BOP "Sponsorship" opportunities?

Team Javelin.

Gu.

There are others but I can't remember them right now.

Actually you are wrong. Most companies couldn't care less about what happens during the race. The only thing they care about is exposure. With most companies looking to sponsor athletes, the first question they ask you is how many races you are doing and which ones. If you are doing 2 local sprint races with 100 people in each race...good luck. If you are doing 15 races that are in major cities, then you have a better chance. Some companies offer advertising incentives if you make it on some sort of publication.

If you were a company, which would you rather have, someone who podiumed at some random race or the guy who finished BOP, but made it on the cover of Triathlete magazine because of some charity work he did?

Having been sponsored by 2 different companies over the course of 4 years, I know they cared more about the fact that I trained with a tri club that is 1700 in size, that I was willing to work in their booths at all of the local tris, that I raced a ton over the year and that I volunteered at every race that I wasn't doing, more than where I placed during any of my races.

Just sayin'

I like the logic that the BOPer is out there longer and therefore offers more exposure!  If you have a local bike, tri or running store (or other) that maybe would like a leg up over a more established store, why not put together a little proposal and talk to them?  There could be PR benefits to them when they send a press release to the local newspaper and/or TV station!

My husband likes to say 'luck smiles on the audacious'.  You're making *me* think about this!

Tracy

Madcow is dead on!  Yes, it helps a bit if you're FOP, but companies want good ambassadors.  I've been told by many sponsors that they wouldn't sponsor X person because they don't have the right attitude.  And that person kicks my tail at races.

Sell yourself.  If you're a BOP, say you're out there longer.  If you're FOP, say that people will come and ask you why you're fast and you'll talk them into buying/using Y product.  Bottom line is that companies want GOOD exposure.  It's up the the person to frame it properly.

Good Luck.

You never know until you ask.  Your friend may have gotten sponsored if she had done some leg work and approached the complanies.  Very few people/groups get sponsored because the companies came to them.

This (and Madcow) are right.  Not to beat a dead horse...  But who cares if a BOP is out there longer.  NO ONE IS LOOKING AT THEM.  Fine, a FOP is out there 1/3 the time.  But all eyes are on them.  People look at what they ride, what shoes they wear, what wheels they use, what they eat, drink, etc.  TV is looking at them, magazines take their pictures.  It's obvious who you pay to use your stuff.

I know it's expensive to play this game, but it's kind of like asking GE to sponser you to use their laundary machine instead of making you buy it.  Now, if they can pay Brad Pitt, to say he uses a GE washer - now that's saying something (saying what exactly, I don't know!   )