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Using Nearby NASCAR Races to Promote Auto Dealerships

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Tue, May 24, 2016 @ 10:33 AM

NASCAR auto dealerships increase salesIt’s only three months into the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the big three manufacturers are already running neck-and-neck in the point standings: Toyota (420), Chevrolet (404) and Ford (368). In the months ahead, thousands of twists and turns will be negotiated by drivers — literally and figuratively — over the course of a long season ending November 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Along the way, teams and fans will visit 23 tracks in 20 states as the series works its way through winter, spring, summer and fall.

Near each of those racetracks are auto dealers just itching to capitalize on the impending fanfare, some going full bore into the action while others lamenting about the “what ifs” from afar with forlorn expression. This article is about making the most of the potential opportunities as auto dealerships join the party, sell more units and increase sales opportunities.

Ideally, planning marketing activities around NASCAR races is an off-season task, but it’s not too late to start unless the tour has come and gone in your region. Remember, 23 tracks in 20 states.

The NASCAR site is a wealth of information about scheduling (all four NASCAR series), tracks, drivers, teams, manufacturers, videos, history and much more. One never knows where promotional inspiration will arise, so it’s best to follow the lead of an industry having proven expertise at generating billions of dollars in revenue and economic impact.

Basic Training

Start with something light such as the Mobil 1 GarageCam under the Videos primary navigation tool near the top. Some dealers may dismiss this feature with amusement while others will see “outtathebox” networking opportunities that could increase sales.

NASCAR auto dealerships increase salesWhile watching the video shot at Martinsville Speedway on 10/30/2015, try to inventory all of the subjects: crew chiefs, mechanics, tire stacks, floor jacks, air wrenches, air dams and awesome paint schemes under hundreds of sponsor stickers such as Moog, Comp Cams or Holley.

Next, envision some marketing opportunities as the camera focuses on the Geico Chevrolet driven by Casey Mears at the 10:45 mark.

Are there cooperative marketing efforts to be had between your Chevy dealership and a local speed shop selling Holly carburetors? Would the owners/managers of that shop be willing to co-sponsor and co-promote an event at your auto dealership to attract race fans who are potential car shoppers?

If your store is near the racetrack and you move a lot of units, your respective manufacturer may set up an appearance with a driver at your dealership or a neighboring one, but waiting on the car maker may never pan out.

Contact the marketing or public relations office of your manufacturer via email or phone and inquire about public appearances scheduled for “race week” in your area. Your query should be professional, cordial and direct: tell them what you want in the opening sentence followed by a brief summary of the dealership’s qualifications: years in business, units sold, manufacturer awards, distance from racetrack, etc. Their answer may not be “yes,” but you will have made a connection at the manufacturer’s marketing and PR office, a place where few dealerships ever consider going. If you don’t ask, however, the answer is always “no.”

What about the crew chiefs corresponding to your brand? Try taking a proactive approach by asking one of them to make a special appearance at your showroom. He/she could discuss vehicle safety features that are common to race cars and their street-vehicle cousins while signing autographs and giving away memorabilia. Perhaps an assistant crew chief or head mechanic will attend if the primary person is busy. Numerous themes can be applied if the possibilities are thoroughly explored. Accessing contact info is not always easy, so sometimes it entails working in steps and repetition: phone to obtain an email address of the relevant person.

Upping the Ante

The News tab of the NASCAR site is the next destination worth exploring, especially the Press Releases option. This information is penned by the NASCAR public relations team and disseminated to nearly every media outlet in the country. Two press releases are worth mentioning in relation to this discussion.

The top one, “NASCAR Names Ford Motor Company Winner of ‘Driving Business Award,’” stands out on a few levels. First, it’s about Ford supporting its dealerships and partnering with MillerCoors, Goodyear and SiriusXM. Second, the award was presented by the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council, and third, to quote the press release:

  • Ford sold more than 3,500 vehicles through its "Partner Recognition Program"
  • Co-marketing programs with MillerCoors, Goodyear and SiriusXM result in nearly 900 vehicles sold
  • Ford executed multiple deals that eclipsed $5 million in value
  • More than two-thirds of Council members participated in business-to-business deals with Ford

Clearly, Ford is a brand that supports its dealerships and one that could be open to the above queries.

A second press release, “NASCAR, Twitter to Bring Fans Exclusive Daytona 500 Content,” announces that NASCAR and Twitter have joined forces "to enhance the #DAYTONA500 conversation with fun, original content and unique activations around racing’s biggest event.”

At this point, it would be a good idea to connect with NASCAR via all of the social media icons on the lower left of the footer. While in Twitter, for example, a dealership can follow @NASCAR and search for hashtags such as #Daytona500 to learn about scheduled activities related to specific races on the circuit.

Building a Twitter following for a dealership certainly takes time, but consider the promotional possibilities of engaging with the macro-promotional efforts of NASCAR as it engages race fans. As the press release states, “The best and fastest way to join the NASCAR conversation and connect directly with the teams, drivers and fans during DAYTONA 500 weekend is to tweet with, and search for, #DAYTONA500.”

Outside More Boxes

Signing up for The Official NASCAR Newsletter is another way to learn about race news and events. For example, the May 4 newsletter says that “NASCAR released its 2017 national series schedules on Thursday -- months prior to the more typical fall arrival.” Thus, dealerships can get the jump on planning events earlier than ever before.

Finally, the footer of the NASCAR site contains two other potential avenues for dealership participation.

Launched in 2008, NASCAR Green is a cooperative program that endeavors to reduce the sport’s environmental impact while supporting green technology programs by partnering with corporate America and environmental groups:

  • Recycling & Waste Diversion
  • The NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Program
  • Bio-Fuels
  • Renewable Energy

Each program offers a pyramid of promotional potential to dealerships interested in volunteering time and energy. Some efforts could be as simple as planting trees or aggregating used tires or motor oil.

Per its mission statement, The NASCAR Foundation “is a leading charity that partners with experts to improve the life and health of children who need it the most in the communities of our NASCAR family across the U.S.” It even welcomes support from local businesses via the Sponsorship Opportunities page: “Throughout the year, we have several opportunities to support our fundraising events and programmatic experiences for children across the country.”

Planning and participating in cooperative or cause marketing efforts is certainly time consuming, but well worth the effort in these challenging times of increased competition from brick-and-mortar stores as well as virtual sources. Crossing the finish line ahead of that competition demands a holistic approach to sales and marketing where a dealership considers all viable solutions for upping the foot traffic that leads to increased sales dollars.

Spend less time on payment processing and more time on dealerships promotions with CrossCheck’s C.A.R.S. program. Once in place, dealerships accept more checks and increase sales while utilizing helpful functions such as Multiple Check and COD. Learn more by downloading our free guide.

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Topics: Auto Dealerships

Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.