[FourPieceMetal]

Hey, guys. I'm sure there's a thread about this, but I couldn't find it, so I made one. Title says it all. What is an Endorsement like? Some people say that when you get endorsed by a drum/cymbal/head company, you get huge discounts on their products as long as you say that their products are good, and use some of them in your paying. Whereas others say that it really doesn't change anything, you're still paying full/near-full prices on everything, and to their knowledge the endorsement doesn't last very long. I know that to get an endorsement, you need to have some kind of fame, be it in a very well known band, or having 1000 subs on youtube. You don't need to tell me that part. I also know it's not necessarily easy to get endorsed. I'm just wondering, if I ever were to get endorsed somehow, what's it like?

[osirus211]

It will change your life.

[Vasheir]

Walking, talking, living, breathing commercial.

If you follow the endorsements to the letter, you absolutely cannot play another companies gear. So say you are out with friends, someone asks you to play at some house kit that has no gear that you are endorsing, you are supposed to say no unless they have all the gear that you endorse.

Discounts are tiered I'm sure and vary from company to company. But again, all they are doing is helping you out for helping them. if your not the first line I stated above, then don't expect much from an endorsement.

Other perks might be free rides to events that company hosts, but i'm sure that too is higher up in the tiers of endorsements.

Here is one example of what to expect.

This post has been edited by Vasheir: 05 October 2011 - 09:23 AM

[Poco Askew]

Endorsements vary widely. What you get from the company depends solely on what you can offer the company. They are in it for one reason; to increase sales. This is just another way to market their products. How many of their potential customers will you reach? What effect will your using their gear have on aiding their sales effort? If you can offer a lot, you can expect a lot in return. Some "endorsements" are nothing more than a token discount that anyone can get if they try.

[abacacus]

All depends on what your worth. If your Chad Smith, you get free stuff. If your a regular guy like me and you, you get 5-50% off and they get to use your picture and your bands music.

[warboy]

I'm in process of getting an Educational Artist Program endorsement from Vic Firth. It is different. Basically my endorsement states I cannot endorse other sticks than V.F. and playing a stick counts as endorsing it. However, if I needed to bum sticks from someone at a concert or something to that effect, it wouldn't be a huge deal because I am not saying I like them. The discounts from my endorsement are rather cool. I am invited to test new products Vic turns out which basically means if I ask them to send me a pair of something they will do so. I will go into how I am getting endorsed a bit later if interest arrises.

[DustySpears]

Firstly, you don't get endorsed. You Endorse the company. I've been using Soultone cymbals for about two years now, and I get a pretty deal through them. I get 70% off their products, which is a real penny saver. I still do have cymbals that aren't Soultone because they don't give them to me for free, and I am a working stiff. So I gotta be budget concious with my stuff. But soon I'll have a complete set of nothing but Soultone cymbals.

All my other cymbals, have had the logos removed. When I signed my endorsement contract, I gave up the ability to advertise other products. I'm not upset about this though; Soultone cymbals are the best I've ever played, and they make an awsome product, but there is a lot of commitment to endorse a product. I also reccomend trying to get a product you've used for a while, and one you trust.

Soultone started making drumsticks exclusively for artists. I thought "Awsome. Drumstick endorsement." I got the sticks for like 4 bucks a pair, and very cheap shipping. So I could order two pairs of Soultone sticks cheaper than I could drive up the street and buy other sticks...

Well, the Soultone sticks dissapointed me. In spite of how cheap I got them, I ended up going back to Vater, which have never let me down.

Endorsing a product is a tool that benefits you and the company. It's not just intended for you to get free stuff. You have to be willing to fly the flag of who you endorse. I love Sonor drums, but I'm lightyears away from endorsing them... So instead of trying to get free or discount kits from another company, I just grit and bear it, and purchase Sonor stuff.

Sorry I typed so much. I hope this clears it up for you. And if you plan on applying for an endorsement, I wish you the best of luck.

[realscotch]

Unless you are in the upper echelon of drummers, for the most part, you might get some good deals on equipment.

If you are in that upper echelon, they can be a pain in the butt.

I have a friend that was in that situation, and he said it wasn't worth the BS.