We get a lot of email asking us questions about tailgating, the tailgate party lifestyle and questions about Tailgating Ideas the website. Of course we love to hear from you (visit our Contact Us page if you would like to connect with us) but if you have a question in particular, you may find the answer here.
- Who started TailgatingIdeas.com and when did it start?
Short answer: Dave Lamm in 2007. Long answer can be found on our About Us page. - How can I find out more about advertising on TailgatingIdeas.com?
The best way to understand advertising rates, areas where your ads will appear and availability is to visit the Advertising page. - I think I am a good writer and I am knowledgeable about tailgating. How can I come on board and be a regular contributor to TailgatingIdeas.com?
It is not necessary to have a college degree in English or have worked as a journalist to write for this website. You will need two things to qualify: 1) A strong command of the English language including proper spelling, grammar and can put together a pair of coherent sentences. 2) A strong passion and knowledge of tailgating and the tailgate party lifestyle. If you think you have both of those things in your favor, then visit our Write for Us page and send us a writing sample. - How many people write the tailgating blog posts?
It varies from season to season but we have a staff of writers that post content when the feeling hits them. There is no set schedule when a contributor will post something new. Our writers hail from many different parts of the country in order to provide a unique perspective from all areas of the United States. We try to avoid having too many writers from one region of the country in order to prevent having any type of “east coast or west coast bias”. - I think this website is great. Have you ever considered charging a subscription fee and charging people to read it?
Honestly, no. We have been approached by subscription services that have told us we could make a lot more money if we charged people to read our content. We are from the old school and believe that the internet should be as free as possible. If you want to help us keep this site free for years to come, click on the ads that appear on here and buy something from them. That will ensure they will continue to advertise next month. - I’ve got the latest, greatest, super, fantastic, totally awesome tailgating gadget that you guys just have to know about. Can we send you a sample and you write a product review about it?
Absolutely. We pride ourselves in discovering new tailgating gear and gadgets that have yet to be seen in the parking lots. Even if it is not a “new” product but would make a great addition to a tailgater’s gear box, we’ll test that too. We will warn you that there is a fee to have your product reviewed. The answer to questions about this fee can also be found on this FAQ Page - Because we send you a sample of our product does that mean you will give it a thumbs up and say it is as awesome and we think it is?
No. We pride ourselves on testing thoroughly all products we review in a real tailgating environment. If the product is the greatest thing since sliced bread, we’ll tell our readers it is fantastic and they have to get one for themselves. If the thing sucks, is too big and bulky, takes too much time to set up or is just flat out lame in our opinion, we’ll tell our readers that too. They say there is no such thing as bad press but in this case, if your product sucks, we have no reservation telling our readers that it sucks. Our commitment is to the tailgaters first and foremost and we want them to party with the best gear possible. - I’m a small operation but I don’t have a sample of my latest, greatest, super, fantastic, totally awesome tailgating gadget to send you. Can’t you just cut and paste my press release that tells you about it?
No. Cutting and pasting a slickly written press release would be doing a disservice to our readers and would destroy our credibility within the tailgating community. We have received numerous emails over the years telling us that based on our review of a product those tailgaters are now using it as a part of their weekly tailgating kit. Had we not thoroughly tested those products those tailgaters would be left to guess if it really worked well for tailgating. Talk is cheap and anyone can hire a public relations firm to write something nice about their product. But unless we can touch it and test it, there is no telling if it is worth the money or not. - But my latest, greatest, super, fantastic, totally awesome tailgating gadget is too expensive to just send out a sample. Can you send it back to us once you are done testing it?
Yes we can. The only stipulation is that you need to include a postage paid shipping label with the product sample so that we can send it back to you. We are nice guys but we are not going to pay the shipping costs in order to get it back to you. - Do you get to keep all the products you test for reviews?
Most of them. Many times the product manufacturer will send us a product sample and not ask for it back. Those items that are truly excellent we will add to our permanent tailgate kit. The products that are not up to par we’ll either throw away, recycle or give away to someone who does think it is a good product. Rarely are we asked to send a product sample back but it has happened a handful of times over the years. - In addition to keeping the product sample, are writers of this blog compensated for doing product reviews?
Yes. It wasn’t always that way and we changed our stance and policy on this in 2011. Prior to 2011, the only requirement was to be able to test the product in person. We believe we have compiled a group of tailgating experts that are also very good writers who deserve to be compensated for their work. You wouldn’t work for free in your job and we would agree that we should not work for free in ours. Former Sports Illustrated and now current ESPN columnist Rick Reilly wrote a column about this subject and quoted Samuel Johnson saying, “No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.” We would agree. We would also agree that by being compensated by those product manufacturers and distributors looking for some free press and exposure to the coveted and highly desirable tailgating demographic, helps us maintain this blog as a free resource to all of you without resorting to asking for subscription fees. - Since you are compensated by the product manufacturer, doesn’t that make you obligated to write a glowing review about the product even if it is not that great?
Not at all. The compensation we received for a product review is paying for the writer’s time and energy to test the product thoroughly and the time it takes to write and publish the review. By accepting payment for doing a product review in no way obligates our writing staff to overlook flaws and impracticalities of a product. Compensated or not, our writing staff will write a review that is fair and balanced and will not allow the fact that they are being compensated cloud their judgment when doing the review. - Can I get an advanced copy of the product review before it gets published on the website to make changes to sections I think may be unfavorable to my product?
No. If that were the case, we would just cut and paste your press release and not even bother testing out the product. Our suggestion is if you think your product may get an unfavorable review, it probably sucks and you’ll want to save your money. If you think your product is awesome and it turns out it actually does suck, well, you can comfort yourself knowing that there is no such thing as bad press. - I am ready to have my product reviewed by your staff. How much does it cost and how can I get the ball rolling?
The cost per review will vary based on the time of the year. It’s called supply and demand. As you can imagine, most products reviews happen during football season between August and December. If your product is not specific to football tailgating, we would suggest getting it reviewed in January through July. We would also suggest emailing us and inquiring about that month’s rate. Please visit our Contact Page and send us an email describing your product and requesting a product review.
- Do you have an online store that sells tailgating gear?
Yes we do. It’s is called Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com . There you will find all kinds of tailgating gear and gadgets that are designed specifically for tailgating and have been thoroughly tested and found to be “tailgate approved’. - But I read on your About Us page that this website was started because the founder “grew tired of looking for tailgating ideas on the internet and only finding websites willing to sell him something”. By having an online store does that strike you as a little bit hypocritical?
Yes and No. Let us explain. The vast majority of the products you will find at Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com are only sold there or directly from the manufacturer. Many times a manufacturer or inventor will ask us to carry their products in our store in order to expand their exposure and increase the opportunity the products will get into the hands of real tailgaters. Because we have tested these products ourselves and found them to be of high quality, we want to make it easy for real tailgaters to enjoy their time in the lots with the best products that help them have fun. So yes, by opening an online store does smack of hypocrisy against the original intent of this tailgating blog. Our intention is to raise the awareness of truly cool and fun tailgating products while giving the manufacturer another outlet to put his/her products in the hands of tailgaters. - Do you accept guest blog posts?
Sometimes. We have accepted them in the past but have recently steered away from them. If you are an aspiring blogger only looking for a back link from us, please move along. We only accept blog posts from those who are extremely knowledgeable about tailgating and who are willing to write on a topic we have not covered yet. Since this site started in 2007 we have a ton of content. More than likely you spending 15 minutes researching tailgating on Google is not going to result in you blogging about something our readers are unaware of. Again, if all you want is a back link from us, you are barking up the wrong tree. - Do you participate in any social media?
Yes we do. We have a Tailgating Ideas Facebook Fan Page along with a YouTube channel. On our YouTube videos you can also see many of the products we have reviewed in action and can see how they work. We are also on Twitter @TailgatingIdeas, Pintrest and Instagram.