by Kristin Swartzlander | Oct 16, 2014 | Motorsports Marketing for Tracks, Teams and Businesses, Racing Sponsorship
One of the most common pieces of advice you’ll hear is that you should be targeting potential sponsors or marketing partners whose target demographics match with the audience you reach. In essence, the company should want to reach the people who are interested in you. Your audience should be their target. When we think about the people who are interested in you, most of us instantly think about fans as that demographic. And that’s a great place to start. But there are other people who pay attention to what you say, from your other/current marketing partners, manufacturers and retail shops that you work with, other racers you mentor or share shop space with, and media outlets. For example, you might be featured often in a magazine or newspaper that the potential marketing partner would also like to be referenced in. Another example? The company you’re looking to work with may also want to do business with a current sponsor. In an ideal marketing relationship, you’re the linchpin between the company and who they want to work with. When you’re brainstorming companies to connect with, or, hopefully, you may already be connected with, for your sponsorship program, knowing who your audience is can be a great first step to matching it up. So how do you form the picture of your audience? You probably already have a decent feeling for who you’re reaching. But here are a few tips for how to paint a solid picture: Think about what kind of people surround your car on an average night. Are they young or old, male or female, blue collar or...
by Kristin Swartzlander | Aug 29, 2014 | Motorsports Marketing for Tracks, Teams and Businesses, Racing Sponsorship
If Dave Despain called today and said he’d like to feature you on his show tomorrow, could you make money from that opportunity? Most people would say ‘yes’. But, even though thousands and thousands of people will have seen your face, your name and, hopefully, your message…the publicity itself doesn’t pay. You won’t make a penny directly from being on television with Dave Despain – or Oprah herself, for that matter. Sure, that’s obvious to most of us. But our career or business will improve based on that publicity, right? You have to have tools in place to capture the opportunity. Or else your television appearance will soon be a distant memory with no dollars to show for it. One of the biggest differences between those who are already successful and those who aren’t is that they have a plan in place to capture opportunities. Most of them have: Social media accounts A navigable website A product, like apparel or an event ticket, and a way for people to purchase it A way for potential partners to get in touch with them And the ones that are really doing it right make all these things work together with an integrated plan. See, opportunities (like t-shirt sales and potential sponsors) are lost if you don’t have some way to capture them in the moment. Humor me this scenario: When an announcer says your name over the loudspeaker, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the stands that hear it. As soon as he or she is done talking about you, people will begin to forget. But many of...
by Kristin Swartzlander | Aug 22, 2014 | Motorsports Marketing for Tracks, Teams and Businesses, Racing Sponsorship
Over the weekend, I had the privilege of watching my husband, Carl Bowser, win his fifth feature of the year and, with it, clinch his second track championship at Lernerville Speedway. We heard a lot of the generous and kind feedback you’d expect, but a particular comment struck me. One person told me that when you’re sitting down with potential sponsors, and they’re comparing you to another driver, it’s essential to have as many of these accomplishments and titles, worth money or prestige, on your résumé as you can. While I don’t disagree that great on-track performance helps you to stand out, I doubt that in today’s world most of us are competing against each other for sponsorship. We’re not toilet paper – you can’t just substitute one of us for another. And that’s where the value of the sponsorship comes in – it’s differentiating us from one another and providing something that another competitor can’t. And when I say ‘competitor’, I don’t necessarily mean another car on the track. I’m referring to the other ways that companies can spend their money to generate sales, whether that’s a billboard, a ski trip for their best clients or a radio advertisement. When talking about racing sponsorship – which is different than the ever-elusive ride, no doubt – you’re most likely competing off the track. You’re showing your value on social media, via your website, in person and via your network of friends of colleagues. You’re likely competing on a playing field that most of us don’t know that much about. And that’s why every little bit of knowledge about what your potential marketing partner...
by Kristin Swartzlander | Aug 7, 2014 | Motorsports Marketing for Tracks, Teams and Businesses, Racing Sponsorship
Everyone wants to know about sponsorship pricing. And the expert response is to base the price on what it’s worth to the sponsor, not how much you want or need. Price should be based on value. But that’s really hard information to put into practice, I know. The truth is that your sponsorship package price is just like Goldilocks and the three bears. It is either: too expensive, too cheap or just right. You rarely hear the it’s-too-cheap response. Most often, you hear ‘it’s too expensive’. The truth is, ‘it’s too expensive’ usually has an underlying meaning and it’s this: the value to us doesn’t match up with the price. Too expensive means something specific to everyone. Too expensive doesn’t always mean someone can’t afford it – sometimes it does, but mostly it doesn’t. Ever bought a $500 sandwich? Probably not. And I bet you have more than $500 in the bank. Just because you have the money doesn’t mean it’s not too expensive. It means you don’t think a sandwich is worth $500. Now, let’s talk about something a little bit more reasonable – a $50 burger. You probably wouldn’t buy a $50 burger 364 days of the year. But let’s say you’re on a date with the girl of your dreams and you really want to impress her. That $50 burger is boasting gourmet cheese, a specialty-blend spice rub, a homemade bun and Kobe beef. With this burger, you can impress her with your knowledge of gourmet food. You can show her you know the value of good quality. You’re not cheap. You’re getting a $50 burger....
by Kristin Swartzlander | Jul 31, 2014 | Media and Public Relations, Mindset, Motorsports Marketing for Tracks, Teams and Businesses, Racing Social Media, Racing Sponsorship
Last night, we were fortunate enough to be able to attend the Lou Blaney Memorial at Sharon Speedway. Having grown up watching Lou and my uncle, Brian Swartzlander, go toe-to-toe for years in our local modified division, I’m happy to be able to be a part of an event that honors him every year. It’s probably not surprising that Lou’s hotshoe sons, Dave and Dale, were able to dominate the field and earned first and second place honors, respectively. Dave started in the third position and it was clear from early on that he had the car to beat. From the moment Dave took the green, and then the lead on lap six, I noticed most fans with their eyes darting back and forth between the brothers’ cars, watching to see what line they would take and what potential struggle lapped traffic would give them. Dale made his way into second place on lap 15 but didn’t give his teammate a challenge. That didn’t stop most from keeping their eyes glued to the pair, following the action and giving a rousing ovation at the finish. Watching that race, and watching the fans’ reaction, it was really clear how much of the excitement of racing is tied to a story. Yes, Dave’s impressive performance would have been entertaining whether or not he was Lou’s son. But the added hook of racing against his brother to win the race held in his father’s honor – for the first time, no less – was enough to keep everyone on their edge of their seats. Talking to drivers and crew in the pits...
by Kristin Swartzlander | Jul 25, 2014 | Motorsports Marketing for Tracks, Teams and Businesses, Racing Social Media, Racing Sponsorship
Since we’re about mid-way through racing season (insert tears here), I thought now would be a good time to talk about something we all should be doing right now: sponsorship activation. But what does that even mean, you ask. I will tell you, obviously, because we are friends and you asked. Sponsorship activation is bringing your marketing partnership to life. Ultimately, the goal of a sponsorship is to achieve specific business goals, whether that’s increasing product sales, getting exposure to another business or businesses, or obtaining community buy-in for a message or project. ‘Activating’ a sponsorship means using the assets you promised to give your marketing partner to achieve those goals. It means taking action. Many companies have been turned off by the notion of racing sponsorship because of the past, when it was business as usual to slap a logo on a car and cash a check. That model rarely, if ever, works anymore – logos don’t move product. And that’s where sponsorship activation comes in. Ways to activate a racing sponsorship: Social media Offers or giveaways of partner products Unique or exclusive content for your marketing partner’s audience Support your marketing partner’s activation efforts (ex. Take photos of their advertising campaigns or PR placements for your social media accounts.) Brainstorm ideas for your marketing partner to activate Truth be told, it’s on both the person being sponsored and the brand sponsoring them to activate a sponsorship. After all, it is a partnership. That’s why it’s also important to explain to a sponsor up front that there are costs that aren’t included in their agreement with you that...
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