Promo - March 2008 - (Page 30)

Continued from page 26 an antenna and is capable of delivering a choice of live in-car camera angles or DirecTV video channels. The device also offers color graphics of race standings and lap times in a 12-ounce package that sold at the track for $415. Later this season the telco will reward 20,000 of its most avid NASCAR customers with tickets to the Sprint AllStar Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC and autograph sessions with drivers. “Title sponsorship is the sport’s equity,” says Kessel, who cites NASCAR as a prime driver for customer acquisition and retention. “It’s a great place to put your investment, and it works.” But the best way to build bridges to fans’ hearts is through links with individual drivers. This season, Office Depot is playing on that emotional tug in a contest developed with Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. The winning fan will get to post a marriage proposal on the rear panel of Carl Edwards’ No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion during the All-Star Race. (Harlequin has used the eligible Edwards as a character in some of its romance novels.) Since Valentine’s Day, fans have been invited to submit their proposals online at GetYourHeartRacing.com for a chance to have their words emblazoned on the back of Edwards’ car, as well as a shot at a $10,000 VIP prize package, including a diamond ring. “What really appealed to us is that it’s a differentiator,” says Jeff Owen, Office Depot’s senior sponsorship manager. It’s not a big leap from individuals to small business owners—these entrepreneurs match up well with the NASCAR audience. The office-supply company is reviving a program in which small business owners can register at Office Depot retail outlets for a random drawing that would designate them the “Small Business of NASCAR,” a distinction that comes with a $10,000 Office Depot makeover, a sponsorship spot on Edwards’ car, and permission to use the NASCAR logo for a year. Edwards makes several personal appearances annually, including events at which backpacks are given to students in need through the Office Depot Foundation; some 2 million have been distributed to date. And he records a weekly podcast on OfficeDepotRacing.com that has a “ping-pong” effect, as Owen puts it, of increasing his popularity and drawing more people to the podcasts. But the biggest payoff is the relationships built through the NASCAR B2B Council. Office Depot has formed alliances with Coke, Ford and others. “We’re talking about Fortune 500 companies in this sport,” Owen observes. In some cases, Fortune 500 companies are stepping up their involvement without needing the allure of partnerships. After years of associate sponsorships with the Penske Racing team, Exxon Mobil moved to another level of involvement this year with its Mobil 1 brand—the official oil of NASCAR—sponsoring a Penske driver, Sam Hornish Jr. Half of the NASCAR teams use Mobile 1. “We thought moving up to a primary sponsorship was a way to raise that identity higher and make Mobil 1 an everyday item,” Ryan comments. Starting in March, customers making a product purchase at any retailer or Exxon Mobil station will receive a NASCAR Hero Card, which features Hornish and others. Such giveaways create store traffic, according to Dermott Ryan, Americas communications manager for Exxon Mobil lubricants and specialties. The campaign is expected to give Mobil 1 a significant lift at WalMart and other retail outlets. Some brands, such as Goodyear, have been involved since the sport’s beginnings as a Southeastern-centric phenomenon. “This isn’t a sponsor relationship. This is a partnership,” says Joe Faselli, Goodyear’s director of marketing. Goodyear’s logo on the cars’ tires is a ubiquitous promotional focal point. “It’s all about building affinity among NASCAR fans for Goodyear tires,” Faselli continues. “We need to show there’s relevance to them in their daily life.” Any fans who might momentarily forget about Goodyear’s presence on the track at Daytona are reminded by the famous blimp hovering serenely over the speedway. The Daytona 500 provided a platform for Goodyear’s “Get There” TV and print ad campaign, emphasizing the brand’s leadership role in the sport. The race, like all NASCAR events, also helps with manufacturer-dealer relationships; Goodyear brought 100 of its dealers to Daytona as its guests. Daytona provides a similar platform for DuPont. Its paint, lubricants, fire retardant in drivers’ fire suits and the Kevlar belts supporting Goodyear tires are used in abundance at the tracks. DuPont has 15 of its brands involved in racing now, and Larry Deas, manager of DuPont Motorsports, says the company aims to bring more of its 400 brands into the fold. Deas sees the event as a “relationship-building time” with customers and an opportunity to repay their loyalty. Company research shows that its customers typically attend six to eight of its NASCAR tent events each season. At Daytona, a DuPont pre-race luncheon brought together 1,000 attendees under a large tent on the raceway’s infield. DuPont’s guests included contest winners and competitors’ dealers who were being wooed by DuPont. All were on hand to meet star driver Jeff Gordon, a four-time Daytona winner. Deas characterizes Gordon as a “differentiator” for DuPont. “None of our competitors can offer Jeff Gordon.” And Daytona, for the motor oil company, “is bigger than the Super Bowl.” During the lunch, a relaxed and personable Gordon told his audience, “We’re gonna steal the race.” In fact, his car headed the pack throughout most the race before dropP ping out 50 laps from the end. l 30 March 2008 / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / Promo http://OfficeDepotRacing.com http://GetYourHeartRacing.com http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - March 2008

Promo - March 2008 Editor's Note Girls' Club New Eco Regs? They're Not Going Anywhere Spreads Easily RFID Ramp-Up From Backyard to Broadcast Commentary VROOOM! Stuff We Can't Do Here Yet Q&A: Measuring Up Free Ink The Agency Center Resource Center Promotions 2.0 Index of Advertisers

Promo - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.