Commentary: The (Re)State of V&R – 2017

On Wednesday, February 1, 29 folks showed up at Joey Nova's in Tonka Bay, MN for some dinner. It was supposed to be Victory & Reseda’s official send-off of the 2017 Polar Run. However, it turned into many other things.

The die-hard local car enthusiasts group, Cartholicism, held their "Carch" at this event. We were joined by members of Minnesota Volkswagen (MNVW), Minnesota Nissan infiniti (MNNI), FZS and CarQueenz. It was a good crowd, as welcomed by Gary Ezell and Anna Marie Ledstrom and their great crew at Joey Nova’s. It was indeed a great night at what we now call "The Clubhouse."

Gary and I made some speeches that night. I saw a recording of one of those speeches as posted in another Facebook group. It made me think about some of the remarks I made. I wanted to make sure how true they were to what I do on here and for other publications and outside clients.

The main point that was made on how much this site is not an ego trip for me. It is not in my nature to focus on me and feed that ego. I believe in doing the work to deliver to my readership – something that has been stated many times over the past six years on here and elsewhere. The point I made is in anything I do for this site, I will take you "with me."

At any given auto show – whether it is the Twin Cities Auto Show, or, perhaps someday, working at the Geneva show, I will take you with me. If I go on a media drive event – regardless of who sponsors it – I will take you with me. When I attend car meets locally and elsewhere – I will take you with me. You get the point.

But, taking you with me is part of a wider spectrum of content delivery, interest provocation and engagement. Whether it is a car review, a commentary on the industry or a history piece, one would hope to help educate and engage to ensure the relevancy of this site. Being relevant in where there is a lot of different web and social media outlets covering the automotive industry and its products.

It takes times when the readership is called to action. This is my hope given the opportunities available to you. The public vote for #VOTY is one of them. V&R sponsored events in the Twin Cities is another opportunity for engagement. In the future, I hope I am able to go into other locations and spur on similar engagement opportunities to further widen the relevancy of V&R for everyone.

This will lead to what I have been thinking for Twin Cities-based events under V&R's banner. I have been toying around the idea of a car meet. There had been some small efforts, but nothing on a scale that would have a reach equal to your readership. Perhaps the way to accomplish this is to do a small meet somewhere – and a cruise. Those are actually more fun and engaging than a meet.

Also, V&R will try to have a presence at other car meets – for example the upcoming shows put on by MNNI and MNVW. There is the upcoming Back to The 80s show in June that we are looking to be a part of, if not in collaboration with another entity. V&R has joined with the show’s organizers in providing historical content for their social media to engage with participants and spectators alike.

V&R has been hosting dinners at Joey Nova's since last year and have experienced great crowds that respected the property, the patrons and the staff at that restaurant. My connectivity with Gary and Anna will allow V&R to host more events at our "Clubhouse."

Lastly, there will be a V&R Day at this year’s Twin Cities Auto Show. Stay tuned on details after the start of the Chicago Auto Show.

One thing must be said: I mostly do this alone. I have had help. Having Ryan Senensky from Japanese Nostalgic Car helps me currently in adding content that fills the gap on this site. Having the support of other colleagues also help in keeping me on task and the site relevant amongst us.

It does take more than just the people I mentioned in this commentary. It also takes you. When there is merchandise available – such as an upcoming order of vinyl stickers – that goes back to pay back the costs of running the site. It also takes volunteers to help spread the word through positive channels to drive readership and engagement. That ultimately leads to participation in events V&R is involved with.

This is where Victory & Reseda stands in 2017. All it needs is you. Keep reading, keep supporting, keep engaging on our social media sites and commenting on the articles, and keep spreading the word. I thank you in advance.