DON’T JUST CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER. BLOW RIGHT PAST IT. 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sponsorship Playbook Prepared Exclusively for Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce By On. Track Marketing A division of Market This, LLC 10808 Kittery Pl. , Glen Allen, VA 23060 804. 346. 1150 www. marketthisllc. com This NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playbook is a comprehensive guide to educate GRCC on how to leverage the NASCAR brand into your marketing communications program.
GEARING UP WITH Auto Racing is arguably the fastest growing spectator sport in America. Specifically NASCAR Racing, on many levels, has become the most popular form of all motor sports. Over 13 million fans attended NASCAR events in 2004 and NASCAR is televised weekly around the world in more than 150 countries. Sponsorship by major corporations is also growing at an incredible speed as companies are becoming more aware of how involvement in motor sports can generate increased product sales. Sponsorship not only provides the benefits of increased exposure and consumer awareness, but is effective at earning the support of racing fnas who are loyal purchasers of products marketed by companies that support their favorite sport – racing. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is one of three national touring series sanctioned by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. A number of truck competitors have graduated into the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series. As you will read, an ambitious and talented young man is on course to cross the finish line as a graduate – top of his class.
TJ Guthrie Driver Hometown: Richmond, VA Age: 23 Story: Beginning at age 8, TJ started racing Go-Karts for fun with his family. It eventually turned into a weekly event and Sunday became a day at the track. Eventually TJ started racing locally and then conquered state events in Virginia. His next move was racing up and down the East Coast in competitions and the rest is history. T J Guthrie It was when TJ made the jump from Go-Kart racing to stock car racing that he realized a dream could become a reality. Watching TJ race cars … you would think he had been doing it his whole life as he consistently finished in the Top 5 or better. In just his second year of racing stock cars, he earned a championship at Southside Speedway. It was at this point several individuals recognized tremendous talent in TJ and knew he was someone special. When he isn’t racing: TJ is a mechanical engineering student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He successfully juggles time on the track while working towards his college degree. He also works at Stock Car Products as a fabricator making components for local racers and NASCAR teams. His future: 2006 will be TJ’s first year racing in NASCAR. In addition to his natural talent, this opportunity is in part due to the help of Larry Mc. Reynolds who identified TJ as someone with great potential and a gift for racing. The forecast: TJ Guthrie races his heart away until he becomes a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series winner and the All-American guy who fans will come to love and sponsors won’t let go of.
• Took 3 rd for the season • Had all top 5's except 1 DNF as result of being wrecked. “Dave as previous hooters and NASCAR spotter says he is definitely ready to go up to the truck level and should have his learning curve in the longer races but the ability is already there. ” *Quoted by Jim Guthrie, in an e-mail on November 6, 2006.
Larry Mc. Reynolds Director of Development Hometown: Mooreseville, NC Age: Wise beyond his years Darrell Waltrip racing. Currently: With Fox Sports, SPEED and formerly one of NASCAR’s most successful crew chiefs, Larry Mc. Reynolds is in the middle of the action as he is teamed with Mike Joy and as a race analyst on the Fox Sports broadcast of NASCAR Nextel Cup Claim to fame: Larry Mc. Reynolds brings 25 years of motorsports experience to On. Track Marketing. To quote NASCAR’s media guide, “Larry Mc. Reynolds has an insatiable appetite for success … and he is one of the most respected men in the garage area. ” Larry started his career in 1975 and worked for various teams, but got his first big break in 1986 by being named the crew chief for King Racing. His first win as a crew chief was with Ricky Rudd in 1988, and subsequently he directed teams to 23 NASCAR Nextel Cup winds including two Daytona 500 s, his second one that elusive Daytona 500 win for seven-time Nextel Cup champion Dale Earnhardt. Following his stint with King Racing, Mc. Reynolds joined the Robert Yates Racing team in 1991 where his initial responsibility was working with and developing the talents of the late Davey Allison. Larry Mc. Reynolds Turns to gold: The fact that Larry is the Director of Development and mentor for TJ, statistically gives him a sizeable advantage to succeed by crossing every finish line – giving sponsors maximum exposure. 1991 -1996 Robert Yates Racing 1997 -2000 Richard Childress Racing Drivers Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan and Dale Jarrett Drivers Dale Earnhardt and Mike Skinner
WHO WATCHES NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS? 65% Male, 35% Women 59% Between 18 & 44 42% Have children under the age of 18 45% Fans that attend races have an annual income between $30, 000 and $75, 000 THERE ARE 30, 000 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES FANS IN THE U. S. Sources: Edgar, Dunn & Co. , Nordhaus Research Inc. , Neilsen Media Research/ESPN Chilton Performance, Research Inc. and Goodyear Eagle Performance Report.
COMPREHENSIVE MEDIA SATURATION 25 race events per season • Television: Live broadcasts of the races on the SPEED Channel along with qualifying sessions, rebroadcasts and associated programming. SPEED Channel now reaches over 60 million homes in the US and Canada. In terms of television exposure value, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team sponsors received over $230 million worth of sponsorship exposure in 2004. • Radio: MRN Radio, PRN Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio carry all events live over 350 affiliate stations. • Print: USA TODAY and virtually every major and local newspaper in the country report on NASCAR racing. Sports-related magazines such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine, as well as specific motorsports-related magazines and newspapers reach millions of readers weekly. • Internet: NASCAR. com is the ultimate tool for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series fans. There are 3. 7 million unique users each month. There are 1. 2 billion annual page views. NASCAR. com Superstore is the most comprehensive offering of NASCAR-licensed products.
NASCAR fans understand the need for sponsorship and support NASCAR sponsors Percentage of NASCAR Fans who Agree NASCAR drivers could not run their cars without sponsors’ support 91% NASCAR is the kind of sport that needs corporate sponsorship 90% I know which companies sponsor NASCAR and its drivers 76% 0% 20% 40% NASCAR fans are 3 times as likely to try and purchase sponsors’ products and services. * 60% 80% NASCAR *Fans vs. non-fans. Sources: Ipsos Insight (NASCAR Brand Tracker 2001), Ipsos Insight (NASCAR Brand Tracker 2003). 100%
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series image campaign Strong commitment to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series § 2005 marks the 2 nd year with an agency dedicated solely to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (and NASCAR Busch Series). §NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ tagline: “Tough Trucks. Tough Racing. ” §Campaign to gain high level of visibility throughout the season. §New creative launched throughout the 2005 season. Campaign utilizes a variety of media § 30 -second television spots Air during live race broadcasts, race re-airs, NASCAR licensed shows, and support programming on NASCAR TV on SPEED §Print ads NASCAR Scene, NASCAR Illustrated, and souvenir race programs §Internet banner ads NASCAR. COM Television spot Print ads
LEVERAGING YOUR SPONSORSHIP WITH The Truck: Painted in each sponsor’s highly visible and eye-catching graphics, and designed for readability during NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series live television broadcasts, the colorful moving billboards serve as the cornerstone for creating brand awareness and rallying consumer share-of-mind for your product or brand. The Driver: Drivers help create great allegiance between brands and millions of race fans. This productendorsement relationship coupled with personal appearances with key customers and employees has proven to be an effective tool in growing company and brand loyalty. The Tools: Transports, Equipment, Facilities and Team Uniforms all bear corporate logos and identity that embody the essence of the sponsors’ newly created sports property. These elements shape the overall excitement and perception that spectators and viewing audiences have of the sponsors’ products. Transports travel the U. S. highways creating millions of motorist impressions while pit equipment and team uniforms add to TV logo exposure values. The Off-Track Exposure: Show trucks, Communications, Apparel and Hospitality are also critical to the overall off-track impact of your sponsorship. The implementation of a strategic marketing and consumeroutreach plan geared to communicate, involve, and excite targeted audiences about your products. Utilized for incentives, point-of-purchase, entertainment, and general merchandising, these support elements are key to realizing a maximum return on investment. The Team: On. Track Marketing is seeking sponsors who will become an integral part of TJ Gutherie’s race team. Actively involving sponsors in the imagery, marketing, and overall presence of the team creates synergies for sponsors to create a true sports platform in which to build its brands.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS: MOVING FORWARD In today’s highly competitive motorsports environment, as in business, strategic partnerships play a key role in success. On. Track Marketing is seeking a primary sponsor-partner with whom we can build a long-term plan for mutual success. A representative from this key primary sponsor-partner will play a role in developing the imagery of the race team and the marketing strategy necessary to effectively support the sponsor’s products from season to season. Business-to-business partnerships are another benefit realized through racing. These key partnerships can create a solid platform for sponsors to develop the important relationships critical for increased market share and customer satisfaction. On. Track Marketing will work with your marketing team to attract and develop a solid strategic plan.
The decals on a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pickup identify the sponsors who help fund the race team. NASCAR has strict rules about decal placement.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. NASCAR requires identification numbers that are at least 21 inches high with a four-inch stroke. Metallic or reflective numbers are not permitted. The roof number always faces the driver side Headlight, taillight and turn signal decals are required. The “Craftsman” decal on the top of the windshield is required. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is the only NASCAR division that permits or requires windshield decals. Decals are not permitted on the rear spoiler, except a small decal on the leading edge of the spoiler (to be picked up by the in-truck camera) Only a decal or logo of the truck manufacturer is permitted on the rear bumper, or forward of the front hood pins. Only decals of series sponsors and contingency sponsors are permitted in front of the numbers on the front fenders. These sponsors have posted various awards for the trucks based on using the products, running the stickers and/or how they finish. NASCAR prescribes the layout of contingency sponsor decals. Each truck must carry a “NASCAR Craftsman Race Truck” decal at the base of the A-post 9. Team sponsors can require their decals on the rear fenders, tailgate, bed cover and hood. Primary sponsors typically havete top of the fenders, with associate sponsor stickers along the bottom. The sponsors and teams determine the layout, although NASCAR must approve all graphics. 10. The tailgate, or “TV panel, ” is a very desirable place for a sponsor decal because it shows up on in-truck camera shots from the truck behind. 11. TV cameras are mounted on the roof, inside the cockpit and on the rear roll cage to show racing action and also feature sponsor decals. Although they appear very large on TV, the decals in front of the roof cameras are only two inches wide. 12. Each wheel must have the truck number on it. 13. The driver’s name above the door is optional. 14. Goodyear labels each Racing Eagle tire with a stamp and paint. “Goodyear” is in yellow on the radial tires used in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Winston Cup and Busch Grand National, and in white on bias-ply tires used in other divisions.
On Track Marketing Sponsorship Opportunities for Guthrie Motorsports Six race sponsorship package Hood $225, 000 Rear Bed Cover $200, 000 Spoiler $100, 000 Quarter Panel $90, 000 Side Panel $250, 000 Struts $60, 000 Dash According to sponsorship level Logos appear on: Helmet Driver Uniform Pit Crew Uniform Team Uniforms
Leave your mark with the TJ Gutherie Team! Premier brands in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Examples of brands that rely on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Return on Investment … Speaks for Itself The Nascar Phenomenon Ø The distinguishing success of NASCAR as a marketing vehicle has been credited to the incorporation of the brand into the lifestyle of its many fans: “The loyalty (NASCAR) fans feel for sponsor’s products is unmatched among professional sports and entertainment properties. ” (Pyne, 2002). Ø Due to the television contract and an extensive racing schedule, the well-educated, relatively affluent and remarkable geographically diverse audience is consistently reached. Ø From the Sponsor’s mouths: According to UPS spokesperson Susan Rosenberg, “NASCAR fans are three times more likely to try or buy the produt or services of NASCAR sponsors. ” (Godwin, 2004). Ø “Our teams and drivers have done a wonderful job of communicating to the fan that the more Tide (laundry detergent) they by, the faster Ricky Craven’s going to go. ” (Napoli, 2003). Dodge research indicates a new awareness of the Dodge brand following its involvement in NASCAR. “The NASCAR fan has a 50 percent greater consideration of Dodge than the non-fan, ” says Bo Puffer, Dodge motor sports marketing manager. What motives explain the intense corporate interest in NASCAR sponsorships? 1. 2. Networking 3. Reduction of media clutter 4. Image transfer and sport/sponsor linking 5. Merchandise tie-ins 6. Cross-marketing opportunities 7. Ø Hospitality Managerial self-interest Pricing also enters into the NASCAR sponsorship equation. Some authorities believe that NASCAR fans are willing to pay as much as 10 percent more for a NASCAR sponsored product than for a competing, non-NASCAR brand in large part because of fan awareness surrounding the need for sponsorship. (Johnsen, 2004).
ROI Con’t Ø Excerpt from Forbes article – The Big Money of Motorsports, 2006 1. 2. According to marketing analyst Joyce Julius and Associates, a top 25 finisher in the Daytona 500 got airtime equivalent to $7 million worth of 30 -second commercials on average, given how often the car’s logos had “in-focus exposure time” in front of viewers. 3. Ø NASCAR has lapped every sport for regular season ratings, except the National Football league. The apparent return on investment can be considerable with the best drivers and cars. In 2005 Dale Earnhardt Jr. ’s Chevrolet won only one race during the 36 -race season, barely missing the checkered flag several times. But Joyce Julius estimates Earnhardt reaped $149 million in televised exposure time for lead sponsor Budweiser. By that calculation, Anheuser-Busch got a bargain. It is believed to have spent only $15 on the sponsorship. A 2004 NASCAR sponsorship study published in the Journal of Advertising Research concluded: 1. Large and statistically significant increases in stock prices at the time of initiation of 24 primary NASCAR sponsorships undertaken between 1995 -2001 offers “strong support for the proposition that these highly visible and hugely expensive marketing programs, are, overall, viewed extremely positively on Wall Street. ” 2. The fact that the average NASCAR sponsor experienced a staggering increase in shareholder wealth of over $300 million ($500 million in the case of companies with direct ties to the consumer automotive industry), net of all of the costs expected to be associated with the sponsorships, tells its own tale. This is the largest documented increases in shareholder wealth ever observed in response to a voluntary marketing program. No previous empirical study-not corporate stadium sponsorships, nor Olympic sponsorships, nor celebrity endorser signings-has registered a mean net increase in shareholder wealth even approaching $300 million. 3. Across the universe of sponsorship possibilities, it is possible that NASCAR sponsorships represent the gold standard of accountability success – at least when viewed from the “bottom line” standpoint of investor approval of the programs. 4. “Investors believe NASCAR sponsorships are an economically advantageous method of cutting through the clutter to reach literally millions of demographically desirable consumers. ”
CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES 2007 SCHEDULE Date Race Venue 02/16/07 TBD Daytona International Speedway 02/23/07 TBD California Speedway 03/16/07 TBD Atlanta Motor Speedway 03/31/07 TBD Martinsville Speedway 04/28/07 TBD Kansas Speedway 05/18/07 TBD Lowe’s Motor Speedway 05/26/07 TBD Mansfield Mostorsports Speedway 06/01/07 TBD Dover International Speedway 06/08/07 TBD Texas Motor Speedway 06/16/07 TBD Michigan International Speedway 06/22/07 TBD The Milwaukee Mile 06/30/07 TBD Memphis Motorsports Park 07/14/07 TBD Kentucky Speedway 07/27/07 TBD O’Reilly Raceway Park 08/11/07 TBD Nashville Superspeedway 08/22/07 TBD Bristol Motor Speedway 09/01/07 TBD Gateway International Raceway 09/15/07 TBD New Hampshire international Speedway 09/22/07 TBD Las Vegas Motor Speedway 10/06/07 TBD Talladega Superspeedway 10/20/07 TBD Martinsville Speedway 10/27/07 TBD Atlanta Motor Speedway 11/02/07 TBD Texas Motor Speedway 11/09/07 TBD Phoenix International Raceway 11/16/07 TBD Homestead-Miami Speedway
MEDIA COVERAGE OF TJ Richmond. com The Business of NASCAR Business aspect of NASCAR complicates dreams of young drivers Matt Deegan Monday March 27, 2006 His dad wants him to plunge into a racing career. His mom wants his mechanical engineering degree at Virginia Commonwealth University to be his first priority. But the frustrating reality for 22 -year-old T. J. Guthrie is that neither experience behind the wheel nor a college diploma can ensure a fast track to NASCAR stardom. Professional baseball has the minor leagues, where players hone their skills and ascend the ranks as far as their talents and pregress allow. In the racing circuit, however, talent alone does not guarantee notoriety. “The sad thing is that in racing there are no set stepping stones, ” Guthrie said. “A lot of it is about how much money you can raise. If you don’t have the financial backing, you won’t make it. ” Knowing the hardships, Guthrie’s father sent an e-mail to the Web site of racing guru Larry Mc. Reynolds, a former NASCAR crew chief who helped Dale Earnhardt finally ride to victory lane at the Daytona International Speedway in the 1998 Daytona 500. Mc. Reynolds responded quickly and, three months later, the Guthries met him for breakfast and he agreed to be an advisor for T. J. as he develops as a driver. “I had a good first impression of [T. J. ] and I told him that this business is a matter of getting the right break, ” he said. Mc. Reynolds can relate to Guthrie’s position because he has a teenage son, Brandon, who currently races and knows his quest for sponsorships will be major roadblock. He said the almighty greenback did not used to run the sport. When he started as a crew chief 20 years ago, the most talented drivers received the sponsorships, Mc. Reynolds said. Today, divers must add “salesman” to their repertoire. “Sponsors now want drivers to be a spokesperson for their company, ” Mc. Reynolds said. “You have to know how to present yourself, and they want to see hwo you are going to sell their product. ” Guthrie’s thirst for speed began when he steered go-karts around the local King George Speedway at age 7. He recalled feeling timid about climbing into a go-kart for the first time. Alone on the track, his father helped with his cold feet. “I remember when my dad said, ‘Here we go, ’ I didn’t want to do it, ” he said. “I was thinking, ‘So this is it, ’ and I got scared. And my dad said, ‘Just do two laps and see how you like it. ’ I ended up doing around 50 and he had to pull me off the track. ” He has always been infatuated with breakneck speeds. “I love trying to go as fast as you can with what you have, ” Guthrie said.
By 16, he had graduated to stock car racing, which he said felt like a natural adjustment. He currently races in the Rolling Thunder Modifieds racing series. He finished 14 th in last year’s points standings and, although back surgery last June has limited his action, a newer car helped him finish in the top five in his last three races. T. J. also works at Stock Car Products in Richmond, a racing car garage he likes because of the friendships he has kindled there. Tony Culley, who has worked with Guthrie for five years and shares his passion for racing, has been a crew chief on local circuits for eight years. Like Guthrie, he started racing go-karts when he was 12 years old, but Culley abandoned his racing dream for a more lucrative position as a crew chief once he realized the sport had become more than one’s affection for it. “As a driver, I didn’t have the money or the pretty boy looks, ” he said. Culley said the 46 or so drivers that sit at the starting line of NASCAR races are not the best racers in America. “There are better drivers sitting in the grandstand, ” he said. “It’s a shame racing has gotten that way. ” Paychecks from sponsors give the top drivers little incentive to invest all their energy in preparing for races, Culley said. “It seems as their pockets get heavier, their feet get lighter, ” he said. Culley did not like the notion that a driver could sustain himself without winning. “It’s the same way in professional baseball or football, ” he said. “It would be nice if a player could be rewarded after the season for how he performed, rather than before the season. ” Mc. Reynolds used Mike Waltrip, who has raced in more than 700 NASCAR races and won three times, with two of them coming in Daytona 500, as an example of a driver who is a sponsor’s dream despite not having sustained success. He has never finished higher than 12 th in the points standing. Culley, who is 10 years older than Guthrie and has seen he emergence of many young riders, feels he has the talent and ambition untainted by the lust for money. “He is so outgoing and someone you can have a good time with, ” he said. “When I’m working with him it doesn’t feel like ajob. He givers 110 percent and doesn’t complain and whine when things don’t go his way like some people I work with. ” In Culley’s eyes, Guthrie has the good-natured, talkative personality that would be attractive to sponsors. “He’s smart and you can sit down with him and have a conversation about a lot of things, whether it be racing or politics, ” he said. With so much politics in the racing world, it is easy to become discouraged. But Mc. Reynolds insists that if a driver thinks money can buy victories, he will not be driving for very long. When he would interview crew team potentials, he said if one of the first questions that came out of the candidate’s mouth was, “How much money will I make, ” it was always a short meeting. Mc. Reynolds said that working in racing is a sacrifice that requires a driver to surround himself with a crew team that will throw themselves at their work. “Racing is not a job, not a career, ” he said. “It’s a life. I would rather have a team that believes in you than top-notch mechanics who don’t. ”
In a sport in which the necessity of sponsorships has complicated the racing dreams of young hopefuls, passion and camaraderie are still essential ingredients for success. Drivers like T. J. Guthrie, who were not born with a silver spoon in hand, can still steer their way to success. But not without adversity. “It’s frustrating, but I don’t get my hopes up too much, ” Guthrie said. “I just try to go out and have fun with it. ” A service of Richmond. com All material copyright © 1999 -2003 Richmond. com and Partners.
SPREADING THE WORD WITH PUBLIC RELATIONS A comprehensive public relations program is essential in increasing awareness of XXXX’s sponsorship for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to drivers and fans alike. The car serves as a natural billboard while on the track, but with corporate sponsorship involvement at an all-time high, it is necessary to compliment your sponsorship off track with an extensive public relations program. On. Track Marketing (OTM) is your communications and marketing arm. We have a proven track record across a wide range of industries including the ever-expanding activities of motorsports communications. Strategic Planning Prior to each race, OTM and GRCC will meet to establish the goals and objectives for a successful public relations support program. This will include agreement and dissemination of a consistent brand message for GRCC. OTM’s objective is to increase media exposure of GRCC’s sponsorship throughout the NASCAR Craftsman Series season by providing a creative and continuous flow of GRCC Racing information to national media and to promote heightened interest in GRCC on-track performance. The Core Program Support of GRCC NASCAR Craftsman Series sponsorship will be implemented through a complete communications/marketing support program. This plan includes the following elements: – – – – Develop and distribute a comprehensive preseason media advance kit featuring GRCC team and driver bios, driver and owner quotes and vital statistics on the GRCC Racing team, as well as corporate background information on GRCC. Coordinate driver/executive media interviews including television, radio, Internet and print. Pre-race advance feature on the GRCC Racing team and subsequent e-mail distribution to national and local media for each race. Qualifying and race results published and distributed to local and national media along with extensive driver and team quotes and event facts for each of the NASCAR Craftsman Series races. Coordinate and manage press conferences where applicable. Develop a GRCC Racing photo library for use throughout the season as well as coordinate event photography (as requested). Write and arrange placement of event program stories where available. Coordinate all winner’s circle activities including GRCC winner’s circle hats and photography. Develop, design, produce and package GRCC Racing press event materials and/or CD/ROM. Coordinate entertainment venues to connect key media with GRCC team/driver and other key personnel including golf outings, dinners and special on-track activities. Coordinate with GRCC ad agencies to leverage race print advertising and to pitch additional editorial placement. Schedule driver appearances at local functions in conjunction with NASCAR Craftsman Series events along with GRCC driver appearance requests and requested charity appearances. Edit and forward all editorials to GRCC Web server for posting on the GRCC Racing Web site.
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