How on earth could a broken cricket bat in Perth lead to column on the racing pages of an Otago newspaper?
The fact the bat belonged to Otago hero Brendan McCullum leads us pretty quickly to a reasonable explanation. The story behind the bat itself is what should interest racing fans and have industry promoters jumping for joy. McCullum names all his bats after racehorses. On the surface it is an intriguing quirk from a guy who is passionate about racing. But, after thinking more about McCullum’s passion, I cannot help but think of the massive opportunity that it presents.
Here an international sports superstar with a profile to match, who is keen on a game that is fighting for any kind of mainstream acknowledgment it can get.
Is this not the best gift-wrapped, served-up-on-a-platter, put-a-bow-on-it story New Zealand racing could have hoped for.
Firstly, it has been known for some time McCullum is keen on racing, but perhaps it is time the industry investigated the idea of maximising the benefits of his involvement.
While I am not suggesting the future of the industry sits on McCullum’s shoulders, I do think racing needs to get better at taking every positive opportunity it can get.
We know there are plenty of challenges out there for the game: perception of the treatment of animals — especially by the ill-informed — integrity issues and the fact that entertainment options have multiplied exponentially since racing was at its peak. While there may be challenges, there are hundreds way of countering them.
What better way than highlighting McCullum’s involvement? In the age of hype, sensation and celebrity there is no better marketing ploy.
Racing has had a go at this before and with some success, but perhaps this is the best chance.
McCullum is not the only household name to be involved, now or in the past. There have been varying levels of profile gained from their involvement. The names Kylie Bax, Simon Doull and Steve Hansen spring to mind.
I am not suggesting that the industry pesters these type of people, but marketers could look at ways to promote racing through their profiles.
I think this would absolutely trump the Australians’ recent use of celebrity. Wheeling out Kardashians and Sex In The City actresses might create hype for one day but is hard to see how they will entice people who could potentially have a bet on a regular basis. That is exactly what the industry wants, to turn those with a mild or passing interest into regular racegoers and punters.
How good would it be if the industry could turn the thousands of people who attended summer race meetings in Otago into regulars? How we do that I do not exactly know, but anything we can try to entice them or whose name we can use to spread the excitement of the sport has to be worth a shot.
Now we just have to hope someone gave Richie a broodmare as a wedding present.
Happy trails.
