"America's Largest Spectator Sport Is Finally Embracing Digital"

From Adweek

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Review by Kelsey Holmes in KIN 501

In 2013, NASCAR re-gained its digital rights from Turner Sports allowing them to control their own website, NASCAR.com and better integrate their digital media presence with social media. Senior Marketing Partner, Andrew Campagnone admitted, “We were behind in the technology space.” While other professional leagues, such as the NBA and NFL, were using technology and social media to take fan interaction to a whole new level NASCAR was falling behind.

In 2013, NASCAR, America’s largest Spectator Sport, began working to increase their digital media presence. 5 weeks after their new campaign launch, Nascar added 25,000 Facebook fans, 20,000 Twitter followers, 46,00 YouTube subscribers, and 1000 Instagram followers. As of January 27th, 2014 those numbers were up to a total of 583,00 Facebook fans, 1.33M Twitter followers, 52,000 YouTube subscribers, and 94,000 Instagram followers. Their current marketing strategy includes; pulling together the Nascar brand, teams drivers, fans, and sponsors to cheer on their favorite cars and drivers through the use of the hash tag #Whatdriversneed across all of their social sites. The current campaign focuses on the use of Twitter and Instagram while Nascar.com, Facebook, TV, radio, and print playing supporting roles. The new campaign seems to be helping NASCAR reach their fans as they have seen increase on all of their digital media platforms. Along with the new campaign came the innovative Fan and Media Engagement center. This center allows NASCAR professionals to stay up to date on trends and happenings on social media. Also, the center analyzes data and then adapts to better serve the fans.

While some leagues steer their athletes away from social media in fear that it will damage their brand, NASCAR is doing quite the opposite. NASCAR has very lose rules on social media and race day tweeting, and that helps to give them a competitive advantage over other sports that monitor their athletes so heavily. NASCAR vice president Steve O’donell says “it’s one of the cool things about our sport. We feel like social media gives us that direct access to some of race fans”. The more interaction fans have the more interested they become, and the bigger the interest the more likely they are to come to a race, which is what NASCAR ultimately wants. NASCAR already has a cult following and social media allows their fans to engage even more. NASCAR themselves have said they want to bring fans as close to the driver seat as possible, which is done through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

A survey of 1,500 adults in October 2012 found that 54% of avid fans said they visit social media sites regularly for NASCAR content and that percentage jumps to 78% for 18-34 year old fans. This is great for building your brand when you can reach most of your fans through digital media. With social media you can reach new fans and gain a bigger audience especially children and college age consumers where NASCAR fans are most lacking. The push in digital media can help build the star power of your drivers by letting fans interact with them intimately and more often. Most NASCAR tracks are now installing wifi, to improve the racetrack experience, allowing fans to tweet or post about their day at the track. By engaging fans on a regular basis NASCAR digital media push is helping to build the NASCAR brand for today and the future.



As a sports marketing professional it is important to realize that social media, when used properly, is a great tool and can always be used to your advantage. Digital media plays an integral part in building your brand in today’s society. Staying up on recent trends allows the company to remain relevant at all times. Knowing how to actively engage fans with the company will definitely pay off in the long run.