Marquee Events lost in the Shuffle....

[Generation XYZ]

No longer is The Hambletonian all that exciting of a day, as the Thoroughbred counterparts still revel in main events such as the Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Breeders Cup events. Hell the Haskell, and Traverse pull bigger crowds, than Harness Racings single most important day.

So WHO IS to Blame? The Venue, for minimal advertising, and featuring? Or the namesake Society that collects the staking fees and accounts for the purse structure?  Shouldnt there be more fam fare than what is present. An equal distance if not slightly further is Belmont, and no lack of crowd attraction.  Why is it The Meadowlands can't pull a crowd?

[Superfecta]

No longer is The Hambletonian all that exciting of a day, as the Thoroughbred counterparts still revel in main events such as the Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Breeders Cup events. Hell the Haskell, and Traverse pull bigger crowds, than Harness Racings single most important day.

So WHO IS to Blame? The Venue, for minimal advertising, and featuring? Or the namesake Society that collects the staking fees and accounts for the purse structure?  Shouldnt there be more fam fare than what is present. An equal distance if not slightly further is Belmont, and no lack of crowd attraction.  Why is it The Meadowlands can't pull a crowd?

Meadowlands marketing is a complete failure. They blew their opportunity when Taylor Swift was next door and 50,000 fans came 6+ hours early for her show. Some waited in line over 2 hours to buy some merchandise. The racetrack could have worked out a deal to sell stuff, play her music and run some races before the show and introduce harness racing to a whole new audience. They don’t do anything at all and the midget and the hypocrite brag about how the staff works for almost nothing.

[Generation XYZ]

Meadowlands marketing is a complete failure. They blew their opportunity when Taylor Swift was next door and 50,000 fans came 6+ hours early for her show. Some waited in line over 2 hours to buy some merchandise. The racetrack could have worked out a deal to sell stuff, play her music and run some races before the show and introduce harness racing to a whole new audience. They don’t do anything at all and the midget and the hypocrite brag about how the staff works for almost nothing.

Your 200% correct. yet most think Jeff Gural wearing T shirts or shorts gets the adrenalin pumping. THE SPORT IS DEAD! 

[toothman]

Are there any celbrities who give a hoot about harness racing?
Management should have made it their business to ensure that NBA guy Dokich shows up. Half credit for Sam Bowie
What a great day to have a celebrity race
Our telecasts arent generating new fans.
Have you ever seen Swedish TV commercials for the Elitlopp?
Amazing!
Management clueless

[Fuguzzi]

Used to have people like Arnold Palmer, George Steinbrenner and Norman Woolworth own strings of Standardbreds. Those days are gone

[Brown jug]

overall harness racing "marketing " is a joke and a complete failure
and every participant could do more
the hambo society for starters
you now have a full week to build up to the race after the elims, maybe promote some of the key contenders
tbreds draw crowds because on big days it is the place to be
at the big m they give away $5 tshirts and have hillbillies eating corn on the cob, yeah that's going to attract the cool 25-35 yr old crowd who want a night out
its likely too late anyway but couldn't hurt to try something , anything!!

[Miguel_Sanchez]

The midget and Gural are clueless when it comes to marketing.  They couldn't draw a crowd giving a free cocaine.  These baphoons are just destroying the sport.  Zero marketing and zero knowledge of what it takes to market.  Go hire Robert Key again and let him shitcan another 200 grand on facebook adds - LOL Siegleman group is a one man show and he has his merch on all kinds of famous people but has it brought in a new owner? NOPE

[The Exporter]

I am surprised at you old skool dudes. Over the years, there have been millions spent on advertising and marketing harness racing and their events. I can recall every train, bus and taxi in NYC and surrounding area, having an ad campaign of harness racing. And, every year, the game got less popular.
 Today, your cost to generate new live racing fans is crazy. Your ROI on this venture is almost zero.
 There is way to many choices for action today.
 There is no track that has spent 10% of what the Meadowlands has spent in advertising and marketing. So, where is this, spend it and they will come concept doing for harness racing. It may be helping keep the game relevant to it's core but it sure has not helped it grown.   

[Brown jug]

perhaps the big m should have spent all those marketing $$$ more wisely
really bus ads

[Generation XYZ]

perhaps the big m should have spent all those marketing $$$ more wisely
really bus ads

  go figure Gural just wanted to see it every morning he leaves his brownstone.

[Brown jug]

actually did find some content on you tube

the usa trotting has wendy ross talking to trainers after the eliminations
the hambletonian society talked to ake and melander but before the eliminations
not ground breaking but something
 but here is the real question, why are all harness tracks this week not at least showing those interviews once or twice a night, surely it could replace the bad music  this week to promote the sports biggest day
once again disjointed regional thinking i assume

[Generation XYZ]

actually did find some content on you tube

the usa trotting has wendy ross talking to trainers after the eliminations
the hambletonian society talked to ake and melander but before the eliminations
not ground breaking but something
 but here is the real question, why are all harness tracks this week not at least showing those interviews once or twice a night, surely it could replace the bad music  this week to promote the sports biggest day
once again disjointed regional thinking i assume

Yeah YOUTUBE. why not in mainstream media. Wendy Ross plays to a closed audience. you need bodies in the stands.

[jupiter]

What is there to market??? Most tracks no real warm up between races, just boring shit. Can anyone sit through an entire card at the big m? It's a long, long show. Same at all tracks now. Corn hole, corn dogs, hat contests etc, really draws a betting crowd. We ran most gamblers off years ago.Who in the public know or care who Wendy is or what she has to say, it's all for the horse people not for the public, nobody cares other than idiots who think shes good looking.

[Fuguzzi]

Very well said

[Brown jug]

all good points
 for comparison if you go to gulfstream of churchill downs there is real people/players with cash
in between races there is shit going on , they are eating, drinking , listening/dancing to music etc
and then every 20 minutes or so a race comes on and they bet it
its a social event that happens to have horse racing
racing has to be part of a bigger event , especially the marquee days