The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
Tuesday, Sept. 29th ’09
This is a big question and the answer may not be that easy. We have some of the biggest cities in the U.S. here in California and a huge amount of PR and hype. California is easily the largest visible media market in the country, especially Southern California, yet we seem behind the 8 ball in most arenas of the sporting world. In San Diego we have the most popular sport in America . . . football. Southern California has three very talented baseball teams that are constantly hustling seats and two have a chance to be head of their class in 2009. Polo is the same and are we stepping up? Not much if any that I can tell.
Not one club has a professional PR company or person working for them or in house. Indio is way behind in promotion and marketing. San Diego hustles some, but it is all in house and Santa Barbara has a very talented in house Lady working to make it better and she is.
Today I heard Oprah was interviewing a Polo Player from NY and FL Nacho Figueras. He is very talented on and off the polo field. Oprah said she had never seen a polo game and guess what? She lives 4 miles from Santa Barbara Polo Club. Worse than that, she may not know it and here is why? NO Promotion! Do you think she would think it sociably acceptable to drop in? Brittany Spears put polo on the TV big time in the last two months with her new “Radar” music video. Yet, when asked for a trophy trailer from Santa Barbara Polo to show their name they wanted $2,000 to use it in the video. This is worth 50,000 grand in free advertising!
If polo is to be a business, why not join up and make it a big business. You have 3 high-end markets including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara and Rancho Santa Fe (Del Mar). I think there should be a way for these three clubs to mass market the sport better than anywhere else in the World and change the face of Polo within a year. We have Hollywood people in Polo and we have big business people in Polo and we have the high-end markets. We also have very little good polo supported by the locals.
Santa Barbara had two local teams. One was brought in by Andy Busch, who is a recent arrival, as he moved here. The other team is Ben Solemoni from LA. San Diego has 4 high goal teams and two are from the same family. Indio has none with Dan Horn dropping out of the high goal. The balance of the teams come in from other areas. I am sure there is an answer, but where does it come from? The leaders of these three clubs must join up and make it happen because the sports world is slowly disappearing from our World here in California. I know the economy is bad, but this started when the economy was at its max and flying north at a high rate of speed. I read this the other day and thought it was great . . .
BE THANKFUL FOR THE PAST
HAVE COURAGE FOR THE PRESENT
AND FAITH FOR THE FUTURE
Right now we need to make our faith open up the brains around the sport wake up and see it happen. There are some good ideas out their and some very smart people with little to do. Lets hear from them and make some money on the way to rebuilding THE KING OF SPORTS so it WILL NOT BE THE SPORT OF KINGS. Let’s hear your ideas I know you have some.
See ya.
Great article!
Maybe the three So Cal. clubs could hire a PR person and give them the job of selling sponsorships, ads for the club programs, promoting polo in the high-end markets that are nearby, getting celebrities to attend the matches and getting this news out to the media. This person would need to know sports marketing and polo. I have a contact who would be great for a job like this! The question is what would the cost be and can the local clubs afford it?
Another idea would be to set up a new association on the West Coast . .. maybe call it the West Coast Polo Association. Collect fees from members and clubs and the money goes to pay for the PR person and all promotions and marketing for polo in California.
The problem right now as I see it is that the local clubs are tight on funds and they don’t have the staff to make it happen. So an outside person needs to make this happen.
Another idea . . . get polo on the beach in San Diego and Santa Barbara. We have beautiful beaches, we just need to get the permits to do it. This has worked really well in Florida, England is doing it and so is Ireland. Who do we know who could help us get the permits for an event of this nature?
Hollywood … who can help us get polo into more tv shows that are filmed in the area? Maybe some of our hollywood contacts could help us?
PoloZONE would be willing to set up a Website and handle online promotion and social networking for any promotions, events, associations, etc. We can also use the PoloZONE website to collaborate.
I think we need to write a plan, present it to the local clubs, recruit volunteers and hire a specialized PR person. A good PR and sales person can pay for themselves!
Ok … who is we? If you are interested in participating in growing the sport of polo here on the West Coast contact me or Steve Crowder.
scrowder@poloconnect.com or lynn@polozone.com. Lets form a group and start writing a plan and discussing options.
I am moving back to California in the next couple of weeks. Not only do I LOVE this idea, I am going to apply for the job. Sandy Herron
Hi Steve.
Would be interested in discussing this topic. Enjoy your articles and perspective. Very best.
MCB
I’d help you and Steve. I agree that we need to hook into the media hype..Hollywood etc. Seems to me that polo clubs kind of like the “polo is NOT for the masses”, and in turn pride themselves on keeping it private. The old “the sport of Kings” crap is very behind the times it would seem to me. We have some extremely attractive, marketable men and women at all levels of the sport..why not market them???