Monday, February 14, 2011

The Monday Poll

At what point to you buy into the latest TV hype, if ever? While I understand Joe Baller's unwillingness to be fooled again I'm still kinda surprised the ESPN name isn't having more of an impact on paintballers' imaginations so this week's The Monday Poll wants to know what it's going to take to get you excited.

The latest attempt at mainstreaming competitive paintball on TV becomes important:
Never. Even if the sport gets another shot it will fail.
When ESPN is spending their money to put paintball on TV.
When competitive paintball appears on a real TV channel and not just a fancier webcast.
If competitive paintball is recognized by the X-Games.
When I see it with my own two eyes on a TV screen no matter who paid for it to happen.
When the teams are competing in the best format; xball.
When the first outside the industry sponsor signs up to support more competitive paintball on TV.

Or fill in the blank as you choose with an answer you add in the comments. Are you a cynic, a realist, a quiet dreamer, a hater or an abstainer? Have your say, it's only a mouse click away. Stand up (or remain seated) and be counted!

Monday Poll in Review
Last week's poll was looking for the PB community opinion of how much impact pro team marker endorsements have. Unsurprisingly, some voters failed to vote among the personal options but even so some 45% admitted that pro team endorsements, for whatever reasons, influenced their buying decision. And that's probably low. If everyone who participated in the poll have given an answer for this section it likely would have exceeded 50%, either somewhat influenced or definitely influenced in their marker purchase. And of the 35% who insisted it had no influence on them personally (some percent are certainly lying) because among the total vote only 9% thought pro gun use, or endorsements, there was no influence on anybody.
On the other hand 77% were certain pro use improved brand recognition (while some group, perhaps upwards of 23% didn't know what brand recognition means.) Meanwhile 66% believe pro endorsement influences the purchases of other paintball players. Taken at face value it would seem pro endorsement of a gun (or other paintball product?) does influence the purchase of that product. Given that voters chose "definitely influences" over "may influence" by around 2:1 further substantiates the belief among the voters that endorsements work.

9 comments:

houdini said...

I vote X-Games over ESPN as a greater impact to paintball only because I'm guessing the Summer X-Games is shown in more international countries than a paintball show on ESPN. It also has country specific off shoots like the Asian X-Games and has an existing fan base that perfectly compliments the target market for paintball.

I think if the X-Games were going to incorporate paintball into their schedule they would need to get the world's best teams to compete and not be connected to the PSP or NPPL
(maybe Bacaball is the perfect solution?)

Anonymous said...

The NPPL does have a tentative deal with ESPN to be in the Xgames (ESPN owns the xgames) as a exhibition event. It as all part of a two year deal. And yes you will see paintball on TV. Sorry to burst your bubble Paul. You should spend the next 10 years writing about positive things instead of picking sides and being a neg Nancy like you have the last 10.

And YES they are investing money

Don Saavedra said...

What's it called again when you do the same thing over and over and expect different results? The word is escaping me at the moment...

Anonymous said...

I voted for outside the industry sponsor. but i don't mean any sponsor, and just any amount of money. It needs to be a big advertising deal. So big that Mt. Dew (doesn't need to be Mt. Dew specifically) pays Dynasty so much money the guys are a walking,talking Dew billboard 24/7...face paint and all. That's when I'll be convinced we're on TV AND that it's a good thing.

Baca Loco said...

Anon #1
A mind is a terrible thing. I don't pick sides, sides pick me.
But let me help you out. What exactly do you think the point of this recent post about the NPPL and TV and now the poll is all about? Furrow your brow and think hard now. Is it coming to you yet? No? If you ask nicely I'll try to explain it in tiny tiny words for you.

Anonymous said...

Yes, please explain! Tiny words would be magnificent, I am having a entirely difficult time understanding the purpose and the goal of the current poll.

The questions seem a tad odd, and either brilliantly chosen or poorly chosen?

Particularly: When the teams are competing in the best format; xball.

Pardon my reference to your negativity, I must be mistaken.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry Baca, it's just Frank's inferiority complex, again.

J-Bird said...

i went with the xball one. I dont think that the 7 man format is any more appealing to watch on tv than the Puppy Bowl -- unless we move to a points system with a smaller field and less bunkers.

NCPA has done it right for several years, i think they've proven that xball/race2 works on tv. NPPL has sucked everytime they have gotten near the tube. also, if Nicky T is the broadcaster I wont watch. Period. He was awful compared to Marshall.

Baca Loco said...

Anon #1
I don't think you really tried but I'm also not sure really trying would have helped.
Here we go:
The original leaked "rumors" fell flat. Much of the small response the leaks got tended toward the cynical.
My first post, while acknowledging what was and wasn't happening as a result of the leaks, attempted to generate a dialogue and renewed interest in the idea.
Again, almost nobody seemed to care.
And so now there's the poll. On a subject nobody appears to give a rat's ass about so why am I doing it? Because it keeps the topic in the public realm that little bit longer and if tourney players simply refuse to get excited about an ESPN project and connection it might be interesting and infromative to find out why.
As to the answer you seem to find objectionable format has always been an issue in the TV debate and anyone who chooses that answer will feel that way about it.

I'm all for paintball on TV. I'd love to see some real TV money trickle down to me. And for the record I've never believed the race for TV was a zero sum game. The first ones there may have an advantage early on but a rising tide lifts all boats.

Oops. Sorry Anon. That wasn't tiny tiny words. I don't really do tiny words.