Pretzel City Sports (PCS) offers a number of promotional services for running events. Many of these services utilize Pretzel City's eNewsletter which goes out weekly to over 10,000 people (as of May, 2008) and its web site which had 100,000 individual "visits" in 2007 and is currently on pace for 125,000 visits in 2008 ("visits", not "hits" which is a number that greatly distorts the frequency of web site viewership). Most of these promotional services are free if utilizing PCS's basic timing services but a few of them are "over and above" the services provided with timing and can be secured at an additional charge. Also, new in 2008, ANY of the services below can be purchased directly by races that have no relationship with PCS, other than for the purposes of promotion. Payment is due in advance of the services provided and PCS reserves the right to reject any events that are in the general drawing area of an event that PCS is timing; lest it hurt the race that is more fully using PCS's services. Standard procedure for inclusions in the eNewsletter is to run that information in the weeks closest to the event; unless otherwise requested in advance. IMPORTANT NOTE: The promotional services secured from Pretzel City Sports should be used to AUGMENT the promotion already in place for the race; NOT replace it. Localized promotion in stores, gyms, schools, publications, races, direct mail, etc in the area in which the race is held is always the cornerstone of a well publicized race. PCS's promotional tools can help your attendance considerably but is never the best way SOLEY to generate an outstanding turnout. The services that PCS provides and their cost are as follows: 1) Inclusion of several sentences about your event in PCS's eNewsletter: Approx. 3 sentences per week. incorporated into the normal text of the eNewsletter and written by PCS in its normal "conversational" style. Inclusion will direct readers to a place where they can get more information on your event. Events should share with PCS the aspects of their event they want highlighted but because it is impractical and can hold up publication, no preapproval by the event of PCS's text about the event will be sought. Also, no link listed in the inclusion will function as a "hot link" due to the limitation of the list service device utilized. Price: $15 per 1st inclusion, $10 per inclusion afterwards
(min. of 2 inclusion to participate, max of 8 inclusions per event)
(min of 2 inclusions free if utilizing PCS to time event) 2) Inclusion of a paragraph written by you about the event in PCS's eNewsletter: Up to 250 words about the event, authored by the event organizer. To be run as separate paragraph in eNewsletter with intro by PCS. Must be text based, without graphics. Differing text suggested per inclusion. Price: $30 per 1st inclusion, $25 per inclusion afterwards
($20 if utilizing PCS timing) 3) Mass Email Broadcast Devoted Exclusively to Your Event: Up to 500 words about the event, authored by the event organizer and broadcast by PCS to approx. 10,000 runners as a "stand alone" email. Must be text based, without graphics, to insure readability to the most readers. Differing text suggested per broadcast. Price: $50 per 1st broadcast, $40 per inclusion after that
(max of 3 inclusions per event, $30/inclusion if utilizing PCS timing)
4) Posting Your Event's Application on PCS web site: post a pdf that you supply of your race application in that section of the web site. Gives your event an online location to which to send people looking for a copy of the app to download
Price: $20 (free if utilizing PCS to time event) 5) Posting Your Event's Results on PCS web site: post a pdf that you supply of your race results. Results remain on site for a minimum of 2 years.
Price: $10 (free if utilizing PCS to time event) 6) Inclusion of event on scrolling message board on pretzelcitysports.com home page: Up to 25 words about the event, authored by the event organizer. No guarantee of order of appearance but message moves up to the front of order as event gets closer. Price: $15 per week. (max of 4 weeks per event)
(free for week or two prior to event if utilizing PCS to time event) 7) Purchase of Mailing List of Runners for Area: Developed from PCS's 25,000 person master list. Derived from zip codes provided by event and to include runners from those zip codes that have done a race in that database over the past 2 years (that is the PCS standard to make sure that the accuracy of the addresses is fairly good, event may select to go back further if they wish) Price: $10 plus 8 cents per name (free if utilizing PCS to time event) 8) Display of Banner Ad on Web Site: Horizontal Banner ad promoting your race to be displayed at the top of each page on the PCS web site; can be made into a hotlink to your site. Will go into rotation with other banner ads and appear on each page accessed in random order. Ad to be provided by you to the following specs: horizontally oriented 600 pixels wide by 90 pixels high. Provided as gif or jpeg. Keep file sizes below 30k if possible. Races needing compatible banner ads may wish to contact Mike Smull, MDS Designs, 610.438.4189, www.mdsdesigns.com. Prices start at $30 for a simple banner to $45 and up for more complex banners depending on animation, photos, graphics, etc. Price: $15 setup fee, $25 for first week, $20 per week after that
($15 per week from first week on if utilizing PCS timing,
set up fee still applies) To find out how to contact Pretzel City Sports to determine a price for your event and to discuss our availability, click here. To find out additional ways that PCS can promote you event, click here. To see what other race-related services Pretzel City Sports provides, click here. |
