AERIAL FREESTYLE New Public Appeal,

Professional Opportunities And

Benefits For Skydiving

From Humble Beginnings...

• Patty Wycliffe performed "aerial ballet" filmed by Ray Cottingham in 1974.

• Deanna Kent and Mike Michigan performed first widely-viewed freestyle for Norman Kent in "From Wings Came Flight" released in 1988.

• First World Freestyle Competition held in 1990.

• 12 teams from 4 different countries competed.

To An International Hit...

• More than four countries have already incorporated freestyle into their regular national skydiving championships.

• Fifth World Freestyle Championships held in 1994.

• 34 teams from 14 different countries competed.

Aerial Freestyle is Boosting the Sport from the Inside...

• Freestyle is giving people more reasons to jump, and reasons to jump more.

• New jumpers are entering the sport because they want to do freestyle.

• Many current jumpers are now devoting themselves entirely to freestyle.

• More jumpers are making "between load" solo freestyle jumps.

And Working Miracles from the Outside!

• Freestyle is improving parent-child relationships (!)

• Skydivers tell me their parents who saw me on TV now understand why they jump and accept their skydiving (whether or not they do freestyle!)

• Freestyle is solving marital conflicts (!)

  • A non-jumper wife began skydiving after seeing me on TV because freestyle gave her a reason to want to jump (and her jumper husband was eternally grateful!)

• Freestyle is winning recognition and awards for TV show producers.

• Freestyle is putting a "presentable" face on skydiving (at last!)

"Dale Stuart:" A New Story for the Media

Where I've Been in the Media, And Who's Been Watching

• Network prime time news/feature programs:

  • ABC (World News Sunday, Good Morning America, Prime Time Live)

  • NBC(Weekend Today, I Witness Video, EXTRA)

  • CBS (CBS This Morning)

  • CNN (Morning News, Sporting Life, Living in the 90's)

• Cable and major syndicated programs:

  • ESPN, ESPN-2 (2 feature programs, 2 programs about the world championships)

  • Prime Ticket (Trans World Sport)

  • NBC Syndicated (Front Runners)

• Local News Features: 18 separate feature programs in 8 different cities.

• International and Foreign National Programs:

  • 3 world-wide feature programs

  • 7 different national feature programs in 4 different countries

  • 10 programs about the world championships in 5 different countries

• National magazine feature articles or ads:

  • Sports Illustrated (US)

  • Glamour (US)

  • Allure (US, Ellesse ad)

  • Technology Review (US)

  • Le Figaro (France)

  • New Look (France)

• Regional magazine/newspaper feature articles: 7 different publications

Total Audience Estimates:

• US National TV: 190 Million

• International TV: 200 Million

• US National Print: 6 Million

• International Print: 2 Million

Why is the Media Interested in Me?

• Stories of individuals doing unique things are always popular.

  • Human interest stories are a proven audience-pleasing formula

  • Aerial freestyle is still unique and different

• Good aerial freestyle is beautiful and interesting to watch.

  • The aesthetic value speaks for itself

• A multi-time world champion athlete is intrinsically news-worthy.

  • People like to hear about winners

• The contrast of an MIT Ph.D. aerospace engineer becoming a world champion athlete is unusual. Very unusual.

  • MIT Ph.D.'s are supposed to be uncoordinated "nerds," according to the stereotype

  • World class intellectuals and world class athletes are rarely found in the same package

• Proper "packaging" helps sell the story to the media.

  • Don't underestimate the value of a professional image and a professional press kit

  • A good publicist can help with the packaging, and can do the legwork to make the right connections

My Message and Media Goals

Key Points I Communicate to the Media:

• Skydivers are not reckless thrill-seeking daredevils.

• Skydiving is a modern, sophisticated sport using state-of-the art materials and equipment technology.

• Modern equipment makes the sport as safe as the individuals using it.

• Skydivers can be respectable, professional athletes.

• Skydivers jump for a purpose, not just to tumble aimlessly in freefall.

• Skydivers can maneuver under complete control while in freefall, and under canopy.

• Skydiving is a fun, sane experience accessible to nearly everybody.

Overall Goals for my Media Appearances:

• Create a positive image for the sport of skydiving.

• Introduce audiences to aerial freestyle and develop recognition for it as a world-class athletic event.

• Explore the extent of current and potential future audience interest in aerial freestyle.

• Pave the way to help future freestylists gain media exposure.

• Develop name recognition for myself to help attract future sponsors.

• Gain exposure for my current sponsors.

Aerial Freestyle Immediately Captures Audience Attention...

• Freestyle defies people's concept of what's possible for humans to do in freefall.

• Freestyle derives aesthetic value from its similarity to dance and gymnastics.

• Freestyle's unique dynamics allow moves which cannot be performed on the ground.

And Offers People the Gift of a Moment of Joy

• Freestyle allows people to believe that humans can "fly," and allows them to vicariously share that experience.

• Freestyle as a performing art makes a connection to the audience.

• Making People Smile is What it's All About

Creating and Using Media Opportunities

What Could You Gain From Media Exposure?

• Dissemination of information

• Image enhancement

• Low-key advertising

• Increased name recognition

How to Get the Most out of a Media Opportunity

• Identify exactly what you want to gain from the exposure.

• Choose the appropriate magazine, newspaper or TV program for exposure.

• Define your message in advance - keep it concise, and state it in "sound bites."

• Know what you want to say, and how best to say it.

The Media is Not Your Friend, Nor Your Enemy

• The media will not come knocking on your door (unless you're an O.J. Simpson or a Nancy Kerrigan).

  • Create your own story and actively market it to the media

• The media works to satisfy their own bottom line.

  • The media business is highly competitive

  • They want stories that will draw large audiences, and boost their ratings

  • They may only want certain "styles" of stories for their particular markets

• Reporters may look for sensational tidbits, or try to fit your story into their format.

  • Be careful and deliberate when answering interview questions

  • Treat everything you say as if you were saying it "live," even if the story will be edited

  • Stick to your message, and tell your own story

• It's up to you to make yourself look good - the media won't do it for you.

  • Communicate your message with excitement, commitment and professionalism.

  • Smile and communicate happy feelings

  • A well-groomed, professional appearance makes your message more credible

  • If you've never been on camera before, rehearse your story in advance!

  • If you have been on camera before, rehearse your story in advance!

A Good Press Kit Can Help in a Lot of Ways

• What to put in a press kit:

  • A one-paragraph synopsis of your story, in the most exciting terms possible (sell, sell, sell!)

  • Biographical information about yourself, or key people in the story (you only have to say the interesting stuff, not your whole life story)

  • Background information about the event, sport, or other activities in your story (one page max)

  • Exciting photos of what you do, or what your event is about (three photos max)

  • Video tape footage of what you do, or what your event is about (five minutes max)

  • Copies of previous articles, ads or print media appearances (that are less significant than the current one you are working on)

  • Video tape footage of previous TV appearances (that are less significant than the current one you are working on)

• Use your press kit to help sell your story

  • Send a minimal kit (synopsis and one photo) to all potential media targets (TV show producers and magazine editors)

  • Offer to send further information (bio, background, photos, videos) if interested

• Use your press kit to help tell your story

  • Give press kit info pages to reporters as soon as they show up - reporters may not have much advance knowledge about what the story is about

  • Chat with reporters informally about the story to educate them before they formulate their interview questions - the more they know, the smarter their questions

Finding Sponsorship and Endorsements

Start with a Focused, Professional Proposal

• Identify your "product," and define it in concise, easily understood terms.

  • Your "product" is what you have to offer to a potential sponsor - make it sound irresistible!

  • Identify how your product is different from everybody else's, and how it is so unique that you are the only person (team) who can deliver it

• Explain why your customer should buy your product.

  • Describe how your product is so essential to your potential sponsor's business that they should wonder how they ever did without it!

  • Explicitly identify the benefits of your product to the potential sponsor, and how it will help their bottom line

  • Anticipate and answer potential questions about risk, liability, contingencies, if applicable.

• State the "cost" of your product.

  • Define what you want in return - give rough dollar amounts or quantities of goods

  • Leave room to negotiate

What Should Go Into a Proposal Package

• Personal proposal letter (two pages max)

• Photos illustrating your "product" (three photos max)

• Summary list of your significant achievements in support of your product (one page max)

• Video tape footage illustrating your product (three minutes max)

• Any material showing use of your product by other companies or sponsors

How to Make Contacts and Find Possible Target Companies

• Attend product trade shows and conferences - marketing managers are always there.

• Read trade journals and magazines to see how various companies advertise.

• Contact advertising agencies and ask for referrals to their clients.

• Use an agent.

Improving Your Chances of Survival

• Assemble your proposal into a professional-looking package.

  • Your proposal appearance speaks implicitly about the quality of your product

  • Make your proposal stand out among the hundreds that it might be buried under.

• Carefully select your target companies.

  • Do your homework and research your target company's policies - many cannot accept unsolicited proposals or have policies against sponsoring individuals

  • Find the right person to talk to - get to the decision-maker as quickly as possible (usually a marketing director or advertising manager)

• Use phone communication judiciously.

  • Try to make personal contact with the individual to whom you want to send your proposal

  • Call in advance to introduce yourself, but don't give your whole pitch right away - just give a teaser, and ask for permission to send your proposal, then send it overnight

  • Follow up in one week "to make sure it arrived"

  • Follow up after another week "to offer to answer any questions"

  • Maintain communication with your contact until a decision is reached

• Take the role of a salesman, not a beggar.

  • Listen, and be responsive to a potential sponsor's needs and concerns

  • Don't appear to be asking for a handout.

If You Get a "No"

• Accept it gracefully, and ask for as much information as possible about why a "no" was given.

• Use a "no" as a learning experience to improve your proposal and your pitch to the next potential sponsor.

• Recognize that many companies get hundreds of unsolicited proposals per week, many of which are not given more than a few seconds of their attention.

If You Get a "Yes"

• Congratulations! Now proceed cautiously with negotiations - it isn't over until the contract is signed.

• Have a legal-minded friend or lawyer review all contractual material before you sign it.

• Make sure you resolve all your concerns and clearly understand what's expected of you.

Aerial Freestyle's Benefits for Skydiving

Aerial Freestyle Instantly Communicates Positive Messages About Skydiving...

• Good freestyle communicates a safer, more sophisticated image of skydiving and raises public acceptance of the sport.

• Frequent favorable exposure makes positive images replace sensational negative images of skydiving.

And Helps the Bottom Line for the Sport

• Good video footage and photos can capture people's attention for promotional stories or advertising for skydiving.

• Improved image of the sport attracts more first-time jumpers.

• More reasons to skydive makes more people want to skydive, and makes people want to skydive more.

Aerial Freestyle's Potential Long-Range Advantages for Skydiving

• Freestyle is spurring advances in skydiving equipment.

• Future freestylists may obtain individual sponsorship for full-time training.

• Sponsored, media-oriented events give higher visibility for skydiving overall.

• Connections with outside corporations brings access to larger financial resources than those available within the sport.