Growing the Hobby!

[jeff]

Originally Posted by roller

Perhaps we might want to buy some banner ads on some of these other websites where potential coaches may gather... Wargaming sites, RC cars, Model Railroading, Fantasy Football, etc. It could really allow us to cross pollinate.

DR

I like this idea.
We could always have a donate button on this site , where members could donate $ or items to be auctioned off and the proceeds could into a marketing fund.

[Megawattz]

We have to make playing Table Top Football cool again! I want to be cool again, dont u! ahhh the first slogan: "I want to be cool again Dont U!" write that down Don.

[WEIRDWOLF]

Here is a place we can start to hit with advertising to begin promoting. Signup and lets hit them hard with miniature electric football in their forums. There are alot of oppotunities on this site to let people know we are HERE!
http://www.hobzob.com/

[NATIONAL]

Great pts G-force!

To artlax, once you have a guy hooked you have to reel him in!

Here's how Ole Nat'l got back into the game. I always got the plugged In. Saw that the tourney was being played in places like Cleveland, and Chicago. But since I had never been on a plane, I wasn't flying & I didn't like long drives...so that was out! Low and behold Miggle is coming to Philly. Well I can make that, and I did. I saw Dirk and Pat Morris. Pat showed me stuff...this and that. Ask me where I was from. Once I said Philly, he showed me where Myron Evans was set up, actually walked me over to him! Myron gave me a card. Then Cliff (a local coach) saw me, and told me about the PEFL & the NEFL. Took my number. Now I was totally blown away by what I saw, but I really had no interest in following up on it. Cliff would call me just about every Friday to tell me to come check them out! I was worried about meeting chicks, playing football, basketball, & baseball every chance I got, so there was no time to EF! But he kept calling, he told they had their playoffs, he told me about the Super Bowl....come check it out. I never showed up. But he never stopped. I did stop by his house a couple of times with my teams, and we would scrimmage. He was showing me how the game was played (now) Finally I stopped at the rec center to meet a lot of the guys. I started building my team, making trades, and exchanging phone numbers. The rest is history as they say....here I am.
I say all that to say this. Just because some one shows an interest, how far are you willing to go to reel that person in? If it was not for Cliff, I would never had got into the game. And even before that, if not for Pat picking out an wide eyed guy looking lost, I would not have been able to meet Cliff. Pat was the only person in that room to speak to me. That's why I try to make sure I'm never too busy or some Super EF coach to speak to somebody who looked like I did over 12yrs ago.
To touch on Geno's point, as I got older I did stop playing all those sports and MF filled those competitive juices.

Last thing about our image. We have to put it out there that the game has changed. The stuff looks better, and performs. I showed a guy a few clips off youtube on my phone. He thought the video was in fast forward....I said no, that's how fast they run!!!! This guys is 32. He had a game but said it never worked. He asked how you guys get them to work? I told him a lil bit, but I"m too lazy to stay on him. I'm not Cliff in that sense!
Post good clips on your facebook. Keep flooding youtube. Post that Nissan commercial done by the LA guys everywhere!!!!!!!
Celo has a pilot floating around with tommy davidson on it. Use that?
I think a commercial ran during football games Nationally would do the trick, or just run that Nissan Commercial!?

the F.O.T.H. is Nat'l

[the french guy]

Also think we do need some brand recognition. Andre and others have been dead on by saying that in some way we need to get away from the NFL/NCAA..... We should develop MFCA teams and yes, an MFCA league...

The counrty is divided up into regions. Perhaps each region could come up with 3-4 teams each, design the Team names, jerseys.. Again, the the public AT LARGE to become familiar with the MFCA brand.

Great idea ! the difficulty is to agree on wich teams...Perhaps each city/location with a membership can vote for it ? Example new york mfca members decide for NY team(s), etc, etc...

Keep flooding youtube

Yes...and No.

YES : We need more videos like the last one from Jeff. Pedagogic, technicaly perfect, bringing answers for people who knows barely the hobby, and interest for the totally beginners. Just perfect.

NO : Videos with no explanations on what is all about, videos with poor action, technicaly bad, incomprehensible sequences, crappy figs and stuff like that. A bad video is a sort of mirror of a bad game/hobby, in my opinion.

On video broadcasts channels, we need good looking videos, or even HD videos, with a purpose. We need to think about filming angles (I spoke about upside angle used in pool or tablesoccer competitions), to make the game understable, "readable".

See that vid :






It's "just" tablesoccer. But seeing these vids, I want to watch it, and maybe play. I see "professionnal" players playing a competitive game. Even if I don't know the rules, I get an idea on how it's working, with the upside view. I guess what strategy the players are using, and the close ups actions allow me to see special tricks or interesting moves.

Sometimes, I can see the pressure on the athletes face. Wow, it's a serious deal. But it's "just" tablesoccer, nothing more, nothing less. Not better (or worst) than miniature football.

You see what I mean ?

[the french guy]

Here's a scheme for a upside stand. Using a basket ball stand (you know, you fill it with sand or water). Quite easy to build.

Of course, what I say concerning vids are for MFCA videos. I like to see homemade vids, league vids too.

But since we 're speaking of "marketing", I believe that MFCA should think about ways of improving even more their video approach.

[mantaraydre]

FRENCH GUY,

Your dead on. We need to develop actual game day video alot better.props need to be alot better. THE VISUAL IS A MAJOR SELLING POINT. A viewing public would like to see a reputable scoreboard and play clocks counting down as the setting up of players are occuring. Different camera angles.
I was speaking of everyone create there own team with any name. Just market it as an MFCA TEAM. instead of using a city, address each team as the MFCA DRAGONS or whatever name you choose.
quick story,
At the past covention i was at a table working on my dolphins. THEY HAVE ORANGE HELMETS instead of white. levell shelton comes over and says 'these are nice, i like the different color scheme. THESE CAME FROM YOUR SPIRIT
BINGO ! I changed there uni's because i wanted to. Thats how i see them in my eyes.

**I WISH YOU WOULD ALL CREATE A TEAM FROM YOUR SPIRIT. THEN THEY IS ALL YOURS.


fantasy teams, the NFL are the real fantasy teams.
1 call your favorite team and ask can you sit on there bench the next home game.

2 call the owner and ask can he help you with this months bill

3 call the qb and ask can he come over and hang out.

4 ask the guard can you run down on the field, your fav team said it is alright.

**LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY ALL SAY


Create your own team here and promote it. ITS ALL YOURS. SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT OF. mesh all these teams together and you have your very own league. THE NATIONAL HIGH VOLTAGE DOES THIS.

MFCA DRAGONS

VS

MFCA RED DOGS

JUST EXAMPLE NAMES !

**You can promote the heck out of this game without hiding from the NFL or anyone else


mantaraydre

[jeff]

I know our league should make up some fliers . I think if I can put some up on the billboard at the gym , we could have some more recruits. Everyone there seems to wear football gear of some sort.
Anyone else ever put fliers anywhere with any success ?

[GrandMasterKC]

Many people thought the hobby was dead and so their grands and younger descendants have not been informed...information..game dates in various locations....go into the schools, stores and give away EF items....I try and connect the theory of discipline to EF and more often than not....you catch a professional ear and they tend to pass on the information...before you know it..your dropping off a video and an team to your eye Dr...there is always a place for the conversation about EF when presented in context and contrast to todays youth and adults. Promote father and son team tourneys and have teams ready for anyone walking into the library , store or wherever.

[the french guy]

speaking of vids, a nice feature I saw on a tablehockey games : scores insertition in the video (about 2.25s on the following video).






You can see the timing, score, names of teams, etc...

Imagine it for miniature football : coaches names, teams, downs, etc...

I remember the MF broadcasted games I saw on internet : you're always asking "what is the red team?", "who is playing?", "what's the score?", how many downs?" etc, etc...