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Tag: sponsorship

  • GoDaddy to End Sponsorship of Danica Patrick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Car in 2016

    GoDaddy to End Sponsorship of Danica Patrick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Car in 2016

    Phil Bienert, chief marketing officer for GoDaddy, issued a statement Wednesday, confirming that GoDaddy will not renew its primary sponsorship of Danica Patrick’s Sprint Cup Car which expires at the end of the current season.

    “We love Danica and all she does to empower and inspire people, especially women, which is why we are working to keep her in the GoDaddy family,” Bienert said. “We have the utmost respect for Stewart-Haas Racing, and they’ve been phenomenal partners. In fact, NASCAR has been a tremendous domestic platform to help us achieve an 81 percent aided brand awareness domestically, but at this stage; we need a range of marketing assets that reach a more globally-diverse set of customers. The fact Danica is having a record-setting season makes it tough to leave this motorsports sponsorship, without a doubt.”

    Patrick has been a spokesperson for GoDaddy since 2007. GoDaddy began its NASCAR participation as an associate sponsor with Patrick in 2007, moving to full-time sponsorship in 2010 as she began a limited schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide (now XFINITY) Series with JR Motorsports.

    “GoDaddy has been an incredible partner for a very long time and our brands have really grown up together,” Patrick said in a statement. “It’s pretty cool, from a marketing perspective, that we helped GoDaddy build such strong brand awareness here in the U.S. I’m excited to work with GoDaddy on a personal level moving forward, but will miss having their bright green color on my racecar next year. At the same time, this is a new opportunity for a brand to pair with me and Stewart-Haas Racing and achieve the kind of growth we experienced with GoDaddy.”

    Patrick is in her third full season in the Sprint Cup Series and in the final year of her contract with Stewart-Haas Racing. She is currently 16th in the points standings with two top-10 finishes this season.

    Stewart-Haas Racing’s executive vice president, Brett Frood,  issued a statement, concerning the announcement, saying, “GoDaddy has been an outstanding partner since joining our race team in 2012. They helped us grow from the two-car team we were at the beginning of 2012 to the four-car team we are today. Along the way, their business has grown exponentially, proving our relationship to be mutually beneficial. We value all of our partnerships and take great pride in seeing GoDaddy’s association with Danica Patrick and Stewart-Haas Racing serve as a springboard for their global marketing strategy.”

    “Our organization has been fortunate to have committed corporate partners, a focused and dedicated employee base, and drivers capable of translating these tools to on-track success. It is our intent,” he continued, “to continue raising our performance bar with all four Stewart-Haas Racing teams and delivering results to our constituents now and in the future. With Danica, we see a driver with unparalleled resolve and tenacity. She is an individual who transcends the sport and we look forward to fostering new partnerships for her and the No. 10 team.”

    Patrick was upbeat about the situation posting the following on her Twitter page.

    Danica Patrick Twitter

     

     

  • Authentic Sponsorships: The Relationship Between Sponsor and Driver

    Authentic Sponsorships: The Relationship Between Sponsor and Driver

    In the wake of Dale Earnhardt Jr. announcing a new sponsorship with eBay, appearing on his No. 88 Chevrolet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series June race at Michigan International Speedway, there is a lot to be said for authentic sponsorships within the sport of NASCAR in this day and age.

    Having learned at the end of the 2013 NASCAR season that Earnhardt is an ardent eBay user, the recently announced partnership is without a doubt legitimate. It is not about a driver forcing a smile and promoting something he or she doesn’t believe in, it’s about selling a product or service that they have their own faith in as a consumer.

    Though in a time where sponsorship is spread thin, money is tight and some teams are forced to stretch every last dollar, the ability to always be picky with sponsorships is not always there.

    Which leads to the question, do fans actually care whether a sponsorship or partnership between driver and business is authentic?

    Sponsorships and partnerships come in all forms. Whether it’s a product or service funding the race car, a charity placing their name on the car for large amounts of promotion, or simply a driver appearing to promote a company or cause, they all align a driver’s image with their brand identity.

    Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been a magnet for the concept of brand identity. GoDaddy.com’s use of her in their television commercials put them on the map as well as boosted her recognition outside of the racing world. But does becoming one brand’s identity limit what other companies would choose to partner with her?

    Another sponsorship that stands out as authentic is Bass Pro Shops, who sponsors drivers Tony Stewart, Austin Dillon, and Ty Dillon, all of whom are avid outdoorsmen. If their partnership was with someone outside of that fit, it could create a different reception from fans.

    While the sport rarely sees completely off-the-wall sponsorships, many often do not make sense or do not seem to be a great fit for the driver or team. We have entered a time though, where the name on the car means nothing to many fans, it is simply the writer of the paycheck.

    There is no telling whether having that authentic connection between driver and sponsor is necessary for positive fan reaction, but there is reason to believe these strong partnerships may end up standing better in the long run.

  • Kvapil’s future is still in doubt

    Kvapil’s future is still in doubt

    Getting a job in the Sprint Cup Series is tough as it is. The economy doesn’t help either.

    Travis Kvapil is a former Camping World Truck Series champion. One would believe teams would be throwing themselves at him after his departure from Penske Racing several years back at the completion of the 2005 season.

    For the past few seasons, Kvapil drove for the underfunded Front Row Motorsports team. FRM is owned by Bob Jenkins, who owns a series of restaurants such as Taco Bell, Long John Silver, and other multi-million dollar businesses.

    At the end of 2011, rumors swirled around the garage about David Ragan signing with FRM once he was released from his former team Roush Racing. Eventually, Ragan signed with FRM. The team also resigned David Gilliland and Josh Wise in the team’s second and third cars, leaving Kvapil without a job heading into 2012.

    “That was tough, last year we didn’t have the results we hoped and by the end of the season we put some good runs together. But speaking for them, they were looking at different sponsorship opportunities and eventually landed with David Ragan and they had more sponsorship for things like that and it was a decision they made and they had to look at all opportunities and they’re definitely looking better,” said Kvapil on what made him leave FRM.

    Lucky for Kvapil, a new team was forming out of the defunct Red Bull Racing shop.

    Kvapil reached out to one of the new owners, sparking talks across the board as both sides were interested in working with one another.

    “It all happened pretty quick, but it was a bit of a process for them,” said Kvapil. “It took longer than they expected to get everything together and we didn’t get everything going and the green light until February first, but we have great equipment and some really good people with guys that work really hard.”

    It was announced that Kvapil will drive the car after the Daytona 500 where David Reutimann drove the No. 93 Toyota Camry to a 26th place finish in the team’s debut. But, it remains unclear if he will step behind the wheel for every race, or he will be replaced by Reutimann in the select races where he does not drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

    “It’s not a done deal from what I’ve been told. They’ve talked to me about David Reutimann running for the team, but I think that’s still to be determined as time gets closer to those races. Hopefully, I can go out there and run competitively and have a chance of staying in the car,” said Kvapil.

    But, if Kvapil is replaced by Reutimann, it could mean the partnership may last only one year, if that.

    “They’ve been straight up with me from day one. They might do something with David in those races, they might not, they didn’t promise me anything that they can’t do. I knew the deal going into it so either its 26 races or the rest of the races,” Kvapil said. I’m thankful for the opportunity. They didn’t promise me more than 26 races, but there’s a possibility of running 35.”

    The last time Kvapil qualified for all 36 races was back in 2008, the year he drove for Yates Racing, finishing 23rd in the standings. After the first six races in 2009, Kvapil was released from Yates as the team eventually shut down, due to sponsorship woes.

    This time around, Kvapil’s situation is different, much different.

    With a possibility of being replaced in several races, Kvapil has to focus on himself more than ever.

    “I think it’s harder for the team to work with multiple drivers as the relationship between the driver and the team takes some time to build and you’re changing drivers then you kind of mess up the chemistry,” said Kvapil on whether or not it’s a good idea for BK Racing to split the No. 93 Burger King Toyota throughout the 2012 season.

    Expectations for the new team are rather high, well at least according to Kvapil. He believes the team is capable on finishing in the top 25 on a weekly basis and eventually, making it to the top 20.

    Fortunately enough, Kvapil took a car which qualified 41st and turned a bad run into an exceptional one as he drove up to 19th place by the time the checkered flag flew this past Sunday at the Phoenix International Raceway. The team proved they’re at the track to run competitive and not just ‘start and park’ like many expected.

    Kvapil will head into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend with a renewed outlook on what it takes to run upfront. He and teammate Landon Cassill are ‘dark horses,’ but the two have much to prove.

    For the entire BK Racing organization, the plan is to run the entire season with Cassill in the No. 83 with Kvapil and possibly Reutimann in the No. 93 with cars from the former Red Bull Racing team. How will they fare remains to be seen. They are off to a strong start, continuing this will easily look themselves in the top 35 in owner points by Bristol.

    As a pure racer, Kvapil is determined to revamp his career once again. He is off to a strong start in 2012. His season may progress in a positive or negative way. But, it’s the chance he needed to prove he didn’t forget how to drive considering he outran both FRM drivers, Ragan and Gilliland on Sunday at Phoenix.