I think this idea and others like it are probably the most plausible ways of assisting the growth of the community. The thing about the movie idea a few others is there’s a possibility they could have an impact, but I also see the potential to just end up being percieved as gimmicky and corny, or just a forgettable short lived attempt.
I think realistically your best chance of having any lasting impact to the popularity of yoyos in the future with 20k is reinvesting it back into the community. As already mentioned, instructors, more clubs, contest, anything to help strengthen the community.
And without question being on top of social media presence is a huge tool in reaching a wider audience along with a little bit of luck.
Or you know maybe I could just buy a really awesome new motorcycle and do my part by carrying yoyos with me to share with other riders thereby increasing exposure and popularity. I mean win win right?
Honestly I think this is more important for promoting someone to stick with the hobby than a lot of people think. You buy a yoyo. It comes with one crappy string. Yoyo lasts a week before you break a string and can no longer play with it. Yoyo gets shelved and ignored.
I was cleaning a house yesterday and I noticed that one of the kids had a yoyo on the shelf in his room. I decided to steal a throw on it just to see how it played (some brain yoyo). I throw it down, it comes right back up. I try again, same thing. I take the thing apart and notice that his string had already broke, but he had tied a knot in it to fix it. The yoyo no longer works as intended. I bet he has already lost interest (didnt talk to him).
Honestly, I really think the whole advertising/celeb/viral approach is a non starter. 20k goes nowhere in that department, and we see way too much advertising nowadays for the single ad that might buy to make any impact.
I really think schools are the best way to go. Could probably get schools to let you come in for a quick 30min “assembly” for free at some point during the year. Give em a flashy little demo and then like a PowerPoint/video assisted presentation showcasing how yoyoing is a full fledged hobby and not just walk the dog. Show some looping, 3a, offspring, etc. Touch on the different styles and how much room there is for progression into each of them. Explain responsive/unresponsive.
Keep it short enough to hold attention, but as flashy and fun as possible.
Then give away some yoyos. Attach a little YYE card to the box, maybe with the YouTube page of Andres tutorials on there too. This really is the key I think. Because of the unavailability of yoyos almost anywhere but online, kids who may have a bit of interest probably end up forgetting the idea when they can’t get a you without mom and dad’s credit card and navigating all the options online. Getting that first throw into a potential new players hands is actually the biggest factor, IMO, when you can’t grab one at Walmart or another location store.
I’d give a decent plastic unresponsive to each kid that’s interested. Ask em to only take one if theyll actually give it a go, maybe even leave a collection box at the school for the next month, and have the kids who aren’t into it bring em back. Pay a dollar, or a king size candy bar or something for anyone who gives back their throw in working order. Come back a month later and grab the return box.
On to the next big school that’ll have you
Like I said, gotta spend most of it on a huge bulk purchase. Yoyos in hands is the best way I can think of
I’d throw a bunch of support behind a group like 25Throw. They’re trying to popularize yoyos in Kenya, and it looks like there is a tremendous opportunity for growth and success. Here’s their Instagram page, you don’t need to have an account to view it.
Get more people in the schools teaching/promoting yoyos in a sustainable way. Not just fad trends that fizzle out. Remember fidget spinners? So the opposite of that.
Then make sure those kids have a pipeline into a welcoming regional/national/global yoyo community. Forums, IG accounts, regional clubs and comps, podcasts, etc.
Without #1, you won’t have any new growth. But without #2, you will fall into the age old yoyoing problem of boom/bust fad.
Now, how $20k helps do this? I have no idea. Perhaps spend it on 100 “school club starter pack” type kits of throws/strings/instructional manuals and then find people to commit to running those clubs.
But having a contest somewhere won’t get new eyes on the hobby. Even the contests with the best walk-through traffic don’t make more than a handful of new players each year. If it wants to grow, yoyoing has to reach new players and have a sustainable way to keep them around.
Fund a rewards program for one year with cash payments for new yoyo clubs organized with regular schedules that sends out starter plastics and pays the organizer a small amount monthly based on attendance.
I’m trying to think of what would get someone like me to make time in my life to start a club/program. In some ways, I’m the exact person who should do this. I’ve been involved with throwing for a long time in one fashion or another, I have kids in elementary school, I already help run an after-school program (biking), etc. Aside from the time commitment on my part (which is, for most adults, no small thing), it would be easy for me to start a club.
Would I care about $100 cash? Would I care about a YYE gift cert and some public kudos in the forum? Would I care about a special run or engraved yoyo from somewhere and a bunch of IG shoutouts? No idea. But all are something to think about.
Intersting idea. I gave a half hearted attempt at starting a club. But with it just costing me money it didn’t get anywhere. In the end I gave some yo-yos to some kids and never heard from anyone again. Maybe incentive would help.
Or a prescribed plan on starting a club even. Like a template for startup.
Right, starting a club definitely has overheads. So if founders can be incentivized with a good amount of beginner friendly yoyos and string and cost of promotion/ advertisements… It’s not a lot but it would help ease the financial burden.
What a better way to promote new local throwers than to have a rock solid yoyo club? If we can instill a real sense of community to help people feel encouraged and valued, that has the best potential of creating long term players imo.
