If you keep the videos rolling, customers will get so cranked up, they'll not only grab a tape, they'll buy new skis and clothing along with it. RAP Films, another company which produces ski and snowboard films, offers retailers a guarantee buy-back program, allowing them to return unsold tapes. Other production companies have gone beyond retailers to gain sales. Glenn Ross, who was senior VP of marketing of Republic Pictures, said his company used a variety of tactics to move its instructional sports videos. Using sports celebrities helps to move videos and CD-ROMs.
Endorsement gives the product instant credibility.
It opens some doors at retail and makes you stand out from the crowd. Some companies have been tripped up by rights issues. Any company planning to include team logos, players' photos, and music will have to obtain the right to use them. Skating fans, for example, have complained that some of the videos they have purchased do not contain the proper music. Unfortunately, some production companies substitute generic music they can obtain for free instead of paying the licensing fees to feature the music the skaters actually used during their competitions and performances.