The part that bothers me Doug is it is a little more nepotistic than that.

Yes, money is important for stability and creating a long term going concern, but I see this more of looking at the sport, seeing $$$ that they are not getting, and getting in those areas because they have or can create a captive audience and then force feed those folks to maximize revenues. Well within their right, but still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

If Perform was a decent product, it could stand on its own. I can understand, though I disagree, with them making it some of the main nutrition on the course, but at least I know I should have access to water and perhaps cola, and have made my own decision to be a camel and pack nutrition to fit my needs.

But when I see them extend that and start blocking others from being at the Expo, which are generally companies paying for booths, that bothers me. Whether my notion is correct or not of Perform being an inferior product, those actions tend to support or add fuel to that notion.

In comparison, Cera-Sport is the official drink of Rev 3, they have paid for this and what Rev 3 serves on the course, but at Quassy at least, you have the Cera-Sport tent in the expo, right next to the EFS tent, and I respect that.

Nutrition is very personal. Not only can their be a taste preference, but some people may also have preferences or requirements for ingredients such as avoiding Sucralose / Splenda / Aspartame, etc.

What is next? Does WTC start banning Specialized, Trek, and Cervelo from setting up on their Expo and field because Ceepo is the official bike? That is probably far fetched, but then again if WTC bought Ceepo, I could see that happening.

And from the marketing perspective, I actually had no issue with the Cera-Sport product, I have not bought any though, primarily because of their limited purchasing options... I don't like the fact that I have to buy in either more expensive sample packs or a case of 100 servings. A little of a middle ground more along the common 30-serving size or so would have helped me more continue to try the product for a longer basis.

I am excited to see what Infinit does

all i can picture now is MTV beach house revisited.

and i can't bring my wife!


PARTY AT THE INFINITE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!


How about an INFINITE sponsored field days full of drinking games and various stupid human races? I am willing to bet there are WAY more people that are athletes that are spectating and don't have to race then are there to actually race. while the racers are all "resting" everyone else should be at the constant party connection at the INFINITE house!

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Tim

Find yourself a pretzel machine - the old fashioned kind, on wheels, that makes the gooey, chewy salty good ones. Get some mustard, both hot and not.

You cannot be serious. It's The Ironman Triathlon World Championships, not the County Fair.

What's next, Deep Fried Infinit on a Stick? Infinit Cotton Candy?

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**All of these words finding themselves together were greatly astonished and delighted for assuredly, they had never met before**

I agree with you, and to add to it, itbothers me that WTC keeps buying up races thereby limiting companies access to the triathlon community. Competition is good. The more companies that make products/services for us the better off things will be and the faster triathlon will grow. Choking access for companies to triathletes, especially at the primiere events is doing harm to the triathlon community. This is just going to foster more anti-WTC attitudes.

I am racing Augusta in 11 days and this will be my first WTC event. I have done local events for the last two years. Consequently I do not have a first-hand opinion of WTC races. I hope and pray B2B stays independent.

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http://www.EpixGear.com

Some great and very creative ideas. Let me throw a little logic into the thread.

I assume that you have a budget for marketing. What would a booth at Kona have cost you? (Travel, Room, Booth Fee, Product Costs, etc). What has this budget meant for revenues in the past? Does being at the expo make you money in the short or long term? There are about 2,000 people in Kona. As someone mentioned earlier, these are typically the best of the best in triathlon. Most of them probably have a nutrition strategy that has gotten them this far. I doubt that you would be selling much nutrition to participants at an expo (except for those that are already customers but forgot something)

I don’t know that a giveaway of Inifinit is the best representation of your product. Since it can be customized for each user, you need to stress this fact to potential customers. Some sort of coupon for a first “custom” order would be more beneficial than giving out samples that may not work for someone.

Infinit is not the only nutrition/hyrdration company that is being forced out of the expo. Your competitors can also be your partners in this. You could work with the EFS, Hammer, GU, etc people and host a nutrition expo in a place near the expo. Share the costs and spread the word about alternatives to the M-Dot chosen company.

People that choose to use on-course nutrition typically do so because it is a “simpler” set up. I don’t need to load up my bike by 4 pre-mixed bottles and then swap them out for 4 new ones at special needs. Find a way to demonstrate that your product is just as easy/easier than swapping Perform at an Aid Station.
Set up a few bikes at your booth in the best configuration for carrying your own nutrition (IE- bottle in bars, aero drink, down tube, seat tube, behind the seat, small flask, etc). Show an ideal set up for IM and HIM distance. The ST consensus is that a standard bottle between the bars is “best.” I personally like to have an Aero Drink between the bars (handling, convenience, etc). Show a few different set up options. Maybe even have a handout with different configurations and explanations for why one is best.


If you can get some sort of data that includes the following:
· Time Spent slowing down at aid stations to get new bottles
· Safety – how many races have crashes at the bottle swap?
· Issues with the cap on the Perform bottle
· The ability to customize your nutrition means less “stuff” to worry about (IE- Salt tabs, etc)
· Is it more Aero to use a bottle that you pack yourself (IE – spend more time in the aerobars because you have a consistent bottle that you are using)
· By using one of the new insulated bottles that are available, you can keep your nutrition at a temperature that is palatable for an IM. (Maybe partner or giveway an insulated bottle with each new order)


Guerilla/Social Media Marketing-
Every IM (and really every triathlon) publishes a participant list. The IM races publish a list of participants and Bib #’s a few weeks before the event. I would comb this and do the following:
1. Are any of these names in your current customer database?
a. If so, shoot them an email wishing them luck and offering a coupon
b. Give them a coupon to share with a friend (not everyone that is going to Kona only hangs out with Kona triathletes. These Kona guys/gals have influence over the people in their club/masters group
c. After the race, look at their results and congratulate them
2. For names that are not in your database, see if you can find a way to contact them.
a. Facebook – I just checked and I don’t see an Infinit presence on Facebook. Get there.
i. Macca has 25,000 followers
ii. Matty Reed has almost 2000
iii. Desiree Ficker has 4500
iv. Crowie has 5000
v. Gatorade has 1.2 million
This is your audience. I’m not sure of the rules of Facebook but I would put more effort into this than I would into an Expo spot in Hawaii.
b. LinkedIn
c. Athlinks
d. Member of a tri-club
e. Do they have a blog? See if you can post a link to advertise on the blog
(There is probably some sort of software out there that will automate this for you. But in reality, you could probably hire a local college/high school kid to comb the “non-customer” list via Google searches. 2,000 names shouldn’t take more than a few days).

Now you may already do this to some extent, but I think something that can be emphasized and help you differentiate your product is to help people understand not only customized the nutrition to their bodies but further helping athletes tailor and adjust those to course conditions and seasonality.

If one formulation works for you, what factors to consider and modifying for a hotter condition, cooler condition, etc.

Further more, helping then address and compile nutrition mistakes... Bike is fine, gas or GI issues on run? To much carbs? To many calories, over fueling? Not adjusting for humidity, going to hard?

Part of it can be helping athletes create profiles, give feedback to what they are taking, using, including other foods and the like and then looking at upcoming races, the general condition and helping them adjust or tailor.

Nutrition can be trial and error, but Infinit folks may quickly see something an AGer does not see like this mix of on the bike combined with this many gels, or bits, etc will cause issues, etc.

Another idea for you I haven't seen mentioned here yet. Two signs on race day, one at about mile 95 on the bike another about mile 20 on the run that say "If you had used InfinIT you'd be done by now".

Loyal user x2 years and counting...

Sponsor training camps in the months leading up to a race.

I like this!

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Paul..

Customer reward program: You can give away swag but can't guarantee people will wear it during the race. So reward them if they can prove they wore it. "Come to our tent on Sunday and show us your finishing picture with you wearing our (hat/visor/jersey - whatever you are giving away) and we'll give you a coupon for a free pack of Infinit."

Special Kona formula - if you give away samples, emphasize the ability to customize Infinit by offering a special Kona formula. Maybe Ironman formula with higher electrolytes to combat the heat, etc. - whatever you think is best for hotter than usual racing.

Ok. This one is geeky. Make people remember the name Infinit by setting up a good telescope trained on "the infinite". Good enough to see and track a galaxy or maybe see the moons of Jupiter (pretty much opposite the sun right now)

Quote:

What is next? Does WTC start banning Specialized, Trek, and Cervelo from setting up on their Expo and field because Ceepo is the official bike? That is probably far fetched, but then again if WTC bought Ceepo, I could see that happening.

That has already been done. You will only see one brand of bike at the official Expo...that is the brand that paid to be there - no, it is not Ceepo. There are a few other bikes there but they are in tents for trainers and the other products are what are being marketed.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Dear Michael,

I'm writing in response to your ST posting about being 'banned' from Kona this year and wanted to give you a few thoughts as someone who has been in ecommerce and marketing for a few years. My position is to stray from the 'sponsor me, sponsor me, sponsor me' attitude of some Kona bound ST'ers. I would suggest the solution is not trying to circumvent rules or tarnish a relationship with WTC(which from what I gather was a good relationship). Instead look how you can take what big chocolate thought was a stab at your brand and redirect right back at them.

The unique marketing opportunity that your presented with is you were 'BANNED FROM IRONMAN'. The question people are going to ask is why? and instead of saying a chocolate company wrote a check, play up that Infinit was 'too good'. You offer a premium product and the big boys couldn't match your quality so they got you banned.
I would call it a classic play such as Nike did when the Air Jordans were banned because of NBA uniform restrictions, people didn't hear about the rule they heard that the nikes were banned because they were too good a shoe!

You then take that and go to events like the underwear run, or take photos to post of athletes doing Kona and you slap black censored boxes over the infinit bottle or infinit logos(which a customer could still make out). You do cheap Iron-ons with some Fruit of the Looms that say 'infinit, banned in Kona' and you make it seem like you had this great product that Ironman won't let anywhere near their venues. Get people to your great website and get them asking questions and hopefully sell more product.

Then you look at the next 10 years and try to grow that mystique and branding so by the time big chocolates focus group is saying 'liquid crunch bar' is a great idea at Kona then you can have a product that has earned its rep, people using it at big name events and backed by loyal users.

Again I'm just spit balling but the old solution of giving MOP and AG'ers kits or wasting money on a buffet at a rental house just won't give you the exposure and take advantage of the opportunity you have!

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***
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A B A

Dead serious, actually. The point is not that it's the Ironman Triathlon World Chamionships - who cares? A whopping 2,000 people, most of who are already painfully aware of their nutritional requirements and needs. Giving away little packs of INFINIT at Kona is a waste; t-shirts, hats, visors and the like, expensive, and very little return on investment. These people already know what INFINITI is - they travel in those circles. So spend time talking to them, explaining the situation, and expanding on what you're going to do to be different, and face it. The pretzels are just fun! (admit it, you like pretzels...lol)

2011 is a different story; product givaways, creative guerilla marketing and some good advertising will help with the future. What you want is to build equity with your core, with the best. As a brillant PR friend of mine used to say: Sometimes you have to deposit in the bank of brand, for those times you have to withdraw...

So, what you are proposing is ambush marketing? Having not paid for the rights to be associated with the event you're going to ambush Ironman? The question I pose to my sports marketing students (& a choice they have to make individually) is whether or not ambush marketing is an ethical activity. Regardless of whether or not WTC is becoming the Microsoft of the ultra-distance triathlon world, ambush marketing may or may not be ethical and in some instances may not be legal (when it comes to mega-events such as the Olympics, World Cup Football, Rugby, & so forth host countries have to enact anit-ambush marketing legislation).

Ambush marketing is relatively easy to do. Just look at South Africa & the women in the orange dresses.

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#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

Which is why my suggestion would work. Get one of those bike shop booths or rand crap booths to sell Infinit for you.

Not Ambush... Hi-JACK!

Think of it this way... If there was a think called Summer Fest, that was held in a location, had their own "Official" T-Shirt Sponsor and banned anyone else who wanted a booth and sold T-Shirts, and I was in the T-Shirt business and I had BETTER T-Shirts, produced those shirts and avoided ALL of the Trademarked words and symbols, and created something that had a similar theme... Say mine was a Beach Chair with a Hurricane Drink and theirs was a Sun with Sunglasses, I might show up to sell my "Life's A Beach" wear especially if their was a demand. In fact, there might be more of a demand for my products because I had better quality, better design and better prices.

There is a monopoly and then there is competition. There are also unfair practices.

What I have come up with is a way to market shirts, mugs, hats and other items that does not infringe on Ironman or M-Dot Logos and trademarks and would allow the "shunned" to sell competing and potentially superior products while not violating trademarks.

Interesting, but this is custom nutrition, not an easily substituted t-shirt, mug or hat. INFINIT would only be essentially selling their product to people that already used their product. (their is a place for this, but using direct communication - i.e. the guy that said he'd love to have a place to pick it up, so he didn't have to travel with it. You could communicate with current customers, and arrange for a spot for them to be even more VIP-y...)

Frew people are going to buy INFINIT in Kona in the days prior to the race to use it for the first time in the "Ironman World Championships". The big issue is how to build brand equity for the future...

I am betting that "Banned" is not the right word...."Our new sport drink companies contract prevents you from renting space at the expo" is probably more realistic.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

"Banned" has more punch.

The Sex Pistols were "Banned". Elvis was "Banned". The Rolling Stones were "Banned" from the Ed Sullivan Show. Betty Page was "Banned" in Boston. Democracy was "Banned" in Red China.

I say we roll with the "banned" motif. It pits the "big man" against the "little man" and gives the campaign another peg to hang a hat on. That and, the stuff (INFINIT) really does work quite well IMO.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

The ironic (and hilarious) thing about all this hoopla over racing nutrition is that, when it counts most, on the run, you can throw all the research, customized formulae, "ours has this carbohydrate" crapola out the window... the proven and preferred drink is whatever-the-hell cola was available at the cheapest cost, with the primary fuel source being the dreaded, ...(GASP)... high fructose corn syrup!

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Coach at KonaCoach Multisport

That's actually true. I agree.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I have met Mike a number of times. Sure nice guy. I love his product, swear by it and tell everyone I know to use it....but with out MY custom mix, with my electrolytes and my flavor...um....what would put it heads and shoulders above Heed and Thermolytes? By the time you get to the expo you had better already know what your race fuel is going to be...

I think that Mike does his best marketing just being on the forums (this one and others) and having us, his faithful minions preach the good word. I still love the pretzel idea.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

According to this there will be other bike brands there. There have in the past couple years.

http://www.fordironmandemodays.blogspot.com/

A couple years ago they opened the expo up, to make is a demo thing. More companies could participate. they made a big deal about this, with a lot of press releases etc. A few years ago you could get sports beans at the expo. But then there wasn't ONE exclusive nutrition provider. It was gatorade for drink and Powerbar for 'food'.

I don't know if this tightening of the brands is across the board, or just nutrition (which it sounds like and it sounds like it was specifically put in the PB contract w/ IM). Nor do I know if the demo days things is an official IM thing, but since it's sponsored by Lava Magazine, I suspect it it.

I think having a 'free' aid station on the run course in the week leading up to the race (like gu does) would help infinit. but their product is harder to just sample because it's a mix.

Another (of many) tag line/ad copy ideas:



"When "Anything is Possible" make sure Everything is Possible on Race Day.

Don't leave your nutrition to chance. INFINIT formulas are custom made, hand blended to suit your taste, requirements and stomach. On a day when "Anything is Possible" make sure Everything is in your Favor: INFINIT."

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

are you saying that one can race IM with only coke as their nutrition plan?