Whatsup with these lonestar sponsorships

[BillFleming]

So my biggest gripe with these "sponsorships" is that they require a big social media presence and in my opinion it's just a giant and profitable marketing scheme. I could land one fairly easy if I wanted but really unless a company comes along asking for me, or a store decides to sponsor me and let me throw an open bag, I can't see any reason to be sponsored as an 885 rated player, even though I throw decently far both BH and FH. I could see picking up a small brand like RDG maybe but with the way a few local AGL player's deals went down that's a bit risky IMO.

Of course it is a marketing scheme. ALL sponsorships are a marketing scheme, why else would a company sponsor someone? Look at MVP and Simon...MVP didn't give Simon a huge sponsorship because they like him. They gave him a huge sponsorship because they can make lots of money off him. Just his YT presence and his visibility on the courses is a huge amount of advertising for MVP. And I'm sure MVP's sales sky-rocketed when Simon signed with them. MVP may be paying him a huge sponsorship, but they are probably getting way more back from him being a part of their team. Same with smaller sponsorships...it's all about the advertising of the brand. At one time I looked into Infinite Discs 'team' and found you are not only required to have a social media presence, you were required to host tournaments/leagues (no longer required as they have an Ambassador level for TDs).

But it all comes down to advertising the brand.....and that means having a social media presence.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

I'm "sponsored" by Lonestar, but above the Ranger Team level. So I have some pretty intimate insight into what the tiered levels of sponsorship are. The Ranger Team is the lowest tier, and basically set up as a rewards program for supporting the brand. It was very much set up like the Dynamic Discs Squad, Prodigy Street Team, and such. It is very easy to get onto, but still selective and comes with a few requirements. Over 2500 applied and 600 people were accepted. (They have expanded with a mid season wave of new members that I do not have the numbers for).

Tiers As Follows (from lowest to highest)
Ranger - (basic brand loyal fans) comes with few limited perks
Lieutenant - (brand loyal ams who've met the requirements as a Ranger member and have earned the right to move up) Comes with more perks
Founders - Reserved for players (low level pros, age protected players and Ams) who stand out to the owners above others for their charity and community work, volunteer work, and growing the sport.
Tournament - 975 minimum rating to be considered, Comes with full gear allotment from bags, clothing, apparel, to discs.
Touring - Elite Series/ Pro Tour Card players. Comes with everything you would expect a paid professional to get plus tour series discs (which all of the money above cost of production goes back to the player per disc)

Ranger Team Members get:
4 Free Discs per year (Special Run/Plastic) every quarter
1 Free Team Dry-Fit Tee
1 Free Team Sew on Patch
A 20% off code for every purchase throughout the year
A one time 50% off code that can be used anytime throughout the year (meant to help with filling your bag if you don't already throw Lonestar)
Early access to any new releases (usually 2 weeks to a month before they go public for sale)
Access to the rest of the team, including the touring pros, on the teams facebook group

and are required to:
Post about Lonestar twice a month on social media
Wear Lonestar branded gear when playing sanctioned events
Bag 90% Lonestar
Uphold the owners code of ethics on the disc golf course

The Ranger Team is 100% a marketing tool. Lonestar puts right out there in front of you what you are signing up for, what is asked of you, and it is up to you to sign up for it (and you still might not get accepted). So I wouldn't call it a scheme or dirty. They aren't trying to trick anyone. It's for fans of the brand, people who want to say they are "sponsored", and people who want to be a part of a community or a team. It's not for everyone. I got involved with them because I TD events, travel, design courses, and help bring disc golf to PE programs and Lonestar is veteran owned and as a veteran, has been extremely helpful in getting me discs and equipment free or insanely low priced to get programs up and going. I had no intention of trying to be a sponsored player, but I will gladly represent their brand for what they have provided me with to bring disc golf to under served communities. Even if they are the butt of jokes, and the commercials are terrible. lol

 

[Sewer bill]

Thanks for the thorough explanation pastorofmuppets.

 

[DanJon]

The Ranger Team Model, in the majority of cases, is so that the person can tell everyone they are sponsored (and their Dad will feel less shame since they quit playing baseball and could've made it into at least a D2 school damnit).

 

[lee76007]

Reading this thread probably answers who a group of guys were two years ago at a heavily wooded course a favorite and like to play once or twice a year, Casey Logan in the Outer Banks NC. I had caught up to them playing the short tees and I abandoned the long tee to quicken playing thru. They were all wearing Discraft jerseys, same color, and having only played two years at the time I thought Wow their pros and didn't recognize any of them. I was expecting to see good drives, but two had to go bush diving, one an early tree, and two were just past my drive. They had me finish up but heard some tree hits on approaches as I walked to the next tee and thought they didn't seem to play much better than I play. It's likely they may have been a group of friends that enjoy Discraft, and maybe on some sort of sponsorship program, and wear jerseys because of it. Not me, and not with my game.

I've only seen one of our local pro's wear his Discraft sponsor jersey a few times, but not the one time I played a round with him. A couple of years ago he either won an A or B Tier.

 

[txmxer]

Welcome to reality.

The world runs on marketing. Sports run in selling you favorite pro or "be like Mke" and be sponsored.

Having known small sport manufactures, the get inundated with sponsorship requests. It makes sense for them to have some type of program like this. Anyone that isn't ego driven can see it as it is. It's a small discount to have the brand seen. If I make discs, I can't give a meaningful sponsorship to joe 800. But if he's happy sporting the brand I can give discount.

If you require every sponsorship to be of significant value in alternative sports, they will die on the vine.

Part of 3 putts fake it til you make it narrative.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I don't blame lone star, all their stuff is stamped LSD... if it's the archer and not the arrow bahahahaaa... but wide marketing appeal.

If MVP said hey you wanna be sponsored I'd be in. Hell I should be an "Associate Street Team Intern in Waiting" by now. Shoot me a patch and a couple discs a year. I'd be real happy with a shirt too. Extra fat please... I mean XL.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

Ranger Team Members get:
4 Free Discs per year (Special Run/Plastic) every quarter
1 Free Team Dry-Fit Tee
1 Free Team Sew on Patch
A 20% off code for every purchase throughout the year
A one time 50% off code that can be used anytime throughout the year (meant to help with filling your bag if you don't already throw Lonestar)
Early access to any new releases (usually 2 weeks to a month before they go public for sale)
Access to the rest of the team, including the touring pros, on the teams facebook group

and are required to:
Post about Lonestar twice a month on social media
Wear Lonestar branded gear when playing sanctioned events
Bag 90% Lonestar
Uphold the owners code of ethics on the disc golf course

That last requirement literally screams "the Nikko Clause"......

 

[PastorofMuppets]

That last requirement literally screams "the Nikko Clause"......

I will say this for Nikko, he understood what Lone Star was offering and what they required of him and made a significant effort to tone it down. He knew he'd be losing out on yet another sponsor. While an extremely passionate player who has done some very inappropriate things, he was much improved this year in those regards. So I will give him some credit. His past misgivings aside, I witnessed him be a better, kinder, ambassador (especially off the course) this year. It doesn't forgive all of his past antics, but it is definitely a step in a better direction. And yes, most refer to that code of ethics as the "Nikko Clause". lol

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Lone Star announces signing Carter Ahrens to their Pro Team today. Been spoiled for a while since he departed DD but was made official today. Very talented youngster with a ton of room to grow, and a great kid all around. Solid signing.

 

[Moose33]

Between Carter/Nikko/Emerson LSD trying to corner the market on bombers under 5'10"

 

[Awkward Accountant]

Update:

So i wanted to see how easy it was to be accepted on the lonestar team. I put an application under my Dog's name. Fake pdga number. Fake bio. I put a 770 pdga rating. Today my dog has been officially accepted on the team!!!! This proves literally anyone, including can become a part of the team. Sorry, its not a sponsorship

 

[BuiltTooLong]

Let's see the contract requirements

 

[DanJon]

Does your dog already have a 90% Lone Star Bag?

 

[Moose33]

Update:

So i wanted to see how easy it was to be accepted on the lonestar team. I put an application under my Dog's name. Fake pdga number. Fake bio. I put a 770 pdga rating. Today my dog has been officially accepted on the team!!!! This proves literally anyone, including can become a part of the team. Sorry, its not a sponsorship

Oof big yikes, I suspected as much hence my lack of affiliation after 2022. I do have the first ever team stamp disc from back when there were only about 50 of us though.

 

[Moose33]

I've been enjoying the Otto saga on Twitter. Good stuff here lol

 

[PastorofMuppets]

I've been enjoying watching people point out that Otto has a rating almost as high as the guy who posted it, and the media team from Lone Star rolling with it and starting to design a special run dog disc with the proceeds going to local no kill shelters.

 

[biscoe]

I've been enjoying watching people point out that Otto has a rating almost as high as the guy who posted it, and the media team from Lone Star rolling with it and starting to design a special run dog disc with the proceeds going to local no kill shelters.

Maybe I don't dislike Lone Star as much as I thought.

 

[Nick Pacific]

Maybe I don't dislike Lone Star as much as I thought.

I thought their plastic felt great the few that I've felt. My bag is so stacked now but if I came across a freebie I'd toss it into the trunk for a backup.

Our sport is still pretty desperate for any outside money and sponsorship, I'm all for what they're trying to do down there, they've been a HUGE net positive overall in the growth and support of the game.

 

[biscoe]

I thought their plastic felt great the few that I've felt. My bag is so stacked now but if I came across a freebie I'd toss it into the trunk for a backup.

Our sport is still pretty desperate for any outside money and sponsorship, I'm all for what they're trying to do down there, they've been a HUGE net positive overall in the growth and support of the game.

I have yet to see them have any impact on the game here. Their sponsorship of Nikko immediately biases me against them. They have deep pockets and obviously know a lot about injection molding so there's that.