UKC

Following on from the "Paid To Climb" thread.

If you were the marketing director of a climbing equipment company in the UK who would your sponsored atheletes be?

The role of a company's sponsored climbing athelete being to increase the bottom line of the company by increasing sales. They do this by increasing awareness of the company and its products. And to do this they:

- wear and use the company products whist climbing
- appear in adverts
- appear in editorial photographs in magazines and on websites whilst climbing their cutting edge ascents
- give feedback on product design to the company
- represent the company at outdoor equipment trade shows
- promote the company at slide shows, competitions and other events

You can pick two UK climbing atheletes: a male and a female who would be salaried.

And then choose 5 UK climbing atheletes who get gear sponsorship and financial incentives for photos published in the magazines.

So who would it be?

Mick

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

Leo Holding

Lucy Creamer

...ooo, that's a coincidence

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

...and my other five would be.

Neil Gresham
Tim Emmett
Steve McClure
Airlie Anderson
Andy Kirkpatrick

Based on their track records of exposure.

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

Mick Ryan

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:
Not sure about that, but would be up for sponsoring Cilla Black to solo the Old Man of Hoy, at night, in high heels, just name the fee.....

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:


Parnell and Kirkpatrick ( with the resultant lecture script written by Galton and Simpson)

Photos:

Eve Prickett - on account of looking V foxy (FHM/Loaded being the target publications)

Sutty for Saga

FH for Saga / Lady Boy Weekly

Neil Gresham sponsored by Silvikrin Hair Care

Adam Lincoln - sponsored by St Tropez Tanning Lotions

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

The Dawes - about time he pulled his finger out.

In reply to Fiend:

Me. Cos I'm gorgeous.

In reply to pete:

goodnight comic pete

In reply to sutty:

nighty nighty sutty.

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA: I'd do what Snow+Rock do and sponsor a student club. Get them aware of your shop early on and sucker them while they're young . Also they're cheap to sponsor as students are strapped for cash and'll do nearly anything for cash.

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:
BEN BRANSBY - by far the best all round uk rock climber. He gets in the mags fairly regularly too.

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

Depends what your product is and who your market are. The young and the hard core like Malcolm Smith even though he doesn't do a huge amount, I also agree with the poster above who says Ben Bransby is a worthy case on talent alone but you probably cover the most bases with someone like Neil Gresham. If I was in a position to sponsor climbers I'd give them incentives for repeating certain routes because as a climber that is what I'm most interested in e.g. £1000 plus expenses for Divided Years or 9a of Neil Carsons at LPT.

I wouldn't give Alan Hinkes a single penny.

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

Dave Macleod and Steve McClure probably get as much magazine coverage and tick as many hard ascents within the UK as anyone at the moment. Likewise Alan Mullin for his Scottish winter stuff and Andy Kirkpatrick for the Alps and beyond. Malcolm Smith is the highest profile boulderer.

Not so sure about who deserves to be salaried though (from that selection or others).

In reply to Mick - Rockfax USA:

If my SOLE objective was

>to increase the bottom line of the company by increasing sales.

then exactly who out of the pool above isn't too important as long as they look good and make news.

If I'd gone into that business because climbing was important to me as more than a source of income I might think it wasn't such a great idea.

I shall now retreat once more into my 'ideal world' fantasy from whence this idea sprung.