Promotional videos?

[mitrail400ex]

I've been doing a little thinking on a topic that ranks pretty high in our sport right now. Public Image. There is a lot of talk in the various clubs and groups about not doing anything stupid while driving if you have a GL or club sticker on your vehicle. That just seems to make sense. We wouldn't want someone associating doing a lawn job, or illegal wheeling with any group associated with us.

Now here is where my thinking began. There are various car shows and meets that members and clubs attend throughout the year. This would be the perfect place to set up a small booth with some membership packets, stickers, t-shirts, etc. Part of the booth should include some of the driving instruction program info as discussed at the quarterly, maybe some small ads for our associate members, and the best part...a video being played on loop.

And that brings us to the topic of public image. Think to yourself for a moment: Think from the other side of the spectrum. Imagine for a moment that you are one of the people who believe the Offroading and Four wheeling provides NOTHING except an excuse to damage natural resouces. Imagine that you are one of the people that would attend a DNR meeting to oppose trail expansion. Now imagine your reaction to a video showing a V8 powered CJ7 shooting 30 foot high rooster tails of mud off all 4 tires. You might be a little put off, or offended, but more importantly, you've have someone actually affirming your belief that we do nothing but cause damage.

Now, imagine that you are the same person. You walk past a booth that has a banner stating "Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association: Preserving our sport through education and responsible wheeling." This might get your attention. You might walk over to see the video, which is playing images of a fall colors tour. Fathers, Mothers, Sons, and Daughters in rigs of all sizes, headed down a seasonal road to enjoy the leaves changing. The video then switches to a trail map of Michigan, showing all of the trails that GLFWDA and its clubs maintain in a given year. Then, the video shows the members actually out there, doing the maintainence.

As a person who opposes four wheeling, this video might actually show the "other" side of four wheeling. The side where we not only pick up after ourselves, but after the other users. There would be no argument that all we do is damage, because there would be video proof otherwise.

Public Image... It's what we really need to start working on, if we are to continue using the trails and roads that are currently set aside for our use.

Feel free to comment. :D

[Jeeperz-Creeperz]

You made some good points. Education is key!

[kb8ymf]

You have hit upon a huge itch that I have been wanting to scratch for years. That is, Why do we let everyone 'show' video of who we are, (usually in a unfavorable light) and we as an organization still don't have any type of promotional video showing who we really are. I ran into this problem when trying to describe rockcrawling to the DNR and Genessee County when I was lobbying for a rock crawl couurse.
For the longest time we have been limited due to taping/editing/formating/producing capabilities. For the looks of Tim's video this weekend, Our time has come.
I would keep an eye out in the Trail Ride Committee Forum (NEW!!) for a discussion on this topic.
You also pointed out the need for a promotional phamphlet to be able to hand out at shows, when we meet someone in a parking lot, or as a counter top hand out for Associate Members to give to theri customers.
Two great topics that we will start some discussion on.
jim - kb8ymf

[mitrail400ex]

Jim, I realize that the budget is tight. I saw the outline at the quarterly. But is there some sort of way that maybe the Trail committee or some other administrative type could come up with an idea of how much it would cost to film such a promotional video?

I mean, I know that Tim is planning a video shoot up in Drummond, and I assume that this video will be used for something else. I'm pretty sure that we could find 10-15 rigs willing to travel to West Branch or a similar area to do some light duty wheeling. I know that I would be more than willing to take my truck back into the woods for a small shoot, and thats gotta mean something. :)

With a lot of focus coming our direction, it would be nice to have something to shed some positive light on our group. For the people who have never seen a Great Lakes run, let alone been on one, it would be nice to see that we all aren't running 600HP Dana 60'd 42" beasts that bury themselves up to the doorsills every 10 feet. Granted, thats fun too.

As for the flyer, it could be a simple tri folder with some of the things we do, a couple small pics, some of the issues we are facing, contact info for the board/ membership secretary, and a schedule of meetings. I wouldn't imagine that it would cost too much, depending on how thick the paper was and if it was color or not.

It would DEFINITELY be alot cheaper to give places like Jeeperz Creeperz a stack of 50 flyers, rather than a stack of 50 boondockers every quarter. Maybe still send out a few Boondockers, for those that seem genuinely interested, but for those that are just curious, hand them a flyer.

[Bult4mud]

WOW eric im impressed i dint know you could complete a sentence and you made a very good arguement :bigemo_harabe_net-106: :na-na:

hahhahaha

but i totallay agree with you and your statements, I would love to be in the video showing the Good side of wheeling. But i still want a v8 Cj to shoot mud with when the greenies arnt looking :bigemo_harabe_net-74:

[Zookeeper]

This is where corporate sponsorship could really pay off. Why not let 4WD product companies or vehicle manufacturers have their logo, sponsorship ad or whatever appear on the video for the price of helping to defer production costs?

[Roadhouse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Zookeeper &#064; Jan 12 2006, 08&#58;35 PM) 7970</div>

This is where corporate sponsorship could really pay off. Why not let 4WD product companies or vehicle manufacturers have their logo, sponsorship ad or whatever appear on the video for the price of helping to defer production costs?
[/b]

Good thinking Ari...really good thinking

[Shakr]

I&#39;d like to add this , do you think the Greenies who are pleased that we are educated wheelers will join or do you think the guy who has a little testosterone flowing and see&#39;s a jeep doing things he has always wanted to do like half tiped over on a huge rock or up to the door sills in mud flinging clumps in the air . I agree with what has been said but I dont think wearing school uniforms and sitting properly will convince the greenies to switch sides , it will only help them to think they have beat us into submission.

I&#39;d think GL want enthusiasts to join their ranks over a few greenies who would probably cause more damage internaly to GL.

Look at it this way would you buy a 4x4 mag with a shiney truck on the cover under a shade tree with the owner eating PBJ samwich or would you grab the mag which has a truck way off camber in a rock climb with the spotter pulling like crazy to keep the truck from tiping.

Just my opinion ARH ARH &#33;&#33; (Tim Allen voice)

[Zookeeper]

I think we need to make sure GLFWDA is welcoming to all types of members. It&#39;s been a concern of mine that jeep clubs are tilted toward vehicles with the highest lift and largest possible tires that can slough through the deepest mud hole with ease or clamber over rock walls without that lovely "polishing the skid plates" sound.

Four-wheeling in Michigan rarely offers challenges of that magnitude, which may be why so many jeepers that build up their rigs become disgruntled about off-roading in this state.

In my signature, I joke about having a "lift-challenged TJ." I&#39;ve decided for now to invest my money in armor and a winch, a locker, better tires...but not a lift. Will I lift it someday? I might. But for now, I rather enjoy the challenge of knowing that even on Michigan&#39;s trails I can find something a little daunting; something that makes the heart rate go up as I try to negotiate it because I&#39;m not sure I&#39;ll get through it or that I have to carefully choose my line lest I have to pull out the winch cable.

At the same time, being stock height gives me a great feeling that I think some jeepers can&#39;t get in Michigan anymore. When those guys on 38&#39;s roll through a deep water/mud hole without much trouble, I often cringe because I&#39;ve noticed the water or mud easily reached up to the top of their tires. For me, that means I&#39;ll have mud and water up to my doors. Anyone who has done a trail ride with me knows that has never stopped me; I&#39;m not afraid to dive in and see how I do in trying an obstacle. Powering through or picking my way through such an obstacle is a great reward and I&#39;m not ashamed to say I give myself a pat on the back for accomplishing it with a stock-height Jeep.

I guess my point is that, like many things GLFWDA is tryingto accomplish, we&#39;ll have to do this with moderation in mind. We need to find a middle ground. Maybe the video could show some built-up Jeeps and what they are capable of, but we also need to show more "friendly" video -- what some would consider friendlier to the environment, some would consider more family friendly and some would consider more likely to attract new members who might just be starting out in this sport.

:bigemo_harabe_net-09:

[Shakr]

I&#39;d like to add that I&#39;m not saying you all are wrong for wanting to promote GL as a well edcuated association but I just think the people who attend custom auto shows , auto swap meets ect. do not seem to be the anti offroad types , I&#39;m sure there may be a few but general attendance at these events are motorhead types and not the "I drive a hybred car and reuse my zip lock baggies" types.

Then again I dont think we would be setting up a info stand at a sewing machine expo either .

I think it would be nice to have a well constructed trail rig at the auto type shows on display, but also be able to show educated abilities of the operator and the "behind the scene" work being done like trail maintanence ect.

Please do not think I&#39;m bashing the education approach , I&#39;m just not sure you can sway the "greenie" but you may sway the average guy who has a 4x4 or wants to get one and show him/her what they&#39;ve been missing and what they can do to keep this sport alive.

And I&#39;m not knocking the stock 4x4 owner , heck my jeep is mostly stock and defianatly not a "show" jeep, it&#39;s a cheap toy that puts a smile on my family&#39;s faces.

[Zookeeper]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(square eyed rio &#064; Jan 13 2006, 04&#58;51 AM) 8013</div>

I&#39;d like to add that I&#39;m not saying you all are wrong for wanting to promote GL as a well edcuated association but I just think the people who attend custom auto shows , auto swap meets ect. do not seem to be the anti offroad types , I&#39;m sure there may be a few but general attendance at these events are motorhead types and not the "I drive a hybred car and reuse my zip lock baggies" types.

Then again I dont think we would be setting up a info stand at a sewing machine expo either .

I think it would be nice to have a well constructed trail rig at the auto type shows on display, but also be able to show educated abilities of the operator and the "behind the scene" work being done like trail maintanence ect.

Please do not think I&#39;m bashing the education approach , I&#39;m just not sure you can sway the "greenie" but you may sway the average guy who has a 4x4 or wants to get one and show him/her what they&#39;ve been missing and what they can do to keep this sport alive.

And I&#39;m not knocking the stock 4x4 owner , heck my jeep is mostly stock and defianatly not a "show" jeep, it&#39;s a cheap toy that puts a smile on my family&#39;s faces.
[/b]

Hey, Square Eyed Rio...no knocking taken, and none meant by me for those of you running tires that reach above my hood. :P

In a GLFWDA dream world, we would have multiple videos that could be displayed based on audience. In the meantime, we need a middle of the road type product.

I think Square Eyed Rio and I are getting to the same point but from different directions. Sounds like a trail ride... B)

[mitrail400ex]

Square eyed, you bring up a VERY valid point, as far as who we are targeting with our promotional items. I mean, it sounds like just basic marketing, if you think about it. Why bother producing something that caters to the greenie, when they will more than likely NEVER join our ranks?

Personally, I would LOVE to have someone who is somewhat "middle of the road" join our ranks as something similar to an "Environmental/ Conservation Issues official". Someone who could look at the other side of things and actually provide an insight to what we are "up against" with an unbiased eye. Anyone in our group right now is almost guaranteed to be swayed more towards the 4x4 side of things (myself included) without thinking of the possible environmental impact. Plus, if the DNR and the local conservation groups saw that we were actually taking these things into serious account, they might be a little more willing to grant land access permits in cases where we might not otherwise get them.

So, while I think we should definitely continue to cater to the 4x4 community at large, I think it would be beneficial to add some of the lesser known side to the fire. Think of any time you saw a commercial for a product that you have already heard of. Now think if they had said something about a feature you were unaware of. Would this make you more or less likely to buy that product? Same boat. Some people know our name already, but they see the pictures of the trail rides and the 33-35" tires. They don&#39;t realize that you have people like MotorCityMan running around on 30&#39;s, going EVERYWHERE the big rigs are going, and having a blast doing it. They see the pictures of Gitchee Gumee and DOA (from years past, sadly), but they don&#39;t see the pictures of the Fall Colors tours, or the Winter Wonderland rides (might be from another group). The see us tearing up the trails, but they don&#39;t see us cleaning up after it.

As a group, I think we need to keep accentuating the fun stuff, but also bring the milder rides and the cleanups into the lime-light. By doing so, the guy that is running on stock tires, who is afraid to join otherwise, will see that not everything is about horsepower, hood deep mud, and huge tires.




On a seperate note, Ari proposed that we should take on some corporate sponsorship? EXCELLENT IDEA&#33;&#33;&#33; I can start sending emails as soon as someone OK&#39;s me to do so. I will intro myself as a member of GLFWDA, interested in filming a short video regarding the work we do to keep wheeling alive. In exhange for a "donation", we should offer a tiered advertisement. I&#39;m thinking <&#036;100=5 second logo on screen at the end, shown 1/4 screen with other small donation companies. &#036;100-500=10 second logo on screen, by itself at the end. &#036;500-up=Logo shown at the beginning, with a voice over "Brought to you by..."

[mitrail400ex]

Here is a copy of the letter I would like to send out to the corporate sponsors. If one of the "governing members" can give me the ok to do this, I will start compiling a list of companies and their responses. Anyways, on to the letter:

Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association
2960 E. Ashby Road
Midland, MI 48640
HTTP://WWW.GLFWDA.ORG (http://HTTP://WWW.GLFWDA.ORG)




January 13, 2006
Skyjacker Suspensions
P.O. Box 1678
West Monroe, LA 71294-1678

Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to you on behalf of the Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association. We are a Michigan based off-road enthusiast group consisting of approximately 170 members. Throughout the existence of the association, we have tried to promote off-road recreation in the most positive manner, through public education and responsible land usage. We are also responsible for the maintenance of several trail systems throughout Michigan, encompassing hundreds of miles of individual trails.
My purpose for writing is to request a donation to our association. This donation will be used to film an educational style video, which shows the ?lighter? side of four-wheel drive recreation. The video will be approximately 30 minutes in length, showing highlights of some of our milder trail rides. An example of these rides would be our Fall Colors tour, in which vehicles and drivers of all build and skill level are invited to bring their families on the trail to view the leaves changing in the fall. The rest of the video would show some of the work involved in keeping our trails and routes open to all users. Some of the footage would be of the trail maintenance and clearing that our group performs.
We feel that the video would be beneficial to the sport and industry of off-road driving by showing the ?softer? side of four-wheel recreation. Public image is important to our sport, and by showing that we, as one group, are in the woods repairing the damage caused by us and the other users. We feel that off-road sporting can be showcased in a positive light. With such an idea being planted in the heads of those not familiar with off-road recreation, we believe that new users may be attracted, no longer put off by the idea that it takes huge tires and massive power to go out and have fun, leaving huge ruts and damaged ecosystems behind. In turn, this will drive more consumers to purchase various upgrades and enhancements for their vehicles, causing a return to the industry.
In return for your contribution, we would be offering a tiered advertisement system, which would show your company logo for a predetermined time, based upon the amount of the donation. This will allow for exposure to the public, and show that along with wanting to sell products, your company is interested in giving back to the sport.
In closing, I ask that you seriously consider this opportunity to help advance and grow our sport. Without the help of companies such as your own, the industry and sport of off-road recreation cannot continue. I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Eric T. Williams
Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association Member

[Jeeperz-Creeperz]

While I think this is an excellent idea I have to wonder what happens when I send a letter asking them to become an Associate Member of GL?

[Zookeeper]

I like the idea, but Kevin raises a good point. We need the E-board to discuss this so correspondence can be coordinated. We&#39;ll only get one shot at some of these companies.

Also, we&#39;ll need to review the letter closely for anything that might be read the wrong way. Overall, I think you did a good job with the letter, I&#39;m just concerned about phrases like, "damage caused by us and others."

[mitrail400ex]

Sounds good. I think I can take and turn this over to you guys now for you all to run with it. Just wanted to get the idea planted in your heads. Just keep us all informed of how it goes&#33; :bigemo_harabe_net-64: