Creative Juices

by Ed Meyer

posted on May 17, 2010 in General Discussion, Other Events | No Comments >>

When we read about any entertainment based business, I always see that the public feels we are not advertising in a way that is enticing. This year, I think they can lose that talk. I kept hearing the same tag-line over and over this past Saturday:

“Get Your Preak On.”

This simple line drew more attention to the sport, than I have seen since Lori Petty uttered those famous words of: “Go Baby Go!!”  Like it or not, it grabbed your attention.. If you liked it, mission accomplished. If you did not, we got you to pay attention, didn’t we?  That is advertising at the best level. The Maryland Jockey Club did an incredible job in getting our attention, and keeping Maryland racing alive by sending our attention to the Preakness.

The 18-34 demo was happy… We hit you right between the eyes. For the folks that felt it was too racy and made you feel funny, well, I think that is what we strive for. We want you to not forget, and keep us in mind. I’ll bet that not many stayed away from wagering or watching because they didn’t like the slogan. For the folks that didn’t like it and felt it was beneath the game, well, we are in tough times. Competition and the economy have hit us hard. We need to roll up our sleeves and get down to business. The business of creating energy and attention.

Maryland needs the Preakness, and if you would like the sport to continue, get in line, or get out of the way. In my opinion, it was genius. I felt grabbed, and it was good stuff. I laughed the first time I heard it, and when I kept hearing everyone saying the same line over and over on race day, I knew it was golden. Marketing and advertising 101 says you have to think out of the box… This allowed fans to get excited about a race held at an old track, that is sometimes compared to a rundown facility in kind words. It is not Churchill Downs with “Millionaires’ Row.” It has a fun infield for that party crowd, and all of the wagering action that is sought after by every player out there. It is rare when you can reach more than one segment, and this year MJC did a great job on getting our attention…