we (the greyhound body), owe it to the future of the sport to try to educate anyone and everyone who we come across and even go out of our way at times to do that as Sandro has been.

ive noticed a few tv adds lately promoting the sport....they need to take that further breaking down all aspects of the sport. imo.

Lyall Mercer at Symposium

UBER came to Australia in 2012, was first legalised in this country in the ACT in 2015, but now owns almost 90 percent of the market.
Lyall Mercer, of Brisbane company Mercer PR, warned the taxi industry of the impending threat posed by Uber soon after the challenge arrived in this country.
"Uber was illegal, state governments were trying to shut it down, but it was obvious it was going to be here to stay," said Mercer during a talk to greyhound racing at a symposium held during the recent Nationals in Perth.
The public had a crises of confidence in the taxi industry, Mercer said, and the public trust in taxis was low.
Mercer said taxi industry leaders scoffed at his warnings and laughed at his suggestions.
The public has embraced Uber.
It was this example of Uber and the public's confidence in it that Mercer related to those at the greyhound racing symposium.
He gave greyhound racing a plan to develop its future and articulate its greatest assets.
"Perception becomes reality, despite the truth," said Mercer in relation to the problems greyhound racing faced in the past few years and continues to face in the immediate future.
"You see things from your own perspective because you live in your own bubble and you don't see things from an outside perspective, not how others see it."
This, according to Mercer, is why greyhound racing suffered during the 2015-16 years when under attack from TV programs, activists and state governments.
Greyhound racing struggled to make its point, put forward its truth, and deny accusations laid upon it.
"We live in a media world that is not rational," said Mercer. "Everyone is outraged."
He implored greyhound racing to plan for its future and bring on board those members of the public who had not yet made up their mind about the industry ... the mainstream public.
"The less you plan and respond for a reputational crisis the more you lose," he said. "The answer is to have a plan and a direction. Change what needs to be changed and embrace it. Disunity will prevent change."
He implored greyhound racing to develop its own public relations.
"It is all about having a relationship with the public ... it is not spin," he said. "Know your friends (your publics), but also know that some are not your friends.
"When dealing with activists," he said. "Greyhound racing is not in a battle to change the minds of the activists, activist media, nor activist politicians.
"You will never change them.
"You are in a battle to change the mind of the mainstream. The publics need to hear a positive message, not the small loud noisy message from the activists."
Mercer said after identifying our publics, greyhound racing has to build a trust bank and we will need a big trust balance with the mainstream so that in times of crisis, the publics believe what we are saying.
"How do you build trust," Mercer asked. "Have one message backed up by action.
"An industry strategic plan is good, but it doesn't relate to the mainstream and it does not build the trust bank (strategic plans are for ourselves).
"Greyhound racing needs to get out in front of the issues by telling your story and what you are going to do to deal with those issues," he said.
"And, how do you do this?
"By developing a unified agenda ... everyone must have the same message in order to build trust and believability. Conflict dilutes trust."
But he was insistent greyhound racing would need to have a passion to get things right.
"There is no doubt there are passionate people in industry," he said. "You need to talk up your sport/industry and relate it to the mainstream just as women's sport has done.
"But, cover ups make it worse. If wrong-doing is happening in your industry, then you must expose it publically.
"People's experience of the industry will build trust."
So where does greyhound racing go from here?
Mercer says greyhound racing must be visible.
"Don't hide," he said. "The mainstream must hear about the good things.
Be transparent and tell your story. Educate the public on the good things of the industry."
This will build the mainstream's experience and trust.
He said this must be done as a united front within greyhound racing.
"Increase co-operation," he said. "Build the community of greyhound racing. Have one message from everyone ... all states, all bodies, all clubs, all trainers, all participants."
But he also said the industry should use its circle of influence to promote the good message.
"Use social media and other media options, target key journalists," he said.
"But, most of all, be willing to change and adapt. Look at the Big Bash in cricket and its success.
"Re-invent yourselves to attract new people.
"It is all about being pro-active ... not re-active
"Do not let activists set the agenda."

Thanks for publishing that here

Exactly.

More interesting would be how the audience absorbed the Perth message. I presume lots of PTBs were there? Did they talk about it in the accompanying quarterly meeting of GA? Did they do anything?

A strong singular message and strong positive action is the key.

The carriage of that message is down to our top professional organisation and to our industry's leader.

But neither exists.

After trying everything else myself, I suggest the only possible way out of the "bubble" is a concerted revolt by all industry participants in all states. Of course, that needs a leader, too.

It's possible. For all his many faults, V'Landys is doing it for NSW - but only for NSW and only for the gallops. He has no national cachet and is not likely to get any.

Borsak and The Alliance showed snippets of what is possible but then the cause was lost for various reasons. The momentum is gone - for now anyway.

I can think of a couple of possibilities but it is a waste of time outlining them here. To succeed, it needs pressure across the board from industry members at all levels. No pikers.

but she hadn't made up her mind about anything Gillian she was there for a night out with friends.......but after 3 races she had made up her mind about greyhound racing and it disgusted her.

why bother with people like her ?

because imo to ensure the future of greyhound racing when we come across these types of people we need to educate them.....they aren't anti's but they can see it from an anti's perspective rather than ours, and that's our fault and we have to wear that because we haven't educated them properly in the past about greyhound racing and and its benefits to the community.

The only way for them to understand is to get them to handle the dog on race day to understand the nervous energy a dog displays whilst waiting for its race, the excitement it builds the minute they know there is a race on, right from the time you make the smallest change to their routine kennel at home. They know there is something on.

That builds to the point at the back of the boxes where some will leap into the open box and others are more difficult to manoeuvre and some can also recoil.

Then she will understand why some trainers pull or yank on their dogs to gee them up a bit or lifting them to place them in...the later mainly for their own safety so they don't get legs and tails jammed

I have no problem continuing to try and educate them, but the usual negative that they argue is:

"the dogs don't really want to be there to race and we are cruel & heartless and driven by the dollar for subjecting the dogs to the nervous energy that they are experiencing"

"The only way for them to understand is to get them to handle the dog on race day to understand the nervous energy a dog displays whilst waiting for its race, the excitement it builds the minute they know there is a race on, right from the time you make the smallest change to their routine kennel at home. They know there is something on.

That builds to the point at the back of the boxes where some will leap into the open box and others are more difficult to manoeuvre and some can also recoil.

Then she will understand why some trainers pull or yank on their dogs to gee them up a bit or lifting them to place them in...the later mainly for their own safety so they don't get legs and tails jammed

I have no problem continuing to try and educate them, but the usual negative that they argue is:

"the dogs don't really want to be there to race and we are cruel & heartless and driven by the dollar for subjecting the dogs to the nervous energy that they are experiencing""

Excellent summary.

This was one of the reasons why I suggested commissioning an article on "A day in the life of a greyhound".

This would show the difference between a relaxed life at home and a youngster straining at the leash as it arrives at the track, knowing a race is in the offing.

Gillian,

The industry may think it is doing a lot to educate the public but the results do not show that. Sure, the Ch73 coverage the other night was a great move (but sadly no sub titles) but outside of GAP events and preaching to the converted on SKY, what is there? Neds280 and the Million Dollar series perhaps, but how long did they last and what was the continuing benefit? We can have Pink box weeks and Red dog weeks till the cows come home but the message is falling on barren ground and therefore fading away.

Industry funding is underpinned by a tiny handful of big owners, some mates of a trainer, and "mugs in pubs" (mostly 18-34 years)having a beer after work but with little real knowledge of what they are gambling on.

I hark back to the PR guy quoted by David Brasch the other day (Mercer). Amongst other things, he pointed out the risks of living in a "bubble" and distancing ourselves from what is going on in the big world - a rapidly changing world at that.

A key test is when a bloke in the street, or a reporter, or whoever, wants to find out about greyhounds and racing - where does he look? Who can he ask? What is out there to find? Ask him to name the industry's leader or big cheese.

Years ago, I tried to convince a Board to get out and promote etc etc. None of them had a clue about my proposal so I wasted my time. But there was one exception - a vet occupied a seat at that stage and he instantly got the message. (I had prefaced my remarks by suggesting our message had to make sense to a suburban housewife - which is not PC now but was OK then).

Why so? Because he was a suburban vet and in his day job he came in contact with the public every day of his life. He realised there were all sorts and you had to treat each differently - as would all business owners dealing with the public at large.

First tell the story. Then do it again, and again, and keep doing it. Create fertile ground.