting

[iweiny]

Sure glad I bought a Coke today for lunch!

From the 2005 IDPA nationals match thread.

The sponsors listed in the match book available for download on idpa.com are:

Our generous sponsors

...

Patron

...

Coca-Cola 501-569-2729

...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is one thing I really feel passionatly about... Getting shooting back into the mainstream as a sport and hobbie. I don't know how you did it but I think that is great

Don't get me wrong though, all sponsors of all our events deserve our thanks. But I think you all know what I mean.

Ira

[XRe]

That's awesome!

[spook]

cool!!!

[MikeFoley]

Great job to whoever recruited that sponsor, and everyone involved should thank them. Was it Coca Cola or one of their distributors who participated?

[Matthew_Mink]

Yeah it was really cool, I heard something big coming up the drive after the match was over, looked over and a Coke bigrig was huffing up the hill. Never seen that before at the club!

Thanks Coke!

(only soft drink I like anyway, plus in the South all sodas are referred to as Cokes, for good reason)

[tewlman]

DPMS had a Budweiser distributor sponsor their 3 gun match. Had a trailerator (kegerator on wheels) with taps for bud and bud light on the side. Very nice for end of day meals

[hopalong]

C.O.P.S. in Missouri has Budwieser as a Sponsor....Not the local distributor but Budwieser.

Yes the distributor also is in on it but it is cool to get "BIG" business into our "Little" sport.

Way to go JIM !!!!

HOP

[ozzy1038]

To have a company outside of the "industry" be a sponsor is a brave thing in this day and age. I always knew they were my favorite for more than just the better product.

Now if only Ben and Jerry's will become a sponsor next.

[Vlad]

Now if only Ben and Jerry's will become a sponsor next.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm .. Only slightly before the Million Mom March. B&J are big supporters of antiwar, liberal, and trendy causes.

[dvc40jim]

I was actually very surprised at some of the reaction I got from several of the outiside industry folks I talked with. Most seemed fairly interested and many would have helped had I gotten to them earlier in the year.

I think that we are foolish to not market to some of these folks, and all it takes is a little bit of time. I did have to get dressed up a bit when I talked with AB, but it was not all that bad. Pepsi was even easier than AB was.

Sadly, when I first got this ball rolling and tried to get USPSA involved in order to capitalize on what I thought was a good thing.... all I ran into was a wall.

But if we can control some of the corruption involved with professional prize table collection, and return the focus of the match to those shooters who do well and promote those sponsors who promote our lifestyle I'm certain we will be surprised how many outsiders we could bring into the fold.

[3quartertime]

Thanks for the post Jim.

Interesting and informative.

If we could tap into a very small amount that the large sponsers spent on NASCAR imagine what could happen!!!

BTW... I was the surfer looking RO at the Indiana State Match. Great to meet ya!!!

[rubberneck]

Now if only Ben and Jerry's will become a sponsor next.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm .. Only slightly before the Million Mom March. B&J are big supporters of antiwar, liberal, and trendy causes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That might have been the case in the good old days when Ben and Jerry actaully owned the company. Today they are owned by the huge internation conglomerate Unilever. I don't think todays Ben and Jerry's is nearly as politcally active as they were. In fact I would be suprised if they were politically active at all today.

+1 on the thanks to a company like Coca Cola for sponsoring the nationals. I wonder if that had more to do with the local distributor than with corporate. Either way it takes a big set for a mainstream corp to put its money behind any shooting sport in todays environment.

[diehli]

Aha... that explains why some flavors of their ice cream taste like soap.

[Vlad]

Now if only Ben and Jerry's will become a sponsor next.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm .. Only slightly before the Million Mom March. B&J are big supporters of antiwar, liberal, and trendy causes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That might have been the case in the good old days when Ben and Jerry actaully owned the company. Today they are owned by the huge internation conglomerate Unilever. I don't think todays Ben and Jerry's is nearly as politcally active as they were. In fact I would be suprised if they were politically active at all today.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would so love to see that, but looking at their webpage, nope still moonbats.

Reading from their Mission Statement we get this gem:

Capitalism and the wealth it produces do not create opportunity for everyone equally. We recognize that the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than at anytime since the 1920's.We strive to create economic opportunities for those who have been denied them and to advance new models of economic justice that are sustainable and replicable.

Them aside, I'm VERY happy that Coke and AB are sponsoring matches, and I had to buy a six pack of Bud Select just because of it, even though I'm not a big fan of their bear. Coke I buy all the time anyway.

Edited October 4, 2005 by 3quartertime

[benos]

+1 to this thread!

be

[BSeevers]

I remember Winston(pretty sure it was them) was investigating sponsership of USPSA and the powers in charge at the time rejected it. For what ever reason. TOO BAD. Could you imagine the stages and prizes. Oh well. Since they aren't in NASCAR as heavy as before, maybe rematch???

Heck I would shoot the Kotex Nationals for a 100K prize.

Edited October 4, 2005 by BSeevers

[ozzy1038]

Capitalism and the wealth it produces do not create opportunity for everyone equally. We recognize that the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than at anytime since the 1920's.We strive to create economic opportunities for those who have been denied them and to advance new models of economic justice that are sustainable and replicable.

The same can be said for socialism, which the statement above reeks of.

Vlad- I hope you know I was joking.

[mpolans]

Capitalism and the wealth it produces do not create opportunity for everyone equally. We recognize that the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than at anytime since the 1920's.We strive to create economic opportunities for those who have been denied them and to advance new models of economic justice that are sustainable and replicable.

The same can be said for socialism, which the statement above reeks of.

Vlad- I hope you know I was joking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's really funny how they say that, then charge significantly higher than average for their Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Oh well.

Glad to hear about the Coke and Budweiser sponsorships!

[wide45]

The Eastern Lakes Section 3 Gun, used to be sponsored by Genesee Brewing. It was known as the Genny Lite 3 Gun. I remember getting a case of beer for winning my class one year. Sadly, the sponsorship went away when the company reorganized.

Don't forget that Team Shroom is sponsored by Astroglide. They are greasing the skids for the involvement of non traditional sponsors.

Edited October 7, 2005 by wide45

[BSeevers]

The Eastern Lakes Section 3 Gun, used to be sponsored by Genesee Brewing.  It was known as the Genny Lite 3 Gun.  I remember getting a case of beer for winning my class one year.  Sadly, the sponsorship went away when the company reorganized.

Don't forget that Team Shroom is sponsored by Astroglide.  They are greasing the skids for the involvement of non traditional sponsors. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Vivid Video too!! Jenna J, now there's a non-traditional shooter

Edited October 7, 2005 by BSeevers

[Jake Di Vita]

I would represent those sponsors very well....

[JFlowers]

Look at some of the sponsors that are backing the UFC, training supplements and energy drinks. If these sponsors are willing to put up a lot of money to get the UFC (and whats more politically incorrect than two men fighting freestyle) air-time then they should not be scared of small sponsorships in the USPSA.

[Jake Di Vita]

I'm sure that when USPSA sponsorships draw as many spectators as freestyle fighting (no matter how politically incorrect it is) we will have all kinds of sponsors.

They follow money, nothing else.

[Kevin Kline]

True Jake, which is what shocks me that sponsored IDPA Nationals.

[rubberneck]

True Jake, which is what shocks me that sponsored IDPA Nationals.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think Coke's involvement with IDPA is at the national level. If I were a betting man I would say it was the local distributor that was behind the sponsorship (not that it matters in my book).

It may or may not make sense for a national brand to sponsor a sport that is sadly considered out of the mainstream in many blue states especially if it is considered out of the mainstream in their target demographic. It does however make sense for them to sponsor matches in regions where firearms are considered the norm.