Emerging NASCAR Team Takes on Challenge to Bring Affordable Advertising Back into the Sport

Both up and coming businesses and large scale corporations, take note. If boosting brand awareness, sales or online traffic is on your agenda for 2014, NASCAR sponsorship needs to be a priority.

Once thought to be a sport for only multi-million dollar corporations, NASCAR advertising can be attainable for those with smaller scale advertising budgets. Dusty Davis Racing is now revving its advertising engine alongside Lowes, GoDaddy, Coca-Cola and M&M Mars. “We know that there is interest out there, but most companies assume they need to provide tens of millions of dollars up front, and that’s definitely not the case,” said team manager, Tom Davis. “We want to create a much more affordable, grass-roots approach when it comes to sponsorship, and work directly alongside our partners to ensure their success – something you don’t always find today.”

The team’s 21 year-old driver, Dusty Davis, whose alliterated name joins the likes of Jimmy Johnson, Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne, has had an impressive start to his career. Backed by youth, a love of winning and his involvement with a non-profit children’s reading program, Dusty Davis is highly marketable. The first company to snatch him up is going to get something truly great. Does this story sound familiar? Let’s think back to 2001, when no one had heard of a young Jimmy Johnson with a similar racing career. When Lowe’s got tired of seeing its competitor’s car crossing the finish line each week, it took a gamble on Johnson to get its name back into the spotlight and the results were astounding.

“Even though we’re operating on less of a budget than most teams today, from a marketing and brand awareness perspective, you still have the opportunity to reach just as many people each week,” Davis says. “Of course they’ll have their name on a car, but it’s our off-the-track, combined marketing efforts that will get their brand into the minds of fans or their product in stores.” In today’s world of high paid drivers, private jets, and endless team royalties, a lot of company’s sponsorship money is misdirected along the way. This seems to be why so many long-time sponsors are putting the brakes on their NASCAR spending. “Whether it’s a former sponsor that wants to get back into the sport, or one that’s ready to dive in and try something new, we’re eager to get started,” he says.

NASCAR boasts some impressive sponsorship statistics that smash any doubts you may have. NASCAR Nationwide sponsorships have the power to reach over 40 million worldwide television viewers per season, and an average of 150,000 passionate fans attending live races each weekend. When it comes to brand loyalty, NASCAR fans are rated #1, surpassing even the NFL. There are even some exclusive perks that Dusty Davis Racing plans to bestow on its lucky future sponsor.
While the benefits of NASCAR advertising are clear, it still may not be within everyone’s reach. Davis reported that there are ways that interested partners can actually get part of their sponsorship paid for. “This could be exactly what their company needs to really take off; we just need that initial sponsor to hop on board,” he added.

If you are interested in full or partial sponsorship, or even to join the race as a low-cost support sponsor, please contact Stephanie Reis at [email protected].