While the on-track action is always captivating, another competition is being held in the midway between brands, competing for eyeballs and ultimately, leads.
Unlike an NBA or NFL game, attending a motorsports event for most fans is an all-day (and sometimes all weekend) affair. Weekend-long events allow time for fans to explore the track and experience various interactive fan experiences. In few sports are brands so ingrained in the fan experience. How can you make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck with your racetrack event activation?
Lead Generation
Outside of overall brand awareness, lead generation is typically a primary objective of any event activation. Lead generation is directly tied to your return on investment (ROI). This is an effective way to measure how successful your activation was. Whether you use leads to have a salesperson follow-up after the event or use them to send promotional e-mails and targeted ads. Leads are a key component to successful event or experiential activations. Meeting people in-person at the racetrack is the first touchpoint of the buying process. How will you convert someone at the racetrack into a customer?
Premium Items
What incentivizes someone to give you their personal information? Free giveaways are a standard for a reason, people (myself included) love freebies.
When it comes to branded promotional items, it’s necessary that they think through how they want the item to best represent their brand and incorporate into the event. For example, it’s probably not wise for an auto manufacturer to hand out logoed bottle openers.
Ideally, you want something that consumers will take home from the track and hold onto for a while. It’s one thing to give out an item that fans might use once that same day at the track (i.e. cooling fan, sunscreen, etc.), and another to give them something that can be used over and over, like a t-shirt. When someone wears your branded t-shirt, they become a walking billboard for your brand.
Display
So where are you going to give items away and rock your lead generation? Typically, events will have a midway where brands can activate in one central location. Work with the promoters prior to the event to understand your location and limitations within the space and ensure you’re receiving the best and most visible location possible.
In a space where multiple brands are competing for race fans’ time and attention, your display needs to stand out from the rest in order draw people in. Similarly, having an emcee can be a great differentiator from other nearby displays. Consider potential experiential programming, like contests run by the emcee.
Check out our previous Blog Posts to learn more on topics surrounding sponsorship. Contact Us for specific content questions.
