Just a few days ago I fished an American Fishing Series Event on Lake Pickwick in Alabama. This is a great series and has some really good fishermen from several states competing against each other. I first fished the EverStart series back in 2003 when I was living in Nevada, then a few years later I fished the Stren Series. It's all the same series, just with a different name. These great tournaments have sort of an identity crisis. Having worked in marketing for a few years, I see this is a problem with branding. I know sponsors come and go, but I always have a hard time explaining to people what event I am headed off to. I typically just call it the Stren Series because some people don't even know they switched the name before this season. The reason I am even writing this is because of something that happened at Pickwick.
At the pre-tournament meeting, the FLW officials had a print out of the tentative schedule for 2011. The schedule was great; it starts on Okeechobee, then to Guntersville, Eufala, and Pickwick. The year finishes with a Championship on Kentucky Lake. All of this is good news, back to four events, and an entry-free championship. This year they have an Invitational, but you have to pay to fish even if you qualify. The schedule is great but the reason I am bringing this up is because on the tentative schedule had "EverStart Series" written right on the top.
I asked the FLW crew if it was going back to EverStart, but they said they didn't know. I went back a few minutes later to show my buddy, and the second sheet, which was stapled to another sheet was gone. This is interesting to me. Wal-Mart is back with FLW and plans to make them "better than ever", EverStart is Wal-Mart's battery brand, and now this. Maybe this was leaked information, or maybe the FLW crew is just as confused as the rest of us about what to call this series. I guess we will have to wait and see.
3 comments:
Yes, I agree this is a major problem they have.
The 'American Fishing Series' is too long of a name and too generic. And, if you name the trail after a sponsor, it will constantly be changing every year.
How about the BFL All-Stars Trail?
In all seriousness, I agree, they do need to work on the branding of this circuit.
It could be argued that AFS (over the years) has been equally as competitive and prestigious as the BASS Opens.
Good points Russ. I like the circuit and everything about it. They also said the payback is going to be much better next year. Guess we will have to see what it's called.
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