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Liquor sponsorship not detrimental to sport
Posted on June 9, 2004
By Jordan Grubich
Lately in the top divisions of NASCAR, the race to get a sponsor has been just as challenging and important as the race on the track.
More teams have been forced to use multiple primary sponsors in order to gain the necessary money to be competitive week in and week out. Roush Racing has appeared to perfect this marriage of multiple sponsors with the cars of Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and, most recently, Greg Biffle.
As Roush continues to run Jeff Burton’s 99 team every week despite not having a full time sponsor, fans wonder how a successful organization like Roush can have so much difficulty attracting a sponsor to a charismatic and popular driver like Burton.
The truth is, Roush has said they have found a willing partner to sponsor the 99. However, the sponsor is reported to be a hard liquor company, and that is a problem with NASCAR. NASCAR has had a long standing policy against hard liquor companies sponsoring a car.
In this instance, NASCAR has agreed to review the policy. For the health of the sport, NASCAR needs to weigh the benefits of this sponsorship carefully before deciding against it.
First of all, Roush isn’t the only major team having trouble with full time sponsorship. Bill Davis and DEI have both had to cut back on cars that ran full time in the series last year. If major teams with high levels of marketability can’t land a sponsorship deal, how will the smaller teams with lesser known drivers survive?
In addition, NASCAR, who often helps many teams search for sponsorship, is in direct competition with its teams for sponsor dollars. Many companies have opted to be "the official ________ of NASCAR" instead of sponsoring a team.
The signing of Nextel as sponsor of the Cup series also eliminated many telecommunications companies that Nextel saw as their direct competition from being sponsors in the series.
If NASCAR's major problem with a liquor sponsorship is the familial nature of the sport, I’m not so sure that holds up. What’s the difference between a Smirnoff Ice car and a car with a hard liquor sponsorship?
Very little, if any.
Most liquor and beer companies also promote responsible drinking and designated driver programs, too, so these sponsorships can end up educating people as much as they sell a product.
Besides, it’s not as if NASCAR completely shuns drinking. Beer--and liquor--are served at race tracks. There are three beer cars on the track, the Bud Pole Award and the Busch series.
If NASCAR uses past history with these sponsors as any gauge, I would think they would jump at the chance to allow this liquor sponsor into the sport. These beer sponsors have been three of the most loyal in the business. On top of that, these brands continue to inspire strong allegiances from fans.
NASCAR has also had tobacco products as sponsors in the past. These aren’t exactly family products. In fact, they continued to support Winston long after it was less than popular to be associated with a cigarette company.
What about Viagra? Not exactly family oriented, either. Imagine taking your child to the race only to have them ask, "Daddy, what’s Viagra?"
NASCAR provides a unique way to market a variety of products, not all of which will appeal to all people. Some of these products can’t, and shouldn’t, be used by everybody.
The bottom line is that with the difficulty teams are having attracting sponsors, NASCAR should not be trying to limit their options, but to expand them
Posted on June 9, 2004
By Jordan Grubich
Lately in the top divisions of NASCAR, the race to get a sponsor has been just as challenging and important as the race on the track.
More teams have been forced to use multiple primary sponsors in order to gain the necessary money to be competitive week in and week out. Roush Racing has appeared to perfect this marriage of multiple sponsors with the cars of Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and, most recently, Greg Biffle.
As Roush continues to run Jeff Burton’s 99 team every week despite not having a full time sponsor, fans wonder how a successful organization like Roush can have so much difficulty attracting a sponsor to a charismatic and popular driver like Burton.
The truth is, Roush has said they have found a willing partner to sponsor the 99. However, the sponsor is reported to be a hard liquor company, and that is a problem with NASCAR. NASCAR has had a long standing policy against hard liquor companies sponsoring a car.
In this instance, NASCAR has agreed to review the policy. For the health of the sport, NASCAR needs to weigh the benefits of this sponsorship carefully before deciding against it.
First of all, Roush isn’t the only major team having trouble with full time sponsorship. Bill Davis and DEI have both had to cut back on cars that ran full time in the series last year. If major teams with high levels of marketability can’t land a sponsorship deal, how will the smaller teams with lesser known drivers survive?
In addition, NASCAR, who often helps many teams search for sponsorship, is in direct competition with its teams for sponsor dollars. Many companies have opted to be "the official ________ of NASCAR" instead of sponsoring a team.
The signing of Nextel as sponsor of the Cup series also eliminated many telecommunications companies that Nextel saw as their direct competition from being sponsors in the series.
If NASCAR's major problem with a liquor sponsorship is the familial nature of the sport, I’m not so sure that holds up. What’s the difference between a Smirnoff Ice car and a car with a hard liquor sponsorship?
Very little, if any.
Most liquor and beer companies also promote responsible drinking and designated driver programs, too, so these sponsorships can end up educating people as much as they sell a product.
Besides, it’s not as if NASCAR completely shuns drinking. Beer--and liquor--are served at race tracks. There are three beer cars on the track, the Bud Pole Award and the Busch series.
If NASCAR uses past history with these sponsors as any gauge, I would think they would jump at the chance to allow this liquor sponsor into the sport. These beer sponsors have been three of the most loyal in the business. On top of that, these brands continue to inspire strong allegiances from fans.
NASCAR has also had tobacco products as sponsors in the past. These aren’t exactly family products. In fact, they continued to support Winston long after it was less than popular to be associated with a cigarette company.
What about Viagra? Not exactly family oriented, either. Imagine taking your child to the race only to have them ask, "Daddy, what’s Viagra?"
NASCAR provides a unique way to market a variety of products, not all of which will appeal to all people. Some of these products can’t, and shouldn’t, be used by everybody.
The bottom line is that with the difficulty teams are having attracting sponsors, NASCAR should not be trying to limit their options, but to expand them