Beer drinking blasphemy?

I have an ex college roommate who is a VP of a Major Beer Company (that ryhmes will Killer) who told me this when I suggested to him that him buying me a sail with the companies logo on it would be great advertising for his beer. He said: "But sailors aren't big beer drinkers."

Wha, Wha, Wha WHAT? Can this be true?

He said, "In comparison with Nascar fans or Bikers, sailors are waaaaay down the list. It would not be anything but a giant waste of money. It would be the same as if we sponsored the symphony".

I pointed out that it's not just advertising for the other sailors on the water but every other boater and those that can see me from shore etc etc etc but he would have none of it and I'm not getting my sail.

Does anyone out there know of any beer sponsorships of sailing or have you seen a beer sail? I seem to recall seeing a picture of a Coors sail sometime but it might have been photo shopped. I am looking for as many as possible so I can throw it back at him. I haven't given up yet.

HELP!
Greg

Michelob sponored one of the Michigan 18 Squares back in the mid to late eighties. Big red letters the full heighth of the sail, easy to see from a mile away.

In the early 90's, our annual Division 10 (now OCRA), 30 boat regatta would go through a full keg at the Saturday night dinner. We are down to less than a 12 pack now. We go through 48 bottled waters at minimum. I suggest you find a friend in the bottled water business. Seems much more in line with their demographic anyway.

Greg, you've never seen a Coronamaran?!?

I'd work the Miller scene. Slogan: You can always luff up to Miller beer, thats right, you will never be denied cause Miller beer are the warm ones left in the cooler water long after the ice has melted and the commitee boat has gone .......Get outa here with that piss man <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Greg, Your old roommate is probably a nascar fan. I'm sure he's correct about the demographics, but if you are on the water enough(every weekend) your idea would give him more bang for his buck. A sail is much cheaper than advertising in those sports. I have to agree that Miller is not a beer I'd choose. Do you have any micro breweries around you up there? They don't have as much $ to spend, but at least you could feel you were advertising a hip beverage! I can't sell Bud on my bar even when someone is paying the tab. In other words, I can't give it away. Sam is my big seller. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Heineken was a major sponsor for the 2004 Nationals.

They are also sponsoring the Madcatter.

i think your friend may be right. not that beer doesn't have enough 'class' but that his brand is lacking. do they offer a premium beer? i can't think of one. i agree the premium beers would do better advertising through sailing. i'd love to have st pauli girl, highlander gaelic, harp, bass(!) or hey- dead man ale- advetised on my sail

Whitbread 'Round the World Race'
(now Volvo Ocean Race, VOR)

Wasn't Whibread a beer company?

A DAMN good pale ale from the UK. Popular here years ago, (before microbreweries popped up on every corner)

I think the issue here is whether sailors in general are drinking as much beer as they used to. And I would think NOT. It has to do with age, and it has to do with money. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

At a recent regatta, one fellow was slamming beers at the a.m. skipper's meeting (a big thud every time one hit the metal trash can) he stuck out like a sore thumb. In retrospect, twenty years ago I would have never given it much thought (and may have joined him).

With the newest generation of sailors, they'd have to be dying of thirst to drink your soda.

Water is where it's at!

Water is a good start but, being out in the sun, sodium replenishment is also important. For sailing, a sports drink with with low sugar content would be wise.

Common sense like that is going to make it more difficult to get beer sponsors for regattas! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Mike, Now you're getting all practical on me. From an advertising perspective...the "kids" drink water, and maybe a brew from time to time, but NO soda.

Still a good brew.

dont forget Heineken also at
www.arubaregatta.com

I would think that bow spray to the face would be adequate replenishment. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

BUT! A lot of beer distrubutors also distribute other beverages. There is always another angle to explore.

Clayton

Since you are in NH, drive on down to Boston and talk to the nice folks at Sam Adams. They gave me a bunch of free beer for a little get together I had several years ago (10?) and said they would have given MORE but they had already hit their "budget" by sponsoring the Volvo Horse Jumping in VT that year. But show them some pictures of boats with good sail graphics, like Tommmy Bahamma, or something like that, and tell them that THOUSANDS of people on the BEACH will see it, and you can't even BUY a beach front bill board like that! Show them the pictures of the Heineken sponsored boats.

BTW, Budwieser does sponsor the Sarasota Labor Day regatta, big truck with taps, free Bud, even the Bud Girls in Bikini's were there!

But you have to get to the guy who writes the checks and show him how cool it is to have his logo out there on the beach every weekend.

Water? Powerade is sponsoring the Tybee. Talk to Gatorade, or Coke, get a Dasani sponsorship. And what about Red Bull? I thought I saw their stuff on a Tornado sails.

I think the decrease in drinking at regattas is more due to the increse in DWI fines than anything else. I know I will only have two if I have to drive home later. But if I'm staying over, no limits! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Try talking to Harpoon or Magic Hat. Both are local breweries. One of the Harpoon marketing guys likes sailing. I can't remember his name right now. Red Hook might be willing. They also tend to sponsor more active sports and cat sailing might be a good one for them. I think they are out of Portsmouth, NH.

This is all well and good but the first question to be asked is… “Is it worth it?”

Is it worth your time to identify the right fellow in the beer company, put together your presentation, meet with the fellow and enroll him, follow up with him to get the check or the free goodies, Pick up the free goodies, get the graphics made or get the companies graphics and adapt them, get your web site updated with the sponsor graphics, get all of your paperwork updated with the sponsor graphics, get the graphics produced for display on the boats, get the graphics added to the sails, get the sign made and find a place to hang it on the beach so it gets seen. Get the photo’s taken so the company sees what they paid for, get the letter of appreciation written, get the package of photo’s etc made and sent off….

Seems to me… It’s just a hell of a lot easier for the regatta staff to just go and buy the damn beer or water and charge the sailors the cost of the items they provide. Are we so cheap that we can’t afford to pay for the regattas. Figure two kegs of beer…160 bucks…Water.. 100 bucks... all told say 300 bucks… So… how many hours will all of the above take…. And then the REAL QUESTION…. Who will actually do this work!

I don’t know of too many fleets that have the people who are keen on doing this kind of work, in addition to all of the other work needed to put on a regatta…. Not to mention get your boat ready to go racing.

It sounds great…. But the catch always starts with … Now… why don’t YOU go ahead and do …. It would be great… if it got turned around and came out as… well … I could call and do and do and do…. (but I suspect Hell might freeze first…)

The reality check is to think about the last time YOU actually went up to the guy who actually DID all of this work and THANKED HIM OR HER for getting the free beer!

I almost lost it the other day when speaking to a Regatta chair … he told me of conversations of folks who came up to him at the next regatta and said… “gee… sorry to miss your event last week…. heard it was great... Will you be hosting ANOTHER ONE in the fall “

Hmmm.... people need to get a reality check

Rant off
Mark

Mark

Mark, that is alot of work for some free beer (and even I can afford to buy my own 6 pack of Sam's) but I thought he was asking about getting a sponsor to pay for HIS SAILS...a $1,500-$3,000 expense, plus graphics (another $1,000-1,500) so for up to $4,500, and a new set of sails, he might be willing to do some of that work necessary.

His point was that the Miller guy said, "Sailors don't drink beer..." I say, go talk to someone else. Bud Light seems to sponsor quite a bit of different sports.

Since we sail the Corps of Engineers lakes of Kansas maybe someone such as seeds would buy us a new sail? There's not many trees, I see farm trucks crossing the dam on there way to town...(in your bestest, deep, cheek fulla chew voice) "Is that one of them there cat marin sailboats, Martha?"

Or how about bass lots of basserman around. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

How about we add Duvel to that list of premium beers?
Oh yeah, Duvel, one of the highest ranked Belgian beers, is sponsoring the Statue of Liberty Race this year. And we're pretty happy about that ;-)

Sorry, but I've been in that business for over thirty years and when you do something like this, you do it more for friendship than economic sense: You just don't have enough return for your money.

Wyatt