I have owned a business that failed, and now one that is very prosperus. I failed at my first one because I was young and did not grasp the simple business concept. I prosper at my second because i learned from my mistakes. So, here is my final two cents on this rather disappointing season.
Business is very simple. You need to find a product that a market requires or will pay for as a luxury or leasure. Then you must market that product to that market. However, you must also make sure to always understand your market and what they want in a product. This is why record labels for example don't market Elvis cd's to teenagers or boy bands to 20 males.
Once you forgot about your market, or think you can do, say or charge whatever you want, you will begin lossing that market.
In the case of Sunset or any other track for that matter, the product is the drivers and the market is the fans. I will use the late models as an example of the product/market:
Tom Walters puts people in the stands. Like him or hate him people love to watch him win, freak out, get put into the wall or win/lose championships. He is the cliche bad guy. On the other side of the coin is Morrow. He's the gentleman, friend and one of the fan favourites. He is the cliche good guy. You need both of these drivers because fans love to see it. Therefore, we pay money to come watch, the track then makes money. Wrestling, television and movies have all released that people love to cheer for good guys and bad guys and have spent years marketing this to it's markets. I don't think anyone would argue quiet profitably!
Whether Wes, Deb or any other Sunset employee/manager/owner likes it or not, we fans are the market and the product is the drivers. Without either, Sunset makes no money and has no jobs to offer. So regardless of their egos or motives, they have failed all season long to address the concerns of the drivers (so it appears) and especially the fans. I imagine both resulting in less of both next season. I should also add that I do not know any of the staff at Sunset and have no personal issue with either.
When a business fails to address issues brought up my either the product or the market they are destined to fail. Many drivers and fans have requested prove of points without anything but some numbers on a website. While the fans really shouldn't be bothering, the ignoring of drivers in this request is mind blowing. It makes you look fake and sneaky. Not something a business wants to have. Case in point...Enron.
I know many business have run under the banner any publicity is good publicity but this is not true. Anyone on this site already knows about Sunset. Therefore, Sunset staff coming on here and telling a fan to "bite me" shows nothing but disrespect to a paying fan, or possiblly a driver. In this case its better to be thought of as a fool then to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Fact of the matter is...Sunset disrespected its product and it's market and I would hope that comes through in the bank account next year. I know for me unless I see some changes before hand my money and my commitment will be going north to Barrie. Anyone who spent every Saturday night at Sunset knows this so please don't start on me about comments refering to the end of the year. Thats just the straw that broke the camels back!
Now to play the devils advocate...Shooting off at staff etc. leaves no real room for any benefiting factors. They clearly are willing to play the "internet game" with everyone so why stoke the fire. Talk about stuff, debate what could make it better, but personal jabs etc. are a futile waste of time. However, us fans have the ability to control this situation. Just don't go to Sunset anymore! If you don't like Pepsi but you like Coke, then buy Coke. IF you hate Ford but love GM, then buy GM and if you hate Sunset but love Barrie, then go to Barrie. Thats why theres alway a number one, and a number two in the business world!
What you fail to mention, is what really makes a product successful is the attitude towards the product, developed with marketing.
Is Budwiser the best tasting beer? Of course not and anyone thats tried a few Belgian beers knows tht. Does McDonalds make the best hamburger? Of course not.
People are followers, like a herd of dumb cows.
Sunset had failed to market their product on this level. Most people don't have that ablility.
Your suggestion to listen to your "fans" and "drivers" is doomed to fail. Here's why. The vocal few that have the "problems" are doing so to gain attention. Reward them with attention, and they wil keep doing what they are doing. Case in point, Glen did what you suggest, and that is the root of the problem, you have a few whiners in the group, that put whiners at other tracks to shame.
Take a dog, reward it every time it craps on your floor, guess what happens....
Trick is sell ^&$^# like McDonalds and Bud, and convince people they like it. If they can eat and drink %#%%@ and think they are happy, there is nothing to complain about. NASCAR is another great example here...
Ross your post after earnhardtfromthegrave's is just a shame....you don't seem reasonable when you say that anyone who complains is just looking for attention, what makes you think you know EVERYTHING....maybe some people do that...maybe you do that and thats why you think that. but there are many different reasons people complain, some good and some aren't bottom line....it seems to me you're looking for attention but i wouldn't claim to know for sure
lol i'm beginning to wonder if you actually read the posts before replying
BTW this is EXACTLY what Slammer was talking about...couldn't help yourself eh??
People are followers, like a herd of dumb cows.
Sunset had failed to market their product on this level. Most people don't have that ablility.
Your suggestion to listen to your "fans" and "drivers" is doomed to fail. Here's why. The vocal few that have the "problems" are doing so to gain attention. Reward them with attention, and they wil keep doing what they are doing. Case in point, Glen did what you suggest, and that is the root of the problem, you have a few whiners in the group, that put whiners at other tracks to shame.
Take a dog, reward it every time it craps on your floor, guess what happens....
Ross
I do agree to you to a point about the herd of cattle comment. While society as a whole are sheep, people controll the products they buy. While Bud might be the self proclaimed King of Beers it really has no bearing on my point. Bud became successful from marketing, which is what my point was. Bud listened to it's marketplace, realized who was buying Bud and pounded their slogans and commercials in their markets face. It still boils down to understand your product and those who buy it. Its the reason the New Yorker doesn't sponsor the 24 car in Nascar but Dupont does. Address YOUR market. If Bud put out a commercial that said "You'll drink Bud because your an idiot and we tell you too" they won't be able to sell jack. If they put out a commercial that says "Hey we're the Kings and we like football" then people will buy it. Sunset has the product, now they just nned to treat the market properly. And if you suggest "most people don't have that ability" then I wonder how our economy hasn't fallen apart.
I never said do what they say (being the "whiners" as you refer to them) I said LISTEN. Take five secs. to address the people who make you money when they call or email you with questions. I don't know if its the owner or the manager but who ever isn't responding to the emails is making an epic mistake.
This is not like rewarding a dog for crapping on the floor. Dogs involuntarly crap, its the way it is. So it's not the same. What happened this year at Sunset is more like punishing the dog for bringing you your slippers!
ross what i think earnhardtfromthegrave(a little uncomfortable with the name but each to their own) is saying is "you may not always get your way but you will get your say".