JC / Railbird

Media Archive

Light Reading

At 7:15 this morning, I looked up from my laptop screen, glad to have finished so early with my daily news-RSS-racing reading. And then I thought, how is that possible, less than five weeks out from the Kentucky Derby? Isn’t this the time of year when profiles, preps, commentary, and endless angle analyzing from the tiniest niche publication to the biggest newspaper start taking up three or more hours a day? (Yes, I’m obsessive, and I try to read everything.) It occurred to me that coverage seemed a little light this year …

My impression may not be that far off. According to (a quick) database search of 240 mainstream media outlets (no trade press, no blogs), in 2003, 518 articles including the phrase “Kentucky Derby” were published between January and June. In 2004, 574; 2005, 556; 2006, 1171; 2007, 1315 (I assume ’06 and ’07 are partly attributable to a Barbaro bump); and in 2008, 963. So far in 2009, the article count totals 117. For 2009 to hit the same level as 2003, an average of about 50 articles a week for the next eight weeks has to appear.

I’m not booking any bets on that happening.

Posted in Media on April 2, 2009

So Simple

… and yet so effective:

I’ve been trying to avoid too many Twitter mentions in this space, even though I believe the micro-service is a disruptive, adaptable form of communication that’s reshaping how networks and groups exchange information, because this is still supposed to be a blog about racing, not social media, but I can’t resist pointing out these recent posts from @NYRAcomm. Each illustrates well how a racetrack can engage its audience in just 140 characters, conveying information directly to the people most interested in it. As a supplemental marketing or news channel, it doesn’t get much better, or much easier.

Posted in Media on March 22, 2009 / Tagged NYRA, Social Media, Twitter

Know Your Bloggers

At the NTRA marketing summit last September, I was asked by one industry executive how racetracks should deal with racing bloggers. I replied vaguely along the lines of, “Get to know the bloggers covering your circuit.”

While reading reactions to the failed SXSW panel “New Think for Old Publishers” this morning, I came across this advice to the publishing industry, which struck me as a similar, but more articulate response to the question:

Aside three: Might as well address the blogger question. It’s quite simple. Find the bloggers big and small in your various genres, develop a relationship with them, understand their tastes, like, dislikes, deadlines, lead time, preferred method of communication, preferred formats for books [remember, they are publishers too and have many of the same issues you have]. Treat the bloggers with respect — you need them more than they need you. And note, the publishers who are already doing this well are leaps and bounds ahead of you.

A few adjustments and the prescription works for racing: Find the bloggers big and small covering your racetrack(s) or events; develop relationships with them; understand the stories and angles that appeal to them, their publishing schedules, and their preferred forms of communication. Add them to your mailing list for press releases and reply to their questions as you would inquiries from other media sources. Treat bloggers with respect.

Hm … that is quite simple.

Posted in Media on March 17, 2009 / Tagged Blogging, Industry, Marketing, Media, Racetracks