SPONSORSHIP ROCKS
(9/28/04)
by Geoff Smith, President of Roush Racing
Have you ever wondered why you have never seen a survey that asked the question: "How fast do your eyes glaze over when a commercial airs on TV?" or, "How many channels do you surf during a commercial?" You may not have wondered at all, actually, because you may not be in the business of promoting sponsorship as an effective marketing tool. However, we are in that business and we understand that our nemesis, the advertising industry, may not want to know the answer to those types of questions because the answers may help advertising's often unloved sister: sponsorship. Historically, the advertising industry has used its very considerable resources to sell against sponsorship in every way possible. After all, an investment in sponsorship represents a loss of investment in the product they make and sell. Yet the sponsorship industry does not reject advertising. The sponsorship industry largely believes in integrated marketing platforms of which one component may include advertising. Fortunately there are those in the advertising business that likewise agree with us.
So, imagine my surprise when ADWEEK magazine published the results of a survey this year in an article called, "The View From The Couch." Ninety percent of the respondents said they had never switched to a particular product or service based on a Super Bowl ad. Now, keep in mind that the going price for one 30-second spot as two million dollars. Finally...someone asked a question that we can use to compare to the fundamental strengths of NASCAR team sponsorship: delivering an audience whose soul, emotion and connection are directly tied by and through the team/driver to the sponsor and its products and services.
While there have been many surveys bolstering the industry and claiming that NASCAR fans are "brand loyal to sponsors", we decided to take the ADWEEK theme a bit further and conduct an internet survey ourselves. Contrasting the Super Bowl audience, 65 percent of our 8,000 respondents said that their purchasing decisions were influenced by whether or not the product or service was made or sold by a team sponsor. Seventy-seven percent said that team sponsors were more important than official sponsors, track sponsors or TV advertisers to the continued success of the sport. Seventy-six percent said that they had switched to a particular product or service because it was made or sold by a sponsor that participates in the sport of NASCAR in some fashion. Finally, when we asked the respondents, "Assuming the cost is the same, which investment has the best chance of influencing your purchasing decision," only one percent chose Super Bowl advertising, while 82 percent chose a team sponsorship at some level in NEXTEL Cup racing. Extrapolate as pollsters do the audence of 75 million NASCAR fans. They're telling us: "We will connect with you if you praticipate in the sport!!!!"
Over and over again we deliver an audience that is connected in every way. They understand what is important to make this sport work. And they reward. They change their habits to favor sponsor products. They pay attention. They talk to their friends and family. When was the last time you debated the merits of a product or service based solely upon the contents of a TV commercial? -- Exactly my point.
When all is said and done, team sponsors are looking awfully good with their dcision to sponsor a race team. After all, as we all really understand, an "impression" requires a person willing to accept being imprssed upon, and floating clouds leave no impression on a person whose eyes are closed. Sponsorship Rocks!!!
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