Our image as seen by others!

[Melissa Simmons]

Finally, the one thing I would like to add - UFWDA _absolutely_ needs a PR Director for the BOD!  We have been without one since last calendar year. 

~M~

[Todd Ockert]

Question

How much of the PR Director was rolled into the Marketing job that Marti has?
I know she has been busting her butt getting new business's for United.

I am sure we have someone in our membership that has a marketing background, that could help, or donate some time to the Association!

Todd

[Dave Logan]

Shawn, I agree to a point on the YouTube idea.  It may reach the young kids with the 3" body lift who are out running power lines or construction sites.

In order to reach the general public/media, we need another avenue.  Maybe the new PR person will have an idea.  Let's hope we get a qualified nominee.

I know we have limited funds (no funds) to work on a project like this, but I can envision a few different videos.   Each roughly 2 to 3 minutes in length. 

Maybe one that stresses staying on the trail and show the consequences for failing to do that. (Closure and trail repairs) (Tread Lightly! style, but more assertive) (Peer pressure to stop tearing things up)

One that shows the family friendly scenic ride with a Club. (General feel good surburban wheelers)( I wrote a script for that this morning)

One that shows the volunteer Adopt-A-Trail work / community service work we do. (Responsible stewards of the land, we act/they sue)

Ideas are cheap.  Let's see what we can actually do.  Maybe we can get a grant or sponsors, but I don't want it to be an advertisement for any one company) 

Looking forward to seeing you all soon...Dave

[Todd Ockert]

All

I think at the Land Use Conference in GJ, we can come up with some ideas, and keep them going.  This may give us an opportunity to look for funds at the same time.

Cal4wheel Foundation offers grants of $250.00 for different projects, and I think this could fit into what they are looking for.
I am not sure if other Associations offer the same thing, but would be a possibility to get them all to donate a few dollars that we could use to hire or partially fund a high quality video or two!

I will being the application for the Cal4 with me to AGM, and we can fill it out if we have a game plan on some of this.

Our idea here affects 4X4 users all over.

Todd

[UFWDA Forum Admin]

Todd many organizations have grants.. including the United Land Action Fund - which can be used for training and public awareness (I believe). 

There are avenues out there.

- Shawn

[Jim Mazzola]

Maybe one that stresses staying on the trail and show the consequences for failing to do that. (Closure and trail repairs) (Tread Lightly! style, but more assertive) (Peer pressure to stop tearing things up)

One that shows the family friendly scenic ride with a Club. (General feel good surburban wheelers)( I wrote a script for that this morning)

One that shows the volunteer Adopt-A-Trail work / community service work we do. (Responsible stewards of the land, we act/they sue)

One more. With all the public land closures, there has been a move afoot to develop private park venues. In Michigan I'm working with a Genesee County Parks and Rec Dept. We have a few hundred acre use facility right now, but it's a 4 foot deep mud pit on almost trail you go on.  I have convinced the Park to build a 'Rock Course' . Now this may not sound like much but when Detroit, Flint, and S.E. Michigan in general are all within an hours drive, we will have standing room only for this type of development. HOWEVER, trying to show examples of rock course, log crawls, and other potentially challenging obstacles is all but impossible. Most videos of these types of activities usually ends up with a roll over.  NOT they type of example I want shown to a litigious community or county government.
So, I need a video of challenging obstacles that isn’t' politically incorrect.
For example, Hollister Hills, does anyone have a video of some of their man-made courses?
jim-kb8ymf

[Todd Ockert]

Jim

Have you looked at www.pirate4x4.com for pictures and video of Hollister?
Some of those guys go out there all the time.

I will take a look around, and ask some of the other contacts I have out here.

Todd

[Scott Sperling]

ALL GREAT  comments and Right where we need to be Heading.

Indiana FWDA has been doing trail rides for disabled kids at Camp Riley, out side of Indianapolis for a few years.  The Campers and staff LOVE it!  I don't know where we are with publicity but I believe we have had local TV coverage.  Scott Sperling is the Organizer for IFWDA.

Public education of the family, charity and volunteer aspects of FWDA is needed very much and would go a LONG way in telling the story about our sport.

Thanks,   ---Doug

Hope this helps- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-cC0Wyov08
Pictures from this years' event held couple weeks ago can be seen on the http://www.fatboysjeepers.com/ website.

[dds4x4]

Thanks, Scott!

Would you post it and any other info over here, where Shawn has made a new thread -

http://www.ufwda.org/smf/index.php?topic=1042.msg5228#msg5228

[Scott Sperling]

Thanks, Scott!

Would you post it and any other info over here, where Shawn has made a new thread -

http://www.ufwda.org/smf/index.php?topic=1042.msg5228#msg5228

No problem... 

[Melissa Simmons]

Todd, you said:

Question

How much of the PR Director was rolled into the Marketing job that Marti has?
I know she has been busting her butt getting new business's for United.

I am sure we have someone in our membership that has a marketing background, that could help, or donate some time to the Association!

Todd

I don't believe any of the PR Director responsibilities were rolled into the Business Development Manager position that Marti has filled.  In the new Business and Marketing Plan for the future direction of UFWDA the job of PR Director still exists.  In my mind anyway, and I welcome input from other BOD members, a division of labor is really needed as the work load is different between public relations (recasting to the correct image of real four wheel driving as opposed to the myth’s and misperceptions fed by the anti-access groups) and business development (fostering good relationships between businesses and their customers, both of whom UFWDA represents). 

A PR Director that grasps the need to recast the correct image of four wheeling and our dedication to conservation, along with time and ability is essential and UFWDA must successfully fill our position for PR Director in order to give the proper attention that our image needs to be given.

The past year has been one of extraordinary challenges for this BOD - we have been shorthanded my entire term thus leaving those of us here doing double or triple the workload or in some cases just not doing the work at all.  Many late night board calls were spent making decisions on who would do the work that absolutely had to be done versus what work would have to be set aside.

If you know someone or know someone that knows someone with PR experience and background  willing to STEP UP and do some work, trust me, the board would likely welcome them with open arms.

~M~
 

[Lauren Levi]

Shawn, I agree to a point on the YouTube idea.  It may reach the young kids with the 3" body lift who are out running power lines or construction sites.

In order to reach the general public/media, we need another avenue.  Maybe the new PR person will have an idea.  Let's hope we get a qualified nominee.

I know we have limited funds (no funds) to work on a project like this, but I can envision a few different videos.   Each roughly 2 to 3 minutes in length. 

Maybe one that stresses staying on the trail and show the consequences for failing to do that. (Closure and trail repairs) (Tread Lightly! style, but more assertive) (Peer pressure to stop tearing things up)

One that shows the family friendly scenic ride with a Club. (General feel good surburban wheelers)( I wrote a script for that this morning)

One that shows the volunteer Adopt-A-Trail work / community service work we do. (Responsible stewards of the land, we act/they sue)

Ideas are cheap.  Let's see what we can actually do.  Maybe we can get a grant or sponsors, but I don't want it to be an advertisement for any one company) 

Looking forward to seeing you all soon...Dave

Hey all, Carla Boucher pointed me over to this thread, I had mentioned to her that I'm able to create videos and DVD's on my Mac and would love to get involved with trying to create something for YouTube for us to put up...all I need is footage and I can do the rest on my computer.  Please let me know if I can help out with getting something like that out there!

[Dave Logan]

Thanks, Lauren.  We'll know more after the AGM next week.

[Peter Vahry]

Hello Dave, where did you get to with the video you were shooting?

[Todd Ockert]

Peter

It is almost done, and we should have a copy for SEMA.  This is per my emails with Dave today.

Good work by Dave and his crew on this.

Todd