Slaw
For far too long, finding companies–big or small–to support you was a black hole filled with missed opportunities.
Kids chasing the dream left trying to figure it out by themselves. Searching Google for team emails that go nowhere. Building resumes that get blended in with 2,000 others. Digging through race results buried somewhere (or nowhere) online.
With the newly-launched Prospect Sponsorship Zone, we are changing the way you can secure sponsors. No more resumes with run on sentences. No more looking for results. We already have your results, so we’ve done the hard work for you. Your resume is already built within Prospect. Race by race. Result by result. And it’s fully automatic.
Starting now, brands like GoPro and Sota Fuel have already launched very unique sponsorship programs AND have the ability to discover you… and vice versa. The good news? You can get offers at any time. Win a championship at the RV2 World Mini Grand Prix? Your accumulated points may push you into a different tier. Meaning, better discounts and better sponsorships.
You’ll never have to wait until October to be rewarded for crushing NOW.
How does it all work? Continue reading for a how-to-guide:
STEP 1 – CLAIM YOUR PROFILE
First thing you gotta do is claim your Prospect profile. This should be the easiest part of your day. Open your phone. Search Vurbmoto Prospect. Download it. Easy, right?
Now, claim your profile. Also, very easy. Search your name. Find your rider profile. Claim your profile. Like I said, easy.
Then make it look like you’re an actual racer and not a guy whose last photo is from a birthday party in 2017. Upload a real profile photo. Add a background image. Connect your social media. Basically make it look like you ride a dirt bike and not just comment on Instagram about riding dirt bikes.
STEP 2 – GET ACTIVE
Next you actually have to race. Not a tough concept. How the Prospect Zone works is, it gives you points based on your results. There is a whole scientific formula behind our model which I will not be listing at this time, but one you can read all about here.
But the basics are:
Big races = More points.
Better finishes = More points.
The more you race the more your ranking improves, which in turn moves you into different sponsorship tiers. Each company will have different requirements, but know this: the more you race and the more active you are on social media, the better.
You can also follow brands you want to ride for and connect that way. Because brands are watching. Yes, even if you’re a C rider. Trust me, I checked.
STEP 3 – BE VISIBLE
Remember the whole racing thing we just talked about? Yeah, that’s important. Because brands aren’t just picking riders randomly. They’re scouting based on things like:
- Results.
- Consistency.
- Regions.
- Improvement.
- Class.
- Potential.
- And your social presence.
So if your profile says you’re fast, but you haven’t posted anything on social media in months promoting your sponsors or results, they’re gonna notice. The more complete your profile is the higher you show up when brands search. So fill it out. All of it.
Oh, and we also have a compliance tracker. So, if you sign a deal requiring you to post X amount of times on social media and you don’t, well, brands will know and you could risk them not offering a deal in the future.
This is good training for all you future pros out there: make sure to complete the tasks you agreed to.
What Happens on Draft Day
On the official opening of the Prospect Sponsorship Zone aka Draft Day, companies will begin to roll out their tiered offers with more being added every week. You can instantly search brands and see which deals you qualify for. You may qualify for some, others you may not… yet! Remember, if you keep racing and keep improving, you can work into those tiers.
The good thing about the Prospect Sponsorship Zone is that every day is Draft Day. So, if for some reason you missed out on the opening day, don’t worry, companies will continue to scout and you can continue to receive offers. Some might be entry-level deals. Some might be full sponsorship packages. And if you’re one of the top riders you might get the elite offers.
While not everyone will get multiple deals, you are able to get offers for gear, parts, goggles, supplements, etc. But not two companies that compete with each other. So no, you can’t run two gear brands just because you like both.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR RANK
We sound like a broken record at this point, but if you haven’t caught on yet, racing is KEY. Our goal with everything Prospect is to help the sport. More people riding and racing helps tracks stay open and the more tracks and riders we have, the more companies want to continue investing in the sport. Rising tides and ships. Or something like that.
So, how do you improve your rank? Here are some helpful steps:
- Complete your profile.
- Race more events.
- Be consistent.
- Keep your bio clean.
- Add your current sponsors.
- Stay active inside the app.
Basically treat yourself like a sponsored athlete before you actually become one.
WHAT RIDERS GET
So, now the important part… what do you, the rider, get out of it: One, and this is probably more for the parents, is NO MORE RESUMES. We know that is sweet, sweet music to your ears.
With Prospect, your resume is built in. All results, all in one place.
That’s not all, you can get:
- Live sponsorship offers.
- Brand scouting tools.
- Real-time deal management.
- You can even see who signed with who and track your sponsorship history over time.
REALITY CHECK
Now, let’s set some expectations on what you can expect. Not everyone gets a deal. While some brands will have discounts for a wide variety of riders, some brands will only have a few spots. And higher-ranked riders might get picked first. So no, this is not an automatic factory contract.
But as in life, if you continue to work hard, race, update your socials, you can work into those tiers. With Prospect, every day is like a draft day, so if you aren’t qualifying for spots now, spend the summer working on your skills, race a lot and hopefully by the fall you’ll be there.
And one more thing, just a reminder of what Prospect needs from you:
- Accurate profile info.
- Your class and bike setup.
- A good profile photo.
- Notification turned on.
- And for youth riders, parent contact info.
Note: You MUST be 13 years or older to be able to claim profiles. The good news to all you parental guardians, you can claim your child’s profile and manage their results, rankings, sponsorships all in one place.
Basically, don’t make it harder for brands to find you.
That should answer any questions you may have about the Prospect Sponsorship Zone and Draft Day, but if you still have questions, feel free to email us at [email protected].
