Here at Balihoo, I get the opportunity to work closely with our media team.  I observe and learn from them while they develop media strategies for our clients on a daily basis.  I’m continually impressed by the time and commitment they put into each advertising media plan they create.  They are extremely committed to researching every media type in local advertising markets in order to reach our clients’ diverse audiences.  The alternative media vehicles they research particularly fascinate me and have caused me to pay closer attention to the creative ways brands promote their products or services in my life.  I can always appreciate an ad that catches my attention due to its particular location, delivery or behavior.

A prime example of one of these innovative media vehicles happens to be just that, a vehicle.  Well, kind of – it’s a vehicle for horses, anyway, and happens to be owned by a good friend of mine.  This friend competes professionally in the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association and travels the country year-round to compete in the biggest rodeos in the world.  He and his horses have traveled on nearly every main roadway through every state in the western three quarters of the continental United States.  He also happens to be part of a unique but growing group of cowboys who are sponsored by inspired companies looking to support one of our country’s most cherished western traditions. 

These partnerships are very beneficial to both parties.  The cowboys typically wear the brands’ logos on their competition attire while their trucks or horse trailers display brand decals.  This sort of advertising delivers invaluable brand exposure from the big screens of our country’s largest sporting event venues to its vast network of interstate highways.  The cowboys, in turn, are supported in their never-ending quest to reach the next rodeo and compete without the worry of expensive entry fees and fuel prices. 

My friend is sponsored by Celadrin, a joint supplement company out of California.  The partnership is a good match, and I applaud Celadrin for making rodeo a part of their integrated marketing strategy.  What a great opportunity for them to get their logo, web address, and retailers' names on a vehicle that will travel their entire trade area year-round.   Further, they are associated with a successful athlete of an extremely physically demanding sport.  Rodeo cowboys exude ruggedness, athleticism, and raw grit, all of which is admired by the large audiences professional rodeos draw.   My friend’s endorsement of their product makes sense because he uses it on a daily basis and strongly believes in its benefits, so it’s an easy sell for him when talking to friends and fans, alike.

I encourage all companies to think outside the box and consider new and innovative ways to deliver their message to their audience.  I’m not sure if I’ll see a rodeo cowboy sponsorship make its way into one of Balihoo’s recommended advertising media plans, but based on our team’s meticulous approach to scrutinizing local marketing ideas, I wouldn’t be surprised if something equally as creative and original showed up.