Whatsup with these lonestar sponsorships

[Awkward Accountant]

The other week at a tournament a guy on my card fully decked out in lonestar gear shot an 820 rated round. Today i see a guy on Facebook standing in front of a lonestar banner wearing all his gear. I look him up and he's a 760 rated player. How are all these people getting sponsored?

 

[Sewer bill]

It's their marketing scheme. I suppose it's working because I have seen some lonestar bros too.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

Every time i hear the name, i think

 

[discerdoo]

We called them Patch Pirates back in my bass fishing days. "Sponsor" someone by giving them a discount on a few bags of worms and have them wear their gear. The worst player I ever got on a tourney card was a Team Trilogy dude named Aristotle.

 

[uncle pennybags]

I actually like some of Lonestar's discs and plastics. But there is no way that I would want to be out on the course shilling for them. Probably because in my middle-age I don't really like to sell anymore. Do the research and RTFM....basically.

 

[Spectacledbear]

Their plastic consists of consistently consist plastic. It's just consistently the most consistent.

 

[Awkward Accountant]

I looked a bit more into it. It's pretty scummy. They give players 1 disc every 3 months. Then they have more "elite" teams existing playere can set a goal to get on. So basically they force them to buy all their products, then have programs to retain players and keep buying products. Meanwhile their gross margins with the "sponsorship" is still above 60%. That's highly predatory

 

[Countchunkula]

BMX racing did something similar. They'd have the main factory team of "sponsored" riders plus a much larger group of "cosponsored" riders. Cosponsored meant that they got discounts on bikes/parts/gear in exchange for wearing the jersey. I don't know how much of a discount they got.

 

[Countchunkula]

I looked a bit more into it. It's pretty scummy. They give players 1 disc every 3 months. Then they have more "elite" teams existing playere can set a goal to get on. So basically they force them to buy all their products, then have programs to retain players and keep buying products. Meanwhile their gross margins with the "sponsorship" is still above 60%. That's highly predatory

How do you know their gross margins?

 

[BillFleming]

I looked a bit more into it. It's pretty scummy. They give players 1 disc every 3 months. Then they have more "elite" teams existing playere can set a goal to get on. So basically they force them to buy all their products, then have programs to retain players and keep buying products. Meanwhile their gross margins with the "sponsorship" is still above 60%. That's highly predatory

It's not 'scummy'. It happens with probably all brands. They all have different levels of sponsorship. I know someone who was on Legacy's "Street Team". That is Legacy's low level sponsorship. One thing about tiered sponsorships is what I call 'control'. Most times, the lower level is not required to throw ONLY that brand's discs. My friend only had to have (I think) 50% Legacy discs. So an 'elite' or 'fully sponsored' person would be expected to ONLY use that brand's discs. Then as the sponsorship level gets lower, the requirements become less strict.

As for the player's wearing the brand's clothes....that might be strictly by the player's choice - kind of like bragging that "I'm a member of this team".

 

[Awkward Accountant]

It's not 'scummy'. It happens with probably all brands. They all have different levels of sponsorship. I know someone who was on Legacy's "Street Team". That is Legacy's low level sponsorship. One thing about tiered sponsorships is what I call 'control'. Most times, the lower level is not required to throw ONLY that brand's discs. My friend only had to have (I think) 50% Legacy discs. So an 'elite' or 'fully sponsored' person would be expected to ONLY use that brand's discs. Then as the sponsorship level gets lower, the requirements become less strict.

As for the player's wearing the brand's clothes....that might be strictly by the player's choice - kind of like bragging that "I'm a member of this team".

They accept literally everyone. Even players who do not have a pdga number yet. They require them to bag 90% lonestar. To me that's not a sponsorship. That's a marketing scheme taking advantage of people who just want to say "hey I'm sponsored"

 

[BillFleming]

They accept literally everyone. Even players who do not have a pdga number yet. They require them to bag 90% lonestar. To me that's not a sponsorship. That's a marketing scheme taking advantage of people who just want to say "hey I'm sponsored"

If that is true (accepting anyone AND requiring 90% Lone Star discs) that's pretty sad (and, yes, scummy). I hadn't looked into it for Lone Star specific....I just know from friends and looking into other brands, that brands have tiered sponsorships.....but as the tiers get lower the requirements are less. I'm shocked that Lone Star doesn't have true tiered sponsorships. It sounds like Lone Star uses their 'lower tiers' for free advertisement. Lone Star: You pay us, have 90 % of your bag Lone Star, wear our branded clothes.....and we'll take the free advertising.

 

[Countchunkula]

They accept literally everyone. Even players who do not have a pdga number yet. They require them to bag 90% lonestar. To me that's not a sponsorship. That's a marketing scheme taking advantage of people who just want to say "hey I'm sponsored"

I think it's silly, but for some being able to say "I'm (sorta) sponsored" is a big deal. That's what the players are getting out of this. It's worth a lot to them apparently.

 

[BillFleming]

I think it's silly, but for some being able to say "I'm (sorta) sponsored" is a big deal. That's what the players are getting out of this. It's worth a lot to them apparently.

Bragging rights. That's what it is. I'm sponsored - you aren't.

 

[GMcAtee]

Disc golf's version of influencers.

 

[jeffmonty]

Their plastic consists of consistently consist plastic. It's just consistently the most consistent.

And.... like their ads say like 20 times, 'the quality".

 

[Lurp Nuts]

Their plastic consists of consistently consist plastic. It's just consistently the most consistent.

And.... like their ads say like 20 times, 'the quality".

If you buy every disc they make, I guarantee you... this ad had paid for it's self and I've done my job.

 

[ru4por]

Credit to drkstr.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

All i know is that my Innova Ambassador sponsorship allotment is MORE than i could ever use in a year.
My bag was 100% Innova and I used them for tourney player pack discs years before I got sponsored.

 

[ILUVSMGS18]

So my biggest gripe with these "sponsorships" is that they require a big social media presence and in my opinion it's just a giant and profitable marketing scheme. I could land one fairly easy if I wanted but really unless a company comes along asking for me, or a store decides to sponsor me and let me throw an open bag, I can't see any reason to be sponsored as an 885 rated player, even though I throw decently far both BH and FH. I could see picking up a small brand like RDG maybe but with the way a few local AGL player's deals went down that's a bit risky IMO.