GENIUS TOOLS Sponsors Media/Marketing Summit

[Mediaman]

September 23, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Gary Keith
714.815-4737
gary.w.keith@gmail.com

2009 Media/Marketing Summit Offers Tools for Success
Off and On the Track Thanks to Genius Tools Sponsorship

The 2009 Media/Marketing Summit for professional drifting, offered by CKMedia Associates, LLC, is not just offering professional drift drivers and teams the tools they need to succeed in their media and marketing efforts off the track, but also the tools they need to enhance their competitive efforts on the track, thanks to Genius Tools.
Genius Tools of Ontario, California announces support to drivers who register to attend the 09M/MS to be held October 19-20, in Orange County, CA. Each driver (not already affiliated with Genius Tools) who attends the conference will receive a Genius Tools kit AC-234125 with a retail value of $205.00. After the conference, the drivers and teams who have attended will have the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned during the two day summit that teaches enhanced media and marketing strategies and techniques.
Drivers who are not already sponsored by, or affiliated with Genius Tools will be encouraged to submit a proposal to the company. One will be selected to receive a $2,000.00 cash sponsorship for competing in the 2010 Formula Drift professional drift championship series.
“A program like this is much needed in order to move the sport of drifting to the next level. The economic effects in the automotive aftermarket have been particularly tough this past year. We all need to do our part to encourage greater attention to effective media and marketing programs by the competitors, and to assist in creating additional revenue streams for the sport, said Andrew Hwang, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Genius Tools.
“My sincere thanks to Genius Tools for their very generous offer to our attendees. Genius Tools’ participation in the 09M/MS underscores how critically important it is for competitors in America's professional drift series to learn the strategies and techniques necessary to conduct effective media outreach and marketing programs,” said Gary Keith, President and CEO of CKMedia Associates, LLC and Director of the 09M/MS.
Coupled with an anonymous corporate gift of up to $5,000, awarded in the form of $100 scholarships to the first 30 drivers who register for the 09M/MS, and an additional ten special needs grants of up to $200 each, the 09M/MS has received in excess of $15,000 in corporate support. The two day program will bring nearly a dozen highly respected media professionals and motorsports marketing experts together with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 60 pro and ProAm drift drivers and teams from Formula Drift in the United States as well as drifters from Canada, Europe and Asia. Attendees will receive a resource DVD and a full operations 09M/MS Manual in addition to the interactive sessions, and coaching from media professionals in interview techniques.
Scholarships and Special Needs Grants are still available but pre-registration closes Monday, September 28. Registration is by invitation. Drivers or teams who have previously received an invitation can register and request scholarship or a Special Needs Grant by going to the online registration form. A .pdf Fact Sheet which fully explains the 09M/MS can be accessed online as well (link below). If you are a drift driver or team and have not yet received an invitation, contact Gary Keith to obtain an invitation.
Genius Tools’ commitment to creating the highest quality of tools dates back to 1975, and that tradition continues today – supported by the best engineering talent, professional manufacturing, and invaluable feedback from customers. We have grown to carry a wide range of hand tools, pneumatic tools, automotive tools, and tool storage, providing over 8000 unique items. Genius Tools offers efficient, durable, and cost-effective solutions to professional users worldwide.
CKMedia Associates, LLC is a new media production and distribution company that produces The DriftZone, the official video podcast of Formula Drift since 2006, The Inside Drift, the world’s only global Internet radio talk show dedicated entirely to the professional drift scene, and LIVE Blog Radio, exclusive live Internet radio coverage, and the only live continuous media coverage originating from every Formula Drift professional drift event.



Links:

Genius Tools: www.geniustoolsusa.com

Formula Drift: http://www.formulad.com

09M/MS online registration form: http://www.jotform.com/form/92433242842

09M/MS Fact Sheet: http://www.thedriftzone.com/2009-media-summit.v4.pdf

Contact Gary Keith: gary.w.keith@gmail.com

[YOitzJDM]

how many confirmed entries do this thing do you have?

[Mars]

thats $205 worth of tools?

[Bebop]

hahaha, I'll stick to craftsmen

[genius]

Blaze, Mars,

I understand that for some people, hating is a sport. However, please keep in mind that our intention in sponsoring the event was to do our part as a member of the drift community to help support and further the sport. 2009 has been a difficult year for racing as a whole and 2010 may not be any better. Just look at the recent announcements over the past month on how many NASCAR sponsors are pulling out next year. Due to costs, many teams this year were not able to compete in all of the FD events this past year. I suspect that many teams may not even be able to compete at all next year. This event is to help the professional drivers and those that aspire to become professionals develop a plan to be able to sustain a career in drifting.

I have noticed that at events, especially locations where the start is far from the pits, several drivers do not have even the basic tools to do quick repairs between runs. The thought was that if the drivers were willing to pony up the money to attend the conference to better their situation, then the least we can do is to help then out with a compact tool set that they can put in their cars to use at events and at track days. Do we need to get involved? No. Do we need to care? No. But we think the issue is important enough to the future direction of drifting to pitch in and do what we can.

We each have our own criteria for how we spend our money and perceived value is different to each person. Just because you do not like the product, do not see the value in the product, or do not have the same use for the product, it does not necessarily mean that it is not suitable to others.

By the way, you can buy the same tools from another tool company for about $1000-1500. And as for Craftsman, make sure that you are making a fair comparison of their product vs. ours as they have several different lines of the “Craftsman” name.

Andrew Hwang
Genius Tools

[Bebop]

Genius,

With all due respect as a fan, potential driver, and a consumer... I commend you for all your support of drifting. That's the bottom line period.

As far as my opinion of tools go. Ive been wrenching for a while now and have used a bunch of different tools. Crafs, Snapon, Husky, Stanley, Great Kneck/OEM, Duralast, Harbor Freight, and random chinese no name crap. When it comes to value, in my eyes its all about convenience. Personally I have never broken a tool unless i was using it improperly, and even then its good to know you can bring that tool to a local retailer and have it swapped out. With that being said maybe you can see my distrust in a product that's relatively expensive compare to there competitors and lacks the costumer service and convenience of them as well. And seriously, who is selling a $1500 125 piece tool set??

In my own arrogant opinion, costumer service and convenience>quality or "quality". If you haven't assumed already, I'm not a big fan of Amsoil .

As far as drivers not having proper tools to do onsite repair. Any team that doesn't have a set of metric sockets and wrenches track side doesn't deserve the win. And for a serious repair 125 piece tool set wont get the job done or the job probably cant be completed in 5 minutes. As for grassroot guys, you don't need a whole lot of tools track side to have a good time drifting. Jack Jackstand, metric sockets, wrenches, screw drivers, 4 way tire wrench, a good hammer/mallet, zipties and jb weld. That's all you really need right there.

But hey, I give you guys allot of respect for giving these sets out so consumers can get son sort of real opinion about them.

[OldSkool510]

KUDOS to Genius Tools for the $2,000 sponsorship for the 2010 FD season!!!! Wasn't Genius Tools the main sponsor of D1USA this year? I've heard some FD drivers are already equipped with Genius Tools and was wondering if you will be taking the D1USA sponsorship $$$$$$$$ to FD next season?

[Mediaman]

Thank You Andy Hwang and Genius Tools

Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth is!

I want to personally thank Andy Hwang and Genius Tools for extending a very generous offer to those professional drift drivers and teams who attend the 2009 Media/Marketing Summit. Genius Tools is the second corporate sponsor to make a significant donation to lesson the cost and increase the value of the 09M/MS experience to attendees.
His offer and support represent an unselfish and extraordinarily generous gesture, especially in the current financial climate, aimed not at selling tools, but at conveying to competitors how important it is they learn from established experts, strategies and techniques to strengthen their media outreach and self-marketing programs.
Now for many of you fans who sit here night after night, reading and posting on a variety of subjects, that probably doesn't mean very much. But to the drivers and teams who have already invested great sums of their own money in their competitive efforts, and also must ask for financial assistance in the form of sponsorships, learning these skills, and putting them into practice are as important as anything on their agenda, or at least they should be.
The expense associated with building, maintaining and campaigning a competitive pro drift effort is rising, alarmingly. And the resources required to make the jump from amateur to the professional ranks are huge, and are already beyond the reach of many talented young drivers who can't raise the cash, principally because they simply don't know how it's done.
We all like to throw rocks at NASCAR, IndyCar and others as being old and out of touch with their fans, but they're doing a lot of things right, and they are formidable competitors for the same marketing dollars that your favorite drifters are after. And most of the time, the other guys are taking those dollars.
Again, that doesn't mean much to you, the fan, who would probably prefer the sport remain as pure and devoid of crass commercialism as possible anyway. The problem with that thinking is those crass commercial interests represent the line in the sand that separates a thriving pro drift series from one those that ended up on the trash heap of defunct and mostly forgotten endeavors, such as Mickey Thompson Stadium Trucks, The CanAm and TransAm series' to name a few.
Andy Hwang views the landscape from the perspective of a sponsor. He sees sponsorship proposals from drivers and teams in series' far higher on the food chain than pro drifting. By having made his unique and generous offer of assistance to drifting via the Media/Marketing Summit, he's made a bold and clear statement: Drifting, get your act together.
Sponsors have needs that must be met in order to justify their investments in motorsports events and competitors. And that's true at all levels, even though the specific needs vary from circumstance to circumstance. They're not all after the same things. Drift competitors, at all levels need to learn those needs, and how to fill them if they are going to capture the dollars they need to mount a competitive on-track program.
And in an environment where the entire automotive industry, and particularly the performance sector of that industry are under extreme economic and political pressure, you better learn how to identify and exploit the new media and the many incredible opportunities that abound. Get creative, develop and capitalize on initiatives that produce new sources of revenue, independent of conventional sponsorship channels. The 09M/MS was created to address exactly these issues.
The sponsors will be back. It may take a few years, but they will come back. But it's important that when they do, they come here, to drifting. But that's only going to happen if this sport matures and makes itself ready to compete for those dollars.
Yeah, Andy Hwang made a bold and clear statement for himself, and for Genius Tools, but he spoke for sponsors everywhere. He stepped up. He didn't just write a post, he wrote a check. And in this day and age that's called putting your money where your mouth is, and it's a pretty damned rare thing. And that's why I thank Genius Tools and Andy Hwang for their support, and you should too.

[Hubert Young]

We should all thank Genius Tools for their generosity. Seriously, I don't know how anyone can complaint when somebody is trying to help? Especially in this kind of economic turmoil?

I wish Genius Tools the best of luck in finding the right driver for their sponsorship package and also wish they will benefit from their association with drifting and continue their support for years to come!

[cfrost]

We should all thank Genius Tools for their generosity. Seriously, I don't know how anyone can complaint when somebody is trying to help? Especially in this kind of economic turmoil?

I wish Genius Tools the best of luck in finding the right driver for their sponsorship package and also wish they will benefit from their association with drifting and continue their support for years to come!

Well said. Another reputable company supporting drifting isn't going to hurt, it's a good thing

[genius]

KUDOS to Genius Tools for the $2,000 sponsorship for the 2010 FD season!!!! Wasn't Genius Tools the main sponsor of D1USA this year? I've heard some FD drivers are already equipped with Genius Tools and was wondering if you will be taking the D1USA sponsorship $$$$$$$$ to FD next season?

Thanks for you kind words. In regards to D1, FD and the whole drifting scene, I will just say that many details will sort themselves out between SEMA and the end of the year. I can't really predict what will happen, but I do have my theories. At that time, we will see what the most appropriate sponsorship opportunities will be for 2010. The only thing that I can confirm is that Genius Tools will be involved with drifting in 2010.

Regards

Andy Hwang
Genius Tools