NEW YORK: NASCAR has transformed its research and insights
capabilities, giving the racing-car circuit's commercial partners – like
Coca-Cola – a deeper insight into return on investment than ever before. Sean
Doherty, NASCAR director/digital and social-media engagement, told an American
Marketing Association (AMA) webcast audience: "The Coca-Cola Co. came to
us and wanted a brand analysis for each of their drivers. Evaluating returns on
sports marketing is very strategic to the organisation as it facilitates
marketing channel design as well as informing measures for improving
effectiveness in specific channels.
According to NASCAR director, Coca-Cola “wanted share for
each driver; how each one engaged with fans; and the size of their social
footprint. They wanted to be able to activate their brand against a track, a
race, or off site as well." (For more, including details about NASCAR's
marketing transformation, read Warc's exclusive article: NASCAR and Coca-Cola
enhance sponsorship measurement.) To better serve the needs of Coca-Cola and
other sponsors, an industry-wide study in 2010 led to a new set of operating
priorities. "We had to transition from a PR department to a
fully-integrated marketing communications model," said Doherty.
"We took a deep dive into the industry's position
relative to digital and social media. We researched the way that fans
experienced our events. And we looked at the way people consumed other sports
and entertainment properties. We searched for growth markets to attract new
fans to the sport. And we also took a critical look at our current portfolio of
drivers." NASCAR found a partner to give it the tools required to make
this transition, as information technology group Hewlett-Packer designed and
created the Fan and Media Engagement Center.
This research facility features 13 screens of 46 inches in
size, as well as three work stations and the analytical tools NASCAR needs to
help race-car teams, tracks, sponsors, broadcast partners process more data
faster.
The facility provided Coca-Cola with the insight it needed
in evaluating the returns on their sports marketing strategies, as well as a
deeper engagement for a group of existing sponsors that includes such other
Fortune 100 companies as Sprint, Goodyear Tires, MillerCoors and ExxonMobil.
Data sourced from Warc, Additional information from
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