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> Good article.

> It concludes:

> "So the next time you wonder why a corporation writes a big check to paste
> its name on the side of an 800-horsepower billboard, remember this: the
> corporations write the checks to get their products in front of an
> energized, intensely loyal and committed fan base, then work within that
> fan base to build stronger business trends and increase market share.

> "It’s really that simple."

> I think the analysis is consistent with the view I took.

> I agree that it goes beyond making the show.

> Marty

I would argue that the fan base is not as "energized, intensely loyal and
committed" as it was in the past.  Look at the demographics from say, ten
years ago, to what it is today.  Historically, the fan base has indeed
embodied all of the adjectives (adverbs, whatever!!) and more.  Sometime in
the last five years, the suits in Daytona decided to broaden the
demographic.  So where do they go?  A younger, hip audience.  In doing so, I
would venture to say that some of the old guard fan base is slowly eroding.
I know I don’t watch as much as I did.  Why?  Well, the races aren’t as
exciting as they once were.  And the television production is less than
stellar.  I haven’t listened to MRN this year so I don’t know what’s
happening on the radio side.  In the past, I have always thought the MRN
productions were top-notch.

Will the old guard fan base stick around?  Don’t know.  I do know that the
younger, 18-25 demographic is VERY fickle.  Yes, they spend a large portion
of their disposable income.  So it’s a profitable demographic.  The problem
is their attention span is something approaching zero.
—
Gotta Go…FAST!
Bill

>In article mole…@canisius.edu wrote:
>>2. Sponsors have to feel that their investment is
>>worthwhile.  Businesses are risk takers, but only
>>within limits.  Money makes the cars go ’round.
>>Sponsorship money matters to every team and to
>>NASCAR as a whole.  The more predictable it is that
>>your team will make the show, the more money the
>>contract is worth.
>There are a lot of misconceptions about sponsorship
>motivation…
>this is an interesting article, that I saved from a few years ago..
>http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/business/07/07/sponsor_nascar/index.html

Good article.  

It concludes:

"So the next time you wonder why a corporation writes a big check to paste
its name on the side of an 800-horsepower billboard, remember this: the
corporations write the checks to get their products in front of an
energized, intensely loyal and committed fan base, then work within that
fan base to build stronger business trends and increase market share.

"It’s really that simple."

I think the analysis is consistent with the view I took.

I agree that it goes beyond making the show.

                                Marty
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There are a lot of misconceptions about sponsorship
motivation…
this is an interesting article, that I saved from a few years ago..

http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/business/07/07/sponsor_nascar/index.html

Dan
****************************************
Before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
Then, when you do criticize them,
you’ll be a mile away… and have their shoes…

news:6XePi.4127$ai2.1412@trndny05…

> There are a lot of misconceptions about sponsorship
> motivation…
> this is an interesting article, that I saved from a few years ago..

> http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/business/07/07/sponsor_nascar/index.html

To throw a twist into this whole thing… I wonder how much the new
demographic of the NASCAR fan has affected this characteristic of loyalty.
As NASCAR continues to woo new audiences and new regions of the country, it
strikes me that they march further from that fan base that could be counted
on for loyalty.  My personal prediction is that sooner rather than later,
marketeers will discover (or decide) that the loyalty chip has become more
hype, based on what used to be, than it is reality.

–

-Mike-
mmarlowREM…@alltel.net

If that is the deal the 55 has, I figure he owes THEM money…..
(kidding)

Dan
****************************************
Before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
Then, when you do criticize them,
you’ll be a mile away… and have their shoes…

>Don’t forget, a lot of sponsorship deals are such
>that if you do not make a race, you do not get the moolah..
>(pro rated, or agreed upon fixed amount).
>So the sponsor isn’t out as much as you think..
>If that is the deal the 55 has, I figure he owes THEM money…..
>(kidding)

MW Racing may be doing a lot of deficit spending–no kidding
at all.  I doubt that they never budgeted for the kind of
problems they’ve faced this year.

NASCAR has to keep a balance between competing interests
(pun intended; you may laugh now):

1. The racing has to be real racing.  NASCAR is one of the
oldest forms of "reality TV."  If you script the outcome
of the races, the audience will diminish.  (Don’t tell
me about World Wrestling.  I don’t understand why that
is still on the air!)  Finishes MUST be unpredictable.
As they say on the commercials, "Every lap counts."

2. Sponsors have to feel that their investment is
worthwhile.  Businesses are risk takers, but only
within limits.  Money makes the cars go ’round.
Sponsorship money matters to every team and to
NASCAR as a whole.  The more predictable it is that
your team will make the show, the more money the
contract is worth.

I got to go to Watkins Glen once courtesy of Square D.
The #55 car was driven by Bobby Hamilton, Sr.  It
was a thrill to listen to him talk to the folks in the
Square D hospitality tent and to look at his show car.
I can’t imagine what a disappointment it would have
been for the folks at Square D if he hadn’t made the
show.  The arrangements for the tent, the food, and
the entertainment have to be made in advance.  The
people making the arrangements and paying for them
in advance have got to have a reasonable expectation
that the investment will pay off.

I don’t know where Bobby finished that day.  That
memory has faded.  The images of him taking questions
from fans have not.

                                Marty
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And NAPA, UPS, Dominos, Valvoline, Quaker State, Red Bull, Catepillar
are companies that pay big sponsor dollars to stay off of TeeVee?

news:1191958338.703280.309470@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com…

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> On Oct 9, 1:59 pm, "Mike Marlow" <mmarlowREM…@alltel.net> wrote:
>> "Nancy2" <nancy-doo…@uiowa.edu> wrote in message

>> news:1191948189.972672.304080@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com…

>> > Y’all are forgetting big sponsor dollars.  They won’t stand for their
>> > driver not being on TeeVee.  Home Depot, Lowe’s, Dupont, Texaco,
>> > whatever….

>> I hate it when this comes up.  Sponsors don’t dictate rules.  If their
>> teams
>> aren’t qualifying, there will be talks between the sponsors and the
>> teams.
>> The fact of the matter though is that the big sponsors sponsor teams that
>> qualify in every week.  It’s not a sponsor issue.

>> —

>> -Mike-
>> mmarlowREM…@alltel.net

> Isn’t it a sponsor issue if, say, Junior fails to qualify for, say, 3
> races in a row (for whatever reason) and then isn’t driving the Bud
> billboard around on the track, and then the sponsor says, "I give up,
> I’m going with another team," so the non-Q team loses their sponsor
> money?  I don’t see how it isn’t a sponsor issue, to some degree….

Well, that would be as I stated, correct?  An issue between the team and the
sponsor, not between NASCAR and the sponsor.  For a more relevant example
see Michael Waltrip.

–

-Mike-
mmarlowREM…@alltel.net

> Y’all are forgetting big sponsor dollars.  They won’t stand for their
> driver not being on TeeVee.  Home Depot, Lowe’s, Dupont, Texaco,
> whatever….

I’m not sure that’s a valid complaint.  NAPA & UPS don’t seem to be
overly bothered by missing a bunch of races.  I think any of the
big guys could stand missing a race, maybe even 2, in the season
without _too_ much distress.

John