What Other Sports should learn from NASCAR
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I’m not sure what it is with NASCAR, but the three other major sports sure could learn a thing or two from them on how to market their stars. With the exception of Peyton Manning’s ads for various products, how many other commercials can you name with athletes?
Maybe it has something to do with how the sponsors are integral part of the sport rather than seen as crass ways for the leagues/networks to cash in? Maybe it has something to do with the general perception of race car drivers as nice, clean cut young men (Danica’s in the wrong league to get major exposure)? Maybe it’s because the France family owns NASCAR (literally) rather than having 30 squabbling owners all looking out for themselves?
Whatever the reason, NASCAR has figured out how to market their stars. Exhibit A is the Nextel commercial with Jimmie Johnson and Elliot Sadler. Johnson is the reigning series champion and Sadler’s the one with the bad facial hair (seriously, dude). The ad cracks me up every single time I see it. Exhibit B is the series of ads that began last season with Kasey Kahne where he tries to outrun a cadre of, um, obsessive female fans.
Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, really all of the big NASCAR names appear in ads for their sponsors on race day. Watching a football game, you get 95 ads with Peyton Manning and maybe an ad for that poster company with the big freaking decaled players. Watching baseball, you get maybe a Visa ad with Derek Jeter. I don’t really watch basketball, but I can’t think of a major national campaign featuring a baller that doesn’t involve shoes.
NASCAR’s marketing goes way beyond that. All of Mid-Missouri is aflame with Carl Edwards fever. He’s the local boy done good and many people who were not NASCAR fans have begun obsessively tracking his every move. He comes back to his hometown and does a lot of charitable work and takes time for the fans. Not “I’ll sign a ball for $85″ time for his fans, but time that people really can meet and greet him.
And maybe that is part of the perception on why drivers are more marketable than baseball players as well. They seem like regular people. Most people think “hey, I can drive for four hours on Sunday” even if they don’t think they can hit a Jason Schmidt fastball.
Whatever it is, kudos to NASCAR on marketing their stars. The other sports should be taking copious notes on what NASCAR is doing and find a way to replicate it with their own stars.