It's that time of the year again; time when sponsorship proposals hit their peak. When service managers, technicians, salespeople, GMs and even dealer principles get ready to crank up their race cars for the 1998 racing season. It's time for dealerships to start taking advantage of the great promotional and sponsorship opportunities which racing provides for those dealerships who have figured out the formulathat RACING SELLS.
From the anticipation of the Daytona 500 every 3rd Sunday in February, to the drama and emotion of the season-ending points championships, racers from every corner of America gather weekly at their local bullrings, drag strips, road courses and mud bogs to display their individual talents. Their loyal pit crews work weeknights to maintain these race cars, sometimes past midnight. They come directly from work to help on their buddy's race car after a full day of hard labor. They get paid nothing and ask for nothing in return. Their reward is being a part of their friend's pit crew. Their glory is the opportunity to share the excitement each week at the race track. This amazing group of people includes your customers and your employees, and these people are fiercely loyal to those companies who support local racers and the race tracks in which they compete.
Each month, dealers from around the country are interviewed in Automobile Dealer magazine about their store's involvement in motorsports. The dealerships are different sizes, franchises and geographic locations, yet the story remains the same. No matter what the size, no matter what the franchise or the locationracing has made a significant contribution to the overall marketing plan of these dealers.
There are 1200 race tracks in America whose weekly attendees make motorsports the #1 spectator sport in North America. The majority of these race tracks either have a pace car or need a pace car which is frequently provided by a local dealership. Each weekend anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people spend the better part of one of their off-days battling the elements at their favorite race track. The race track parking lot is filled with vehicles from every make and manufacturer. The dealer nameplate emblazoned on each vehicle will tell you the story about where these race fans buy their new or used vehicles. It's a story that has a punchline. The race fan's purchasing habits are influenced by the name on the side of the pace car, by the billboards they read at and around the track, by the ads they read in the program and by the names they read on the side of race cars. Fact is, when given a choice, a race fan will choose a product or service which is involved in racing sponsorship (over one which is not involved) a staggering 73% of the time! That's the kind of product and dealership loyalty we are all striving forand it's waiting at the end of the motorsports sponsorship rainbow.
Sponsorship proposals can be as small as a $200 ad in a weekly program up to an overwhelming $7,000,000 to sponsor a Winston Cup team. Every sponsorship program can and should be tailor-designed to fit the specific parameters which you set for your dealership. The sponsorship program designed for a store in Boone, Iowa, will not be exactly the same for a metropolitan megastore in Chicago, Illinois.
When was the last time you walked into your parts and service area and asked some of your employees if they are in motorsports? Are they racers? Do they work on a car? Do they go to the local race track on a weekly basis? Do they watch racing on TV? Do they read the local racing paper? I guarantee the answers will amaze you. No matter what section of the country your dealership is in, you will find that a significant percentage of your employees are involved in or are fans of racing, and not just in parts and service departments, either.
You need to look at all of the sponsorship options which are available in order to make a decision. Listed below are local sponsorship opportunities with approximate costs. (These may vary slightly by location and the size of the series and race track.)
Pace Car
Every race track in America relies heavily on a pace car. You can't run a real race without one. It can be used at both the race track and at local civic functions. It is a great traveling billboard. The cost will be your floor plan cost for the racing season. Most pace cars are limited to under 10,000 miles for the year.
Local Driver Sponsorship
One of the best ways to develop a strong dealer following is by sponsoring a local driver. Your dealership name will be on the race car and trailer, crew uniforms and all press releases. Your sponsorship package should include use of the team and drivers' name and likeness in advertising and dealership appearances. Your package to them could include a tow vehicle (which may help sell duallys) and cash. Cost will range from $1,500 to $25,000 depending on the division they race in, their popularity and what they have available to offer to you.
Track Advertising
Your local track will have a number of affordable opportunities for you. Ads are priced reasonably in the weekly program and large billboards may range in price from $1,000 to $5,000 for the season, depending on the size of the race track. Prices at major race tracks will increase dramatically.
Race Sponsorship
A great way to have a powerful impact at the race track is to sponsor an evening race event. Your dealership will be provided a number of opportunities throughout the evening's event. The race could be known as the ABC Motors Event. You would receive prime tickets for your employees and customers to use in a promotional capacity. The evening's trophies would have your dealership name and you would have the opportunity to present these to the race winners. You would be involved with any press coverage which the track and/or you could involve. The cost to sponsor an evening race would be from $750 to $2000, depending on the size of the race track, with major races costing more.
Local Racing Papers
Very popular with the local racing fans are newspapers which cover the racing events at tracks throughout your local area. Advertising in them has proven to be a successful way to get your name out to the racing public. Ads will cost from $200 to $1000, depending on the size and paper location.
Picnics
Having your company picnic at the local race track where you sponsor is a great day of fun. It is an all-inclusive deal which includes tickets, barbecue and a unique evening of fun. Tracks will sometimes give you a big discount on tickets just to get you to the races and the cost is reasonable.
These are just a sampling of some of the sponsorship activities which are available to you in your local market. It is not important that you personally become a race fan. It is important that you recognize this fact: it's not whether you or I like racingYOUR CUSTOMERS DO!! Take a serious look at motorsports for 1998. Don't jump in over your head, but take a chance and see if racing is right for you. Try a a local sponsorship deal with a modest investment. You will find that, however small of an initial plunge you make, if you follow these pointers, you will be amazed at the increased interest in, around and within your dealership(s).