mdevour
12-03-2007, 02:22 AM
This is my first post here, and I'm going to "spend" it on this blimp idea. Before anybody asks, I am not associated with the project in any way except as an eager subscriber...
First: We've got a Ron Paul supporter who owns a fleet of blimps and is willing to give all of us a great deal on monthly rental of his best airship!
Second: We've got a team of people each prepared to abandon their jobs and family life for a minimum of a couple of months to follow the blimp around the country to make sure there is coordination and communication between the campaign, local organizers, and the media.
Third: This company offers us customers an excellent outlet for our enthusiasm, unencumbered by campaign finance limits.
Fourth: It's a GREAT idea! People LOVE it! It has major potential to go viral and generate local media attention wherever it goes.
Now some rough analysis...
THESE NUMBERS ARE **MY** BEST GUESSES AND **NOT** FROM THE COMPANY!!! They are quite generous estimates, just to make my point...
Start up costs:
Airship graphics: $25,000
Promotional materials: $10,000
Legal: $15,000
Misc.: $10,000
Total: $60,000
Operating costs (monthly):
Airship & crew: $350,000
Web and Video: $3000
Food, lodging and travel: $25,000
Salaries: $32,000
Misc.: $10,000
Total: $420,000
Monthly Non-airship costs: 20% of Total
So, using these very generous cost estimates, I as a potential customer can expect that as much as 20 cents of each dollar I spend with this company will go to support the team of Ron Paul enthusiasts who are making sure that our cause gets maximum exposure from every day the airship flies under our colors.
If it runs for only one month, the bill will come to around $480,000, using my numbers. Each month thereafter, the bill will be $420,000.
The Republican National Convention is September 1-4, 2008, folks! That makes for about 10 months of operation.
If Dr. Paul takes his campaign all the way to the convention, salaries for this project would add up to less than one month's airship operating expenses. The entire enterprise would have cost about 10% of what we can expect the campaign to have raised over the same period, assuming the current fundraising rate remains constant.
If just the maxxed out donors with enthusiasm and money to spare can't pull this together, I'll be shocked.
Does the company have to perform? Damn right! And if they do, they'll have earned every penny! If they don't it won't take 10 months to find out!
I think as a business plan and an advertising campaign it sounds like a damn good deal to me!
Mike D.
First: We've got a Ron Paul supporter who owns a fleet of blimps and is willing to give all of us a great deal on monthly rental of his best airship!
Second: We've got a team of people each prepared to abandon their jobs and family life for a minimum of a couple of months to follow the blimp around the country to make sure there is coordination and communication between the campaign, local organizers, and the media.
Third: This company offers us customers an excellent outlet for our enthusiasm, unencumbered by campaign finance limits.
Fourth: It's a GREAT idea! People LOVE it! It has major potential to go viral and generate local media attention wherever it goes.
Now some rough analysis...
THESE NUMBERS ARE **MY** BEST GUESSES AND **NOT** FROM THE COMPANY!!! They are quite generous estimates, just to make my point...
Start up costs:
Airship graphics: $25,000
Promotional materials: $10,000
Legal: $15,000
Misc.: $10,000
Total: $60,000
Operating costs (monthly):
Airship & crew: $350,000
Web and Video: $3000
Food, lodging and travel: $25,000
Salaries: $32,000
Misc.: $10,000
Total: $420,000
Monthly Non-airship costs: 20% of Total
So, using these very generous cost estimates, I as a potential customer can expect that as much as 20 cents of each dollar I spend with this company will go to support the team of Ron Paul enthusiasts who are making sure that our cause gets maximum exposure from every day the airship flies under our colors.
If it runs for only one month, the bill will come to around $480,000, using my numbers. Each month thereafter, the bill will be $420,000.
The Republican National Convention is September 1-4, 2008, folks! That makes for about 10 months of operation.
If Dr. Paul takes his campaign all the way to the convention, salaries for this project would add up to less than one month's airship operating expenses. The entire enterprise would have cost about 10% of what we can expect the campaign to have raised over the same period, assuming the current fundraising rate remains constant.
If just the maxxed out donors with enthusiasm and money to spare can't pull this together, I'll be shocked.
Does the company have to perform? Damn right! And if they do, they'll have earned every penny! If they don't it won't take 10 months to find out!
I think as a business plan and an advertising campaign it sounds like a damn good deal to me!
Mike D.