Grassroots Racquetball Programs - The Missing “Racquetball Marketing” Link

What do racquetball companies and fitness clubs have in common? They both NEED customers. Most racquetball facilities have other types of (fitness) customers and are not dependent on racquetball members. But all racquetball companies are dependent on clubs with racquetball courts AND members/customers that play racquetball.

You would think that clubs and racquetball companies would “bend-over-backwards” to work together. Clubs have a good excuse, racquetball is NOT there primary profit motivation. But racquetball companies have no excuses, they will go out of business without clubs that provide racquetball courts.

There is a misconception that “Grass Roots Racquetball Programs” must to be offered at many facilities. Wrong! Just like a new Fitness fad, or new type of fitness equipment, most facilities watch for the latest “profitable trends” and quickly add the trends they can afford and easily add.

Mising Marketing - Like any product or service, “Grass-Roots racquetball Programs” don't need to be in place at all facilities, only publicized and “available” when the time is right.

There is very little expense or effort to add “Grass-Roots Racquetball Programs” at local facilities, especially when the programs are organized and hosted by “Sponsored Players (non-pro)” representing racquetball companies. More participants increase exposure to “company branding” of products, while increasing and retaining local facility membership and program participation. Everyone wins!

Market Choices and Margins

Which is better? High profit margins and few outlets (less sales), or low profit margins but larger outlets (more sales)? Overhead increases when more items must be produced, unless products can be “dropped shipped” and “returned” to a contracted manufacture. But per item production cost discounts can be obtained through quantity purchases from a manufacturer.

Current Racquetball Marketing Trends

For decades most racquetball companies have used professional racquetball endorsements and barely survive. It could be more beneficial to drop the professional endorsements and focus on sales (big box stores) and “Grass Roots” racquetball programs at the local facility. After sales have increased, professional endorsements could always be added. This allows a racquetball company to have flexible short and long term marketing plans, while reaching the widest possible market.

JORDAN NOTE: These ideas are not just for racquetball companies, but for all racquetball “organizations” (State and National Associations). These ideas have never been implemented on a “National Level” because the national organization only offers programs (tournaments) for their existing 14,000 members.

Jordan

It could be more beneficial to drop the professional endorsements and focus on sales (big box stores) and “Grass Roots” racquetball programs at the local facility.

Good post Jordan but I disagree with the dropping professional endorsements.

Professional racquetball does its justice to help the game.

Part of this endorsement is getting the pros in front of others all across the country.

Part of our Racquetball Coaches Network's focus is professional racquetball for both Men and Women. In our Network we have Rocky Carson and Sharon Jackson. Names becoming more and more popular in the racquetball world because of their play.

Jordan...professional racquetball serves a great purpose in our sport. Please don't sell them short. They are truly under valued in our game. They deserve a lot more than they are getting and our goal is to change that.

As a coach of about 20 kids from college age and as young as 6 years old I don't like knowing that at some time they will have to make decisions in their career and it is most likely won't be racquetball.

We want to change that....

we want to provide an avenue for professional racquetball player to more than double some of their incomes. So far...the plan is working and it's just a matter of time.

Professional racquetball players bring value. At the minimum it shows this sport should be take more seriously outside of the recreational play for exercise. There is entertainment and excitement behind professional racquetball.

Thank you for posting,

Manny

this topic has been beaten with a rotten stick for a long time ... there is only 1 way that racquetball will ever grow into anything ... just 1 way. It's not the pros directly, but indirectly. The only way racquetball will grow at all is the hard way many of us have been chasing for a long time. It's called TV. Put racquetball on TV and it will grow ... GUARANTEED.

So if we had a chance to put it on TV, what would we put? Obviously the pros. It's not so much that people would watch and start playing cause they've seen Kane, or Cliff or Rocky or whoever play ... it would be simple exposure to an unexposed audience.

BUT ... even if we got the pros playing on TV, people would go away after a couple days cause they don't know what the hell is going on? It looks awesome and fast ... but I don't know whats going on. So along with the pros, I'd say ALOT especially at first, you get good enthusiastic instructors like Winterton or Fran or many others, on there explaining whats going on, and how YOU (the viewer) ought to get involved playing ... etc.

I got a bit of a chance to watch a little of the Kane-Jack match today .. and IRTNetwork is doing a fine job ... the volume wasn't up so I couldn't hear if there was commentating, but I'm just Scott was at the helm or had a knowledgeable person doing it.

BUT ... who's watching? Probably just rballers like ourselves. This is where people like Jason Mannino have to get it in front of TV people ... over and over again ... and I'm kinda pretty sure that he is trying to do this ... and its probably frustrating as hell. This is what Negrete was trying to do with the ESPN deal ... get the sport in front of millions of viewers. Not sure if he had any instructional sets included but it was going in the right direction ... but then life got in the way and the economy killed it.

I think the best bet is to put a package in front of TV producers with high level play alongside with instruction. Then rball will grow ... but EVERYONE knows this. I really thought if any of it had a chance, it was gonna be on Sudsy's play and persona ... he was gonna put the team on his back and carry rball to the masses ... things just didn't work out ... life got in the way. I ramble too much sometimes.

Its funny listening to all these people express marketing strategies from their computers in their spare time. Wilson, Head, Pro Kennex all have tennis companies. They have research teams that test different trends. Whether sponsered players make a financial gain, or not. They all sponser players, so just know, it must work. Its very easy to say stuff like I would never buy a raquet because a pro plays with it. But individually, your not the mass, and really dont know if it works or not unless your in charge of marketing for one of these companies. I will bet they come out with more profit, depending on who plays with their raquets, rank, # of players.

The TV topic has been beating with a stick too. Get it on TV?? In front of millions of people?? You think just because you put racquetball on TV millions are going to watch? Sure, if millions were going to watch, it would be on TV. We play the game, we see it different. If badminton or cricket was on TV, are you going to start watching? Why not, the people who love those games the way we love racquetball probably think millions of people would be watching too. The best way to grow the game is to get people who dont play, or probably never would ,to try a few times and fall in love with the game.

TV is the right move. But it's not what is going to bring its popularity.

The idea of making a 150+ mph shot seem viewable to the normal eye, or doing something to make the viewer go "inside the court" with the players is what will make it popular.

Case and point: Poker.

Poker was introduced to TV a while back, but what made it popular and watchable was the hole cameras installed in the tables. It allowed the viewer to feel like they were at the table from their own couch. Poker has surged in poularity in the past ten years (of course they suffered through hard times just like anyone else), and it stemmed from this marvelous idea.

It's going to take an idea similar to that to get people to watch racquetball, and grow this sport.

I get tired of ppl (jordan) saying drop the pro sponsorships. Pros are the reason rball is here. and without them our juniors have nothing to shoot for. so yes we need them more then anything. and as JMAN said many many many times. when the pros come to a tournament more ppl sign up. period.
jman has done an amazing job of increasing the tier 1 events this season, I am loving all these tournaments.
we say we want to grow the game, as blunt said, teach someone who cant play or only a few times, and they will become addicted to the game just like many do...

In my opinion the question for racquetball is how to generate NEW interest and NEW intent to buy racquetball related goods and services.

I think the benefit of a grass roots program is that unlike TV, it costs less to convert. I'm making assumptions here, (then again, who isn't?) but the average TV consumer does not own a gym membership, and probably does not exercise that frequently. So having this person convert means they have to buy not only the rball equipment, but the gym membership as well, which rarely, if ever, is for racquetball alone. To me, this represents a major barrier for converting consumers, which is why at least in terms of conversion, grass roots may work better.

Grass roots (largely) targets potential consumer more efficiently because it attracts those who already have gym memberships, and who (for the most part) enjoy exercise. Consumers with memberships will also not face the cost for conversion discussed earlier.

All sorts of questions arise then of whether grass roots with little additional promotions spending could generate the sheer numbers of a TV spot, or whether customers gained at the health club would be more profitable than those who watched the pros and so on....

If I were racquetball right now, yes, all of racquetball, I would work on in club promotional programs because the consumers are easier to convert and it will cost less for the sport to try this.

- John