Badges, Branding and The Quality of DTD.

[theprawnidentity]

We go abroad to play poker ~ once a month and I've always thought that we should be repping DTD each time when we go. Perhaps get our hotels flicked in in exchange for repping DTD all the time

It would be criminal to have a DTD reg on a big Vegas FT without a patch at the least imo.

I mean, as a reg of DTD there is benefit to you just by wearing a patch.  It doesn't cost you anything, and whatever you can do to get more people to the club the better.  

Also, patching up the fish man whos gonna 6b shove K2o has to be high variance, not sure the club would take those kinds of risks.

[cambridgealex]

Yeh I don't think DTD really give enough free stuff out. I mean come on guys, do a bit for UK poker please.

disclaimer: i'm joking

[theprawnidentity]

I think they do an amazing job of getting the recs in as they're always prepared to run / try something different (plus the tokens and super sats they give out / run get more guys into the club).  But I don't think patching some of the guys up who travel a bit more would do any harm.  As Tal pointed out though, they have to be the right person to do it as it is not a widely recognised brand and the person sporting the said paraphernalia would have to be engaging, friendly and get people talking.

[Tommy Bingham]

I think they do an amazing job of getting the recs in as they're always prepared to run / try something different (plus the tokens and super sats they give out / run get more guys into the club).  But I don't think patching some of the guys up who travel a bit more would do any harm.  As Tal pointed out though, they have to be the right person to do it as it is not a widely recognised brand and the person sporting the said paraphernalia would have to be engaging, friendly and get people talking.

Yeah. And thats why I mentioned regs at DTD. Compared to most 'Casinos' the player at DTD is a different breed. Mainly knowledge of the game and it's values is better represented by a DTD player. If it costs £1 and one person extra person signs up and deposits for a £30+3 satalite, it makes a difference.

Again my post WASNT the intention of having a DTD Team as such, just a number of players who will wear a little logo.

[Tommy Bingham]

Btw, my new free DTD hoody fits like a dream. Thankyou.

[1tripz1]

The amount of traveling pros who will wear a patch for free, unless they are invested in the company, is minuscule to non existant. Believe me. A few years ago I was offering one of the more popular names from this forum 4 figures to wear a patch of one of the top 3 sites and he said no.

This of it like this. DTD probably aren't idiots, so if it was as easy as you're making it out, why haven't they already done it?

[Tommy Bingham]

Also, like said previous, Iveys marketing budget must be massive. He is staking players and in retun they wear the brand.
DTD have many happy customers who I am sure would wear a little badge. For DTD, the cost is jst a badge, not paying for a £300 deepstack for someone to wear it.

[Tommy Bingham]

The amount of traveling pros who will wear a patch for free, unless they are invested in the company, is minuscule to non existant. Believe me. A few years ago I was offering one of the more popular names from this forum 4 figures to wear a patch of one of the top 3 sites and he said no.

This of it like this. DTD probably aren't idiots, so if it was as easy as you're making it out, why haven't they already done it?

Again, people missing the point. I am not on about Pros. I am not on about sponsoring Trickett for highrollers.
Simply, increasing awareness of a brand through the means of its happy customers.

If Rob Yong asked people, I am sure a large majority would have no issue.

[Tommy Bingham]

DTD dont and probably will never attract big names or pros to play on their DTD. They don't need to.

Their market is recreational, pub and local players.

[GaryM]

I'm a rec player. I bought a DTD hoodie on my fourth visit to the club maybe five years ago. I wear it everywhere I play EXCEPT at DTD. I wore it at the ISPT and I didn't see another DTD logo worn by anyone else. In fact I've only ever seen one other player with a DTD branded item on.

I originally bought it because:
a) I wanted a hoodie and this was good quality.
b) I really liked the club and was happy to be associated with it.

I play half my live and online poker at DTD but by no means would I be considered a frequent visitor by comparison with many. Having said that, I think of myself as a DTD player and I'm happy to advertise that association at my own expense for my own reasons. I'm quite surprised though, that given the support and appreciation shown to the club by so many on this forum, I don't see much evidence of that loyalty out on the felt in terms of DTD merch worn.

Sponsorship is a whole different issue.

[Jables20]

While its a nice idea I think you'd find that the people who would be willing to wear a patch completely for free probably aren't the sort of players that are going to raise any worthwhile awareness for the club/site anyway. There's an opportunity cost to wearing a patch and most travelling pros, including DTD regs who love the club,  will be aware that a deep run in an event may earn them a few thousand selling a space on their shirt. This isn't as prevalent as it was 4 years ago, but it's still a consideration especially at the Series. You don't want to be in a position where you aren't asked the question from the man at Jack Links because you're already wearing someone else's patch as a favour. You might say that in that case you could remove the DTD patch in favour of the business deal, but then surely this makes the whole exercise even more pointless.

I drink redbull, if they sent me a T-Shirt I would wear it cus it is a shirt for free and a product I personally use and trust. I wouldn't email them and say give me money or I won't wear it.


People pay VPP's to wear the Pokerstars logo? Yes, massive brand, but the customer is paying to advertise their products.

Wearing a Rebdull T or buying a Stars shirt is surely just terrible fashion sense more than anything else. When making initial reads at a new table I doubt I'm the only one who brackets randoms wearing merch as a fish until proven otherwise. I certainly wouldnt think, that random guy is wearing a DTD patch, must remember to give them a spin. Not having a pop at you here but I don't think its valuable to have randoms wear a club/site badge for the club/site and way way less than 90% of players worth their salt would be willing to do it completely for free (and why should they imo)

[Tommy Bingham]

I'm a rec player. I bought a DTD hoodie on my fourth visit to the club maybe five years ago. I wear it everywhere I play EXCEPT at DTD. I wore it at the ISPT and I didn't see another DTD logo worn by anyone else. In fact I've only ever seen one other player with a DTD branded item on.

I originally bought it because:
a) I wanted a hoodie and this was good quality.
b) I really liked the club and was happy to be associated with it.

I play half my live and online poker at DTD but by no means would I be considered a frequent visitor by comparison with many. Having said that, I think of myself as a DTD player and I'm happy to advertise that association at my own expense for my own reasons. I'm quite surprised though, that given the support and appreciation shown to the club by so many on this forum, I don't see much evidence of that loyalty out on the felt in terms of DTD merch worn.

Sponsorship is a whole different issue.

Very good post. Thankyou for your input.
Totally agree.

[theprawnidentity]

I have to say that on this occasion, I completely agree with Mr Bingham.  DTD isn't competing in a global market where it will get players from all over the world to come down and play a £300 deepstack.  It just needs some locals who travel around to wear some patches and tell people at other events about it.  DTD are consistently trying to stretch what can be achieved and I would have no problems with sticking a patch on for the club as its still my favorite place to play live pokerz and from a personal point of view want the club to be successful and attract as many players as possible.

[theprawnidentity]

Not having a pop at you here but I don't think its valuable to have randoms wear a club/site badge for the club/site and way way less than 90% of players worth their salt would be willing to do it completely for free (and why should they imo)

Going back to the point in the OP.  I wear the patches for no direct financial gain and clearly Tommy noticed them and went off and did some staking.  Just sezzin.

[Jables20]

Not having a pop at you here but I don't think its valuable to have randoms wear a club/site badge for the club/site and way way less than 90% of players worth their salt would be willing to do it completely for free (and why should they imo)

Going back to the point in the OP.  I wear the patches for no direct financial gain and clearly Tommy noticed them and went off and did some staking.  Just sezzin.

fair enough. I thought the OP was suggesting that the travelling DTD regs (off the top of my head I would assume he means people like Alex G and Mitch) wear a patch as a favour/out of love for the club. That's fine and admirable if they'd want to do that, but I'm just pointing out that there is an opportunity cost to the player that I don't think OP thought about. It's definitely not a case of 'I'm not wearing a patch so it's no skin off my nose to wear one'