Marketing the Racing Industry, and can Imagery help with this?

Australia has a high rate of recreational horse ownership. Think of all those little girls in particular, who just want a horse to love! Why aren't they begging their parents to buy a model Weekend Hussler, Sunline, Kingston Town, Might and Power, Phar Lap, More Than Ready, Redoute's Choice, instead of a "Rainbow Dash", or "Pinky Pie" from the dreaded "My Little Ponies" show? My daughter has just turned 5. She's been brought up in a very horsey environment. We have my dressage horse, whom we tend to twice a day, every day (she was trotting on the mare by age 2), and of course through my work photographing horses. She can pick out Sunline, Testa Rossa and More Than Ready instantly. My son, who's nearly 9, could do the same at 3 when he saw Lonhro and Makybe Diva on the TV or my computer screen. We have a house full of the various"My Little Ponies" and my daughter loves them! In protest, and to equal the slate somewhat, I finally bought myself, as a special birthday present to myself, some of the Breyer model racehorses that I had been coveting for so long.

In America, you can buy a model Ruffian, Smarty Jones, Barbaro, Sunday Silence and Seabiscuit, among many other possibilities manufactured by the model horse company BREYER. You can click on the links to view the Ruffian by Bryer, Seabiscuit by Breyer, Barbaro by Breyer. Breyer have also just released a brand new model, of the reigning USA Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, as well as a new version of the great Secretariat. No doubt there will be many pushing Breyer to release a Zenyatta too. The ONLY Australian Breyer horse you can buy, and it is now rare and therefore hard to find, is Phar Lap. Why? Perhaps it is because in Australia we don't promote THE HORSE enough. You also cannot easily buy any of the American Beyer Racehors models in a shop in Australia. Saddlery stores do stock Breyer horses, but none of the racehorses. The only way is to buy the racehorse models is online, direct from overseas. Where are the voices of the prominent members of the Australian Racing Industry, and why aren't they seeking a meeting with Breyer to convince them of the merits of commencing production of an Australian Thoroughbred line? And then having the resultant pieces displayed proudly in their office and/or home?

Much more could be done to showcase racehorses as individuals, including stallions at stud. Visual imagery is one of the most powerful tools in promoting a feeling, a way of life and a way of thinking. And it leaves an indelible mark on the minds of those who gaze on them. We need to make it easier for the public to have a favourite racehorse, just as they do a favourite footballer. Why doesn't every horse mad child (and believe me, there are still loads of them) have a favourite racehorse? And why doesn't that child beg their mum (or dad) to call by the newsagency, because she (or he) just NEEDs to see the horse magazines? And WHY are there NEVER any horse racing magazines sitting in the Equine Section of the magazine section, alongside "The Horse Magazine", etc? Why aren't these kids begging their parents to buy them a copy of a racing magazine, with a full cover photograph of the latest equine star gracing the cover? Why? Because these magazines are basically non-existent on a day to day basis. There is now basically only Racetrack Magazine (which is now reduced to only 4 issues per year), Bluebloods, and Practical Punting. The latter is so far removed from anything that is likely to attract a child whose interest lies purely with the horse that it barely rates a mention. Bluebloods is lovely, but is a specialist breeding magazine, and is expensive (most parents will also baulk at spending $20 on a magazine even for their horse mad child,particularly when "The Horse Magazine" sits there for $6.95! In addition, many times Newagents put racing magazines in a different section to the rest of the equine magazines (of which there would be at least half a dozen), meaning that as an equine based sport, Racing is being let down here! Surely the Racing Industry could afford to fund and produce such a magazine, and have it sit on the shelf at an affordable price, even if it's soul purpose was promotional, in order to try to raise the profile of the horses, and to get horse lovers involved. What better way is there to confront the "Racing is Cruel" argument by celebrating the horse? By running articles/photographs on special horses, both track and at stud, past and present?

If we want The Sport of Kings to appeal to the masses, it is my strong belief that the industry needs to look beyond the 'standard' racing image. Take a look at the great marketing results of recent years, and how they utilise imagery, both still and video, to portray emotion and excitement. One such ad is the "Whatever it Takes" run by the Surf Live Saving. The clip uses powerful imagery, both close ups and wide angle, along with an emotive soundtrack, and is compelling viewing. It is available to view here. Observe the close ups, and the fading in and out of focus, and the depth of field. Racing should tap into this, tap into the minds and emotions of its audience, who may also later chose to participate more actively in the industry.

Good imagery is absolutely worth paying for. Not all images are the same. NOT all photographers are the same. The Image is Everything.

© Bronwen Healy Photography 2009

The Address of this Page is:

http:// www.bronwenhealy.com.au

ABN: 29 017 796 503