{"id":1886,"date":"2014-08-25T12:10:23","date_gmt":"2014-08-25T12:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theswitch.us\/blog\/?p=1886"},"modified":"2014-08-26T14:15:28","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T14:15:28","slug":"aint-first-youre-last-activations-racing-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/aint-first-youre-last-activations-racing-events\/","title":{"rendered":"If You Ain\u2019t First, You\u2019re Last: Activations at Racing Events"},"content":{"rendered":"
Every brand is driven to engage the die-hard fans of this competitive sport \u2013 so how can you stand out?<\/address>\n

 
\nBrands and sponsors have been attracted to motorsports since its earliest days, whether it meant circling a brickyard in Indy or the beach in Daytona. From famous mottos like \u201cWhat wins on Sunday sells on Monday\u201d to the creation of icons that transcend the sport, brands have leveraged the sights, sounds, smells and speed of racing to engage consumers.<\/p>\n

At Switch, motorsports is in our DNA. Having worked with the biggest brands, drivers and associations in the motorsports world, we have a unique perspective on how to succeed in a competitive field. From Senior to Junior, Kasey to the King, the Busch Series to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion\u2019s Week \u2026 we\u2019ve been running up top in the sport for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n

Brands vying for position, whether it be on the airwaves, in the supermarket or at the track, can be as aggressive, combative and tricky as the races themselves. From gimmicks to giveaways, every sponsor is fighting for \u2018share of experience\u2019 within the sport.<\/p>\n

Advice from the Activation Pros<\/h1>\n

For some of the best tips in the biz, I solicited advice from Switch Director of Mobile Operations, Stafford Warneke, and Tour Manager, Bob Poole, both of whom have a list of race weekend stories longer than the Coca-Cola 600:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Know the rules:<\/strong> There are very specific \u201cdos\u201d and \u201cdon\u2019t\u201d associated with working within and around every major sporting body \u2026 but it\u2019s even more so true with motorsports. Everything must be in compliance, including fire suits, paint schemes and words used in creative. Save time by doing your research before jumping in the deep-end.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Choose wisely:<\/strong> Congratulations, you\u2019re the sponsor of a race team and professional racecar driver. That doesn\u2019t mean you receive carte blanche access to said team and driver. Your contract undoubtedly outlines EXACTLY how many personal appearances you receive. And usually you must account for any and all photo and TV shoots within those. Deciding when and where to best utilize those appearances can be the difference between generating a positive ROI on a sponsorship and regretting your involvement in the entire sport.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Drive it like you stole it:<\/strong> Sure, drivers like to go fast on the track. But given the amount of people tugging at their time, they like to operate fast, too. When it comes to photo and video shoots: be prompt, be prepared and stick to the plan. Nothing will get you a grouchy driver faster than wasting time in a studio.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Sunday work day:<\/strong> While it\u2019s a big party for the fans and sponsors, don\u2019t forget that your driver is there to work. Getting 15-20 minutes to hit the hospitality suite or sign some autographs in the midway is a BIG DEAL. Treat it that way. And remember, while the drivers are the heroes, there are other celebrities you can leverage, including iconic team owners and media personalities.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Open it and they shall come:<\/strong> Most brands fail on the midway because they attempt to exert too much control. While race fans are more than willing to partake in a value exchange of personal information for an excellent experience, they are wary of getting stuck or wasting time inside a mobile display or setup. Keep your footprint open and allow consumers the freedom to discover and explore.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Start early: <\/strong>Tracks aren\u2019t all conveniently located. Some are saddled next to major metros\u2026while others are in the middle of nowhere. This means getting a head-start on securing local talent and event support, as well as rental cars, hotels, etc. are of the highest importance. The same goes for getting to the track; traffic can be terrible, so plan on starting very early\u2026and staying very late.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Prepare for traffic:<\/strong> Depending on the start time of the event you\u2019re activating, traffic patterns will vary. Make sure you have a flexible staffing plan and that you\u2019re staffed-up to provide breaks and downtime. This will ensure that your brand ambassadors are representing your product or service with as much energy as possible.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Race results matter:<\/strong> Engaging a captive racing crowd is an excellent opportunity to conduct research, collect data and better understand the habits, needs and desires of your core consumers\u2026or at least a segment of them. Using quick surveys, kiosks and social media monitoring tools, you can understand your share of voice, share of mind and yes, your share of experience. Capturing the crowd\u2019s reaction and social sentiment provides an ROI for your sponsorship investment.<\/p>\n

From a day-to-day perspective, a racing event activation may seem to foster pure chaos. There are athletes to meet, places to be and rules to abide by. To not only survive the event, but also thrive, preparation can\u2019t be overstated. We can\u2019t promise that the event\u2019s challenges grow easier with time \u2013 but establishing the necessary groundwork and expectations makes for a smoother experience all around.<\/p>\n

To find out more about how your brand can compete in a fast-paced racing environment, contact Scott Burns at ScottB@TheSwitch.us<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every brand is driven to engage the die-hard fans of this competitive sport \u2013 so how can you stand out? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":1888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2,1,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-experiential","category-featured","category-featured-home","category-how-to"],"yoast_head":"\nIf You Ain\u2019t First, You\u2019re Last: Activations at Racing Events - sw:tch blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/aint-first-youre-last-activations-racing-events\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"If You Ain\u2019t First, You\u2019re Last: Activations at Racing Events - 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