NASCAR - PRNewser

AC/DC Beer and Fans Should Sell Out Together

James F. Thompson — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:25:32 +0000

If an AC/DC song doesn’t rock its way through the jukebox of your favorite bar a few times a night, well, you’re probably drinking a martini anyway. So this piece won’t interest you.

But beer drinkers, be they NASCAR fans, tattooed Harley-Davidson riders, or sad-sack drunks, tend to like things loud–especially their rock-n-roll. So AC/DC and beer go together like tired moms and boxed merlot.

Merging AC/DC’s brand and beer, two incredible forces of nature, into one entity just feels like a natural progression in the evolution of the way things should be. Sure, diehard fans will accuse the legendary rock band of selling out, because that’s exactly what they’re doing. But AC/DC has earned the right to sell out the way your WWII veteran grandfather earned the right to mow his lawn in black socks and white tennis shoes.

You’re not allowed to judge them. Don’t even try.

Oh, and we definitely feel like beer is a better product than modestly priced wine for the guys who made this video:

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What’s up with NASCAR’s Crash Footage Copyright Scandal?

Patrick Coffee — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:39:28 +0000

Full disclosure: we’re not huge NASCAR fans, but we were intrigued by the little PR dustup regarding the most interesting thing to happen to the sport in some time: this pre-Daytona 500 weekend crash, which injured 30 or more bystanders (amazingly, the drivers all walked away).

That’s the league’s official video of the wreck–and it’s apparently the only footage anyone can share without landing in a weird legal limbo.

NASCAR claims that it “owns the rights to all images, sounds and data” from every race–and when some attendees posted clips of the crash on YouTube, the league quickly ordered them removed. YouTube complied…at first. Then things got a little more complicated.

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Budweiser to Launch New ‘Millennial’ Beers During Super Bowl

James F. Thompson — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:48:59 +0000

As the Super Bowl approaches, so too does the PR analysis of brands that have chosen to invest many millions into advertising during this unique American spectacle.

All-American beer brand Budweiser (which is owned by Belgians now, BTW) considers the Super Bowl home field. Football and alcohol have long held an uneasy relationship that translates well on television screens but less so in the parking lot after NFL games.

So it’s not surprising–particularly in an environment where microbrews, casks ales and other niche beers are driving consumer climate change–that Anheuser-Busch InBev is once again using the Super Bowl as a platform to promote its new, more sophisticated brands of beer (namely Budweiser Black Crown and Beck’s Sapphire).

The goal, of course, is to reach younger drinkers—yes, Millennials—who don’t have a loyalty to regular Budweiser or an emotional connection the brand’s famed Clydesdales. The target audience, as this article describes them (and oh we love this), is the type of people drawn to “nighttime drinking occasions”. Sorry NASCAR fans, lunchtime strip club goers, and that one drunk uncle we all have. These beers are not for you.

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Spin the Agencies of Record

James F. Thompson — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:35:54 +0000

Ogilvy has been chosen as AOR for NASCAR, which aims to extend its brand into a more diversified and younger demographic. After a four-month pitch process, Ogilvy edged out the competition and will initiate the brand extension at the Daytona 500 in February 2013, the race’s 55th anniversary.

The climate in the industry remains highly competitive. Ogilvy’s chairman-CEO for North America explained why landing NASCAR signals an important acquisition for the company. “We firmly believe that Nascar is a valuable tool in the marketing mix and a place where big brands get high return on investment. We couldn’t be more proud to add the sport to our portfolio of global brands.” [via]

It’s all about moms. 9 Story Entertainment has selected Child’s Play Communications to lead an outreach campaign leveraging social media and the power of moms. The effort aims to promote the animated TV series Almost Naked Animals and related new lines of licensed products. To increase brand awareness Child’s Play will also partner with parenting publications in the US.

Vince Commisso, president and CEO of 9 Story Entertainment said, “We know the broad family appeal of Almost Naked Animals will resonate with moms, and the lovable characters make for fun product extensions. Child’s Play Communications has an excellent track record for reaching this important audience.” continued…

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Guest Post: The Future of Crowdsourcing

Tonya Garcia — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:21:35 +0000

Crowdsourcing is now one of the many ways that brands harness the enthusiasm and creativity of fans for promotional purposes. As the practice has become more popular, digital tools are becoming more ubiquitous and crowdsourcing campaigns are easier to execute for a wider variety of businesses.

In this morning’s guest post, Richard Spiegel, founder and CEO of CrowdTogether.com, looks at the present and future of crowdsourcing. Click through to read on, and use the comments and @PRNewser to share your thoughts.

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Roll Call: Shane Goes to Juniper; Kanareck Joins Fleishman; Brent Relocates; and More

Tonya Garcia — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:43:07 +0000

Former HP VP David Shane has joined Juniper Networks as VP of corporate communications. PRNewser reported in August that Shane was leaving HP to start his own firm. Shane will lead Juniper’s global communications effort, including analyst and executive communications. He was also previously an SVP at Weber Shandwick with the firm’s corporate issues and entertainment practices.

Richard Kanareck has been appointed MD of Fleishman-Hillard‘s London office. Most recently, Kanareck was comms director for eBay Europe. He will report to regional president Kevin Bell.

William Brent, Weber Shandwick‘s head of the Cleantech practice, has been promoted to EVP. He will relocate to the firm’s San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices.

David Herrick has been named GM of MWW Group‘s New York office. He was previously EVP of the firm’s global consumer marketing practice.

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NASCAR, BET Partner to Attract African-American Audience

Tonya Garcia — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:38:02 +0000

In addition to shaking up their communications organization in order to draw fans, NASCAR has partnered with Black Entertainment Television (BET) to attract Black audiences.

The New York Times reports on the new BET show Changing Lanes that premiered last night, which places 10 contestants in a house together for a month to compete for a spot as a NASCAR driver.

NASCAR has tried for years to build a diverse audience, with its Drive for Diversity program having little success.

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NASCAR: PR Will Help Bring Back Fans

Tonya Garcia — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:11:15 +0000

NASCAR has announced a number of major changes to its communications function, including new leadership and the creation of an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) department that will help the organization to take a “more strategic and offensive approach to selling the sport in a constantly-evolving traditional, digital, and social media landscape,” according to the press release.

The changes come at a time when NASCAR has seen a drop in numbers, including attendance and TV ratings. Ramsey Poston, MD of corporate communications, says the economy has played a role in that decline. Fans tend to spend days at a NASCAR event, camping out in RVs as part of a summer vacation, for instance. Now that’s difficult for many fans to do.

“That has presented hardships to our fans,” Poston told PRNewser. “PR [will] remind fans that NASCAR has the best racing in the world, tickets are affordable and available, and to come out and see the events.”

Poston will continue in his role through 2010, then step down. A CCO will lead NASCAR IMC (Korn/Ferry International is helping with the search) reporting to the CMO, Steve Phelps. And at the season’s end, VP of corporate comms, Jim Hunter, will assume the role of VP of special projects.

The changes come as a result of a four-month study led by Taylor, which will continue to provide counsel.

“We have been conducting similar studies to see how we’re doing as a company,” said Poston. “It’s part of a regularly occurring look inward.”

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