Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

For Kalamazoo, Team Gemmell is doing something new and interesting.

Instead of searching in vain for one large sponsor, they are accepting microsponsors. Instead of going to the expense of making sponsorship patches, they are having them printed directly on their shirts.

With the low rate of $100, they've been able sell quite a few.

I remember the first "cresting" debates of the late '80's. Old time rich curlers were afraid that our teams would end up looking like NASCAR drivers. Donny Barcome responded, "What's wrong with that? I'd love look like a NASCAR driver if it meant I got to curl more!" Now, three decades later, we all hope that our teams get so many sponsorships that they are covered in patches.

10 small sponsorships would raise $1,000 and that goes a long way to helping a team compete without dipping into the rent money. We'll see how this works out for Team Gemmell. Maybe Duck will pop in here and share some of the details. I really hope he's starting something here. Mostly I'm curious to the patch production costs. In the old days, it would cost you the entire $100 to get the patches made and sewn on.

Ben Tucker

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Registered: Sep 2013
Location: Charlottetown, PE
Posts: 3

Absolutely nothing wrong with getting a whole lot of smaller sponsorships! However, unfortunately if the company expects that they receive advertisement out of their donations, it's pretty unrealistic. Speaking from past experience, just to put logos on on-ice clothing can cost upwards of $200-$300/logo depending on the approach.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 4002

This is why sublimation is great as companies like Runback and Fuzion can just print the logos onto the clothing. It doesn't matter that you have 1 logo or 25 now.

Microsponsorships is now the way to go for many teams and these types of companies make it possible.

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Registered: Nov 2004
Location:
Posts: 118

too bad here in manitoba that there are severe restrictions to the cresting allowed in provincials up to and including the wearing of logoed hats

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Registered: Jun 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 275

So here are some thoughts on the micro sponsorship thing. Some of them are especially pertinent to curling in the US -- others are universal.

First, on the costs for the logos on uniforms. Gerry is right — the sublimation process creates the opportunity. The process of printing uniforms is the same no matter how much artwork is on your jackets and shirts. Huge change from the past. Otherwise, this kind of thing makes zero sense because you'll eat up all your dollars in cresting expenses.

Second, some insight into the micro sponsorship effort. I'll start with costs for competitors.

To play in our US Nationals, teams need to have matching jackets, shirts, etc. For some teams, that's not a huge deal but just the expense of the uniforms alone can be tough for many. Uniforms aren't something the USCA can currently provide to a field of 20 Men's and Women's teams but, as curlers, I think we also feel some responsibility to look professional at our national championship. So we make sure we do. We also have to pay for all other expenses at our Nationals — travel, hotels, meals, etc. Not complaining, just explaining.

Since my team is on the, ahem, older side, we've had some time to reach a point in our lives that a week at the US Nationals, plus a trip to Seattle for a qualifying round, isn't an expense that would keep us from competing. (I don't say that to be boastful but simply to illustrate that our intent here wasn't as self-serving as it might appear.) This was really about creating a model for teams filled with players in their twenties, men and women who are still trying to establish careers and put some money away. For this group, our future generation of curlers, the costs of the sport are no small issue.

Keep in mind that most curlers competing in the US Nationals aren't funded by the High Performance Program. The USCA, through USOC funding, only has enough money to fund a small group of players — and I have no issues at all about not being supported by the HPP. I've been funded in the past but there are currently players in the US that it makes far more sense to back with high performance dollars than me. Heck, look at our record on Tour this year and it's clear that we didn't deserve funding.

I also know how hard it is is to find deep pocket sponsors here in the USA. Curling is exploding in popularity but it's still a niche play for most corporations. After my team won the 2012 Nationals, we pushed pretty hard for team sponsors. Let's just say we were less than successful.

So how do developing teams, particularly those with younger players, come up with some dollars to compete?

Well, I wanted to try this idea this idea of micro sponsorship. Crowd-sourced fundraising, in a way, and something I've thought of in past years but never put into action. The $100 minimum started as a bit of a lark —_ie. our team is worth all of a hundred bucks — but it was also an entry point that was accessible for a lot of people and small businesses. I didn't overpromise either _ it's not like that Benjamin was going to get people a massive logo on our unis.

But we also promised to use social media to boost the value of that 100 bucks. A bunch came from great friends but others just thought it was kind of a cool idea. One sponsor turned up because I offered to sweep for one end with an old Rink Rat-style broom. (That will be interesting.) Heck, some of the people just wanted to put a piece of art on our uniforms — they aren't even logos. Some of it is just meant to be fun. But it's a model for developing teams — use social media, gather a bunch of small backers, make it feel like those people are joining a special group. You're not going to raise enough money to be anywhere close to a full-time curler but you can come up with some money to defray the costs of competing, get out there and try to improve, and perhaps move to the next level where you can get real sponsor dollars. Or maybe in future years, your team really begins to succeed and those micro sponsors turn into something bigger.

Ok, that's a long explanation. I'll cut out for now. But not before I list our micro sponsors!

CurlingZone
The Curling News
Runback
BalancePlus
CurlNYC
Hit-the-Broom Curling Supplies
Brooklyn Bookworks
Tuck
Duck Droppings
e Graphics
Steve's Curling Supplies
Ardsley Curling Club
Plainfield Curling Club
Detroit Curling Club
Team Brat Pack
Curling & Cockfighting
Fairbanks Home Appraisals
Gingerbeard Events of Kalamazoo
F.A. Pratt of New Jersey
Rock Solid Productions
MedNetOne Health Solutions

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Registered: Mar 2011
Location:
Posts: 8

So Dean: you actually have every one of those printed on your shirts/jackets? Can you take a picture and post a link somewhere? I would love to see what it looks like.

Norma O'Leary

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Registered: Dec 2013
Location: California
Posts: 19

Love it - great job Dean!

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: US - CT
Posts: 1431

If you look carefully at that list you will see "Tuck" as one of the sponsors. Yes, it is that guy. A small group of smart people with some idiots thrown in came up with a coin of the realm of Tuck. Imagine a quarter with Tuck in profile, United States Curling at the top, two bits worth at the bottom and in Tuck we trust as the motto. That will be the micrologo. I have tried to post it here without success. Maybe if I email to Gerry he would add it.

Hoping that the jackets and shirts get some air time on the webstream from K'Zoo not to mention the use of the rink rat.

JH
I am on the idiot side of the group

Last edited by jhcurl on 02-04-15 at 05:19PM

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Registered: Feb 2011
Location:
Posts: 61

Great idea!

....just for the record, as a member, it's 'Cockfighting & Curling Club' :D

http://www.cockfightingandcurling.com/

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

Whoot, Dean!! Great results on using your social network.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: US - CT
Posts: 1431

And a little practice prior to nationals.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?...7094269&fref=nf

JH
swing it baby!

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location:
Posts: 180

Question...

I thought if you start a game with one style of broom, you were stuck with that choice for the entire game. I thought you couldn't, within the rules, start with horse hair, switch to rink rat, switch again to synthetic head etc etc. I'd hate to see someone throwing a penalty flag on what sounds like a fun idea.....


.....too lazy to read the rules.....

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Registered: Mar 2014
Location:
Posts: 107

I think the rule is only that if you use a real corn broom you can't switch, but you can swap between synthetics and hair brooms all you want.

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Registered: Jan 2012
Location: DeWitt, MI
Posts: 100

Dean Gemmell is the man. This idea is nothing short of brilliant.

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location:
Posts: 33

(e) A player may change the type of brush or synthetic broom at any time during a game,
provided there is no delay. A player choosing to sweep with a corn broom must use only that
style of broom during the entire game.

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

Noticed Team Gemmell has duct tape covering most of his microsponsor logos, even the art work celebrating different people and curling clubs.

USCA advertising and cresting rules, page 21:
http://www.teamusa.org/~/media/USA_...AL%20111714.pdf

It says _crests_ on uniforms require a 30 day advance pre-approval from an unnamed person or group in the "national office" but other than number of ads/crests (5) and where on a uniform they can be the rules are silent on what criteria will be used for decision. It says _ads_ must be pre-approved by who-knows-who with zero guidance on any content or appearance criteria. (Are all crests ads and vice versa? The rules glossary is no help.)

Allowing only 30 days for teams between the time of a challenge round or regional win and nationals to round up cash supporters violates several clauses of the "Spirit of Curling" on page 2 of the USCA rules.

The rules are silent about a non-ad uniform crest, color, or design. Could a team have a uniform with a hundred outlines of the Empire State Building just because they like the architecture or would that be deemed an ad for the building's rental agent instead of a mere fabric design like the plaid of one team's kilts.

Must one's own club patch deduct from the 5 only rule? What if a curler is a member of more than one club? Do multiple past year nationals patches count as one if sewn one on top of another? Any exceptions for "EB" patches? What about logos on shoes, brooms, belt buckles, glasses, watches, and drink containers? How do tattoos count?

Then, there are the appeal procedures with first, the event chief umpire and secondly, a USCA Board of Review. The only appeal guidance for those due process steps is "good taste" and whenever an unnamed person or group in USCA finds an ad (but not a crest!) as "deemed objectionable".

If USCA published a monthly or quarterly memo detailing all its prior contractual ad restrictions and had liberal rules for non-ad art for the likes of Ben Tucker, EB, past nationals patches, curling clubs, and other nonprofit entities USCA might avoid having their ad and cresting rules voided by any US civil court since now the rules are "void for vagueness", as well as being "arbitrary and capricious". Those rationales in contract law usually deem illegal contract clauses void.

How about a "Daily Pebble" article with pictures of at least 5 of Team Gemmell's crests with 5 different ones on each of the team members' jackets? (Or would removing the duct tape damage the crests?) Let them appear on the webstream this week or publish in the Pebble or the members' magazine the contractual language from USOC, NBC, AT&T or whatever entities legally forbid more than 5 of a team's crests on each uniform on TESN broadcasts.

Last edited by Alice on 02-16-15 at 06:18PM

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: US - CT
Posts: 1431

Removing the "Duck" tape would not hurt the microsponsor logos, they are printed on the jackets and shirts.

JH

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Registered: Dec 2014
Location:
Posts: 206

I have to say, the duct tape squares on the uniforms give a very industrial vibe to their look now, very fashion forward.

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