The Berrics Unified – Pay to Play

haveboard|11/18/09

unified_membership_plan The Berrics has launch a shop directory called Berrics Unified. Although Berra’s video makes it sound like he is helping the little shops and single-handedly saving skateboarding, it’s really a sugar coated advertising campaign. Shops have to PAY to be listed on Berrics Unified. I don’t think that charging for the listing is bad, but I feel Berra’s video pitching the new directory is very misleading.

There is an interesting discussion on the Slap Boards as well as a back and forth between Steve Berra and Steve Miller of Exit Skateshop on twitter.

From user dirtjers on the slap forums:

***this is a message I received from Steve at Exit in Philly***

The “Berrics Unified” is a new Advertising program launched by Steve Berra and The Berrics.

If you watched the video, and some how were lead to believe this program was a way to “Keep shops from closing their doors” or to “Show you who the IMPORTANT skateshops are”. That’s because this is in fact what Steve Berra told you. He did not inform that this is a program established to MAKE MONEY, that these are shops who have to PAY to be considered important. Unfortunately for many core (and now considered unimportant) shops a new $5280 annual advertising budget is completely unattainable, because most shops are “outspent, and out advertised by large corporations”.

Berra speaks of consumer morals and “The principals skateboarding was founded upon” instead of being clear with his audience, and letting you know the truth “he is here to take your money”. The only solid truth to be found in this video can be found on your own. We are well aware small skateboarding businesses are closing left and right. The strong few who remain struggle to survive. The important shops are not paying for ad space on this website… If you want to find the important shops in your community you need to get out there and find them yourself. This should not be hard. You can find them building PUBLIC parks and spots, throwing demo and events, and teaching kids the true “principals skateboarding was founded upon”.

A scan of the information and rates sent to shops who filled out an inquiry can be found here http://tweetphoto.com/wjtzapjj. Don’t believe everything fed to by an actor reading from a teleprompter.

As I have been writing this post, it seems that Berra has deleted most of his responses to Exitskateshop. Below is a screenshot of Berra’s side, as well as the text, and links to the now deleted tweets.

From @Steve_Berra:

@steve_berra: @ExitSkateshop I guess should stick with the PennySavers and the Yellowpages and actually pay more to reach less people. Don’t cry.

@steve_berra: @ExitSkateshop I really don’t understand paying something that is going to benefit me either. It makes no sense whatsoever.

@steve_berra: @ExitSkateshop we don’t? I have contracts with all my sponsors, with the bank etc.

@steve_berra: @ExitSkateshop you don’t make money from your shop? You don’t even make sense.

@steve_berra: Wow @ExitSkateshop doesn’t realize we worked for 5 months on Berrics unified, trying to figure out how to help shops the best way possible

Not deleted now deleted: @steve_berra: @ExitSkateshop I think guys like you are in short supply. You are s much better person than I. Good luck!!

@steve_berra: @ExitSkateshop yes help. When people buy something like,say, a car, it helps then get to work. The bus helps them get there too. Pretty smpl

From @ExitPhiladelphia (these were back and forth with the posts above):

@exitskateshop: So @steve_berra forgot to mention in his speech. Here is the price you have to paid to be “considered” a United shop http://pic.gd/db5f18

@exitskateshop: @steve_berra There’s nothing wrong with making money , but don’t pretend like your helping when in fact you ARE profiting.

@exitskateshop: @steve_berra the video is misleading and I am curious how many shops inquire with the idea it may be free.

@exitskateshop: @steve_berra The video claims that the program is “so you know who the IMPORTANT skateshops are” not “who the PAYING shops are”

@exitskateshop: We can’t afford a $5280 advertising budget because we have already been “out ADVERTISED” does this make us UNIMPORTANT???

@exitskateshop: listen @steve_berra We are all skateboarders, and for the most part all struggling. We do not need binding contracts to help each other out

@exitskateshop: It took ONE post to help shops with Deluxe’s Shop connect RT @jimt43 t’s free. It’s simple. It will send kids to skate shops.

@exitskateshop: yea @steve_berra you can “help shops the best way possible” by providing the same service for FREE. Deluxe,girl,blkbox etc had no problem

@exitskateshop: and @steve_berra we have contracts with people we do “business” with not people who “help” each other (as your video claims)

@exitskateshop: so if @steve_berra asked me to “help” him move a flatbar to film a part on should I have him sign a “contract”? for $5,280?

@exitskateshop: yea @steve_berra I do make money at my shop. Customers see something with a PRICE TAG and buy it. We call it “business” not “Helping Out”

@exitskateshop: well @steve_berra Wouldn’t a simple “Berrics now SELLING ad space” do it? You speak as if selling me a service is a favor or a Privilege

I like to support both Exit as well as Nocturnal, so please don’t get me wrong in thinking I’m trying to help fuel a local shop war in Philadelphia. I have friends at both shops. Nocturnal is featured on the site as well as in the video. What I would like to see is more transparency in The Berrics Unified program and Steve Berra. The video is very misleading. Be more upfront with the audience that the shops listed have PAID to be on that list.

I feel that all shops should at least be allowed to get listed for free, and have the shops that paid get banner ads and shop profiles and all that other jazz. I hope that this is the case, as the link to the Membership Plan Selection (screenshot at the beginning of this post) is no longer on the main Berrics Unified site however the page still exists. At least I am pretty sure the member plan page was linked from the main unified page. Please correct me in the comments if I’m wrong.

I really do like the Berrics, and would love to get to skate that place one day, but I’ve probably ruined any chance of that happening with this post, alone. Hopefully that isn’t the case. Unfortunately I can’t sit back and watch this unfold without reporting on it in hopes of opening peoples eyes a little bit to the politics that exists in skateboarding.

Once again, I’m not against people making money, I’m against misleading your audience.

[Update: I added in @exitskateshop's posts from twitter as well, since I know some people are lazy and won't go look them up. I'm not going to mix them in the order with @steve_berra's comments, but you can see how this went back and forth.]

[Update 2: I received an email from Berra inviting me to call him and talk so I can discuss what the Berrics Unified really is. He did not leave me a number to call him at and I am awaiting a reply. He also deleted the last tweet remaining from this whole mess after an apparent Phone call/screaming match between Berra and Miller @Exit.]

Posted by haveboard. Follow @haveboard on the twit. Follow on the book.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 1:16 am and is filed under shit gears, shops. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

119 Responses to “The Berrics Unified – Pay to Play”

haveboard said:

If someone with a slap forum account can post a link to this post in the thread about all this, that would be awesome.

Slap can’t seem to remember or reset my password. I tried setting up a new account and I’m still waiting on a confirmation email.

Anyone at slap reading this, HALP!

...on 11/18/09 at 1:34 am

haveboard|11/18/09

Other Posts

119 Responses to “The Berrics Unified – Pay to Play”

haveboard said:

scott said:

Mysticalskateboarding.com said:

Stamos said:

Moneyskateboarding.com said:

Mysticalskateboarding.com said:

ki dizzle said:

PHUKFACE said:

Eric said:

jim said:

jesus said:

censored said:

haveboard said:

haveboard said:

Steve Miller said:

Sean said:

oyola said:

Steve Miller said:

haveboard said:

the other rob reed said:

Ed Lover said:

nugget said:

nugget said:

nugget said:

Stamos said:

Steve Miller said:

louie said:

Heartless said:

ki dizzle said:

goldchain said:

Bill said:

CM said:

The Sand Witches said:

huphtur said:

huphtur said:

Salman_Agah_Is_Behind_This said:

Jesse said:

Berra’s a Kook. « Things I Did When I Was Dead said:

Greg said:

ki dizzle said:

Mark said:

Jesse said:

Jake said:

haveboard said:

Stamos said:

Mark said:

Anthony said:

ZACH said:

Theorizer said:

deek said:

Nugget said:

SB-C said:

bobcat said:

raul said:

Matt said:

Jesse said:

Skate and Annoy » Archive » Bad judgement or just plain capitalism? said:

sirj skateboarding said:

haveboard said:

i'm rich said:

herdy_gerdy said:

Nugget said:

herdy_gerdy said:

willy said:

George said:

nugget said:

nugget said:

whah whah.... said:

Just Sayin said:

Just Listen said:

George said:

haveboard said:

True Dat said:

BLKPRJKT said:

RY said:

RY said:

Anthony said: