top 5 marketable drivers

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ghettozoe03

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Who Are NASCAR's 5 Most Marketable Drivers?

Recently I was asked to be one of many people involved with racing to respond to a survey by Sports Business Journal about who the five most marketable drivers are and to pick one up and coming marketable driver. Here is just one person's opinion:



1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
He's the guy that will take the sport beyond its traditional fan base, which is NASCAR's #1 marketing priority. Junior also has a sponsor that wants him to be edgy, which really helps. The backwards hat, Club E, and friendship with rocker Sheryl Crow make him a natural for Madison Avenue instead of Tobacco Road. Oh yeah, he can driver the wheels off a race car too.

2. Jeff Gordon
He took driver public relations and endorsements to a whole new level. There is no driver who better understands what a sponsor is looking for. His looks and personality mesh together for solid marketing success. The on track results are just as impressive as his speaking ability. So far, his imminent divorce hasn't hurt his endorsement possibilities. However, if there are any compromising revelations, Super G will drop out of the top five.

3. Jimmie Johnson
Good looks, young guy, well-groomed, a sponsor's dream, wins races, championship contender, and drives for Rick Hendrick. Sounds like Jeff Gordon. Jimmie is being trained by Jeff and the results are impressive. He's already navigating the Madison Avenue learning curve. There's nowhere to go but up for Jimmie and his endorsement possibilities.

4. Tony Stewart
Smoke is the man for any sponsor that doesn't mind a little risk and wants someone who's not from the NASCAR PR cookie cutter. Tony could be a lot more popular if he did more interviews and cultivated a relationship with the media. But for now he just wants to show up, shut up, and drive. A Winston Cup championship will force the issue though. He's built a good support system around him with Joe Gibbs Racing and his business people. Most of his travails have been way overblown, which may be why he's shying away from the scribes.

5. Michael Waltrip
This last choice was a tough one. There are plenty of drivers who know the NASCAR marketing game and have on track results to back it up. Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, and Bobby Labonte all come to mind. They're safe for a sponsor. But Michael Waltrip has a more eager personality and a higher profile on television. His constant mugging for the camera and goofing off place him a notch above the others. Being Darrell's brother helps too. If he could ever prove himself away from Daytona or Talladega, his star would really take off
 
1.Jeff Gordon
2.Dale JR.
3.Tony Stewart
4.Dale Jarret
5.Jeff Burton
6.Bill Elliot
7.Rusty Wallace
8.Terry Labonte
9.Bobbie Labonte
0.Mark Martin
 
I agree with Michael also for the fact that he will list every sponsor on his car. It's not the NAPA Chevy Monte Carlo it's the NAPA, Ritz Cracker, Klausner, Coca-Cola, Chevy Monte Carlo.

Who wouldn't want a guy to name the quarterpanels too.
 
Ciggie, you forget Michael sometimes talks about how Goodyear brought a good tire to the track. And he always slips in Aarron's b/c they sponsor his busch car.

Do you think he gets a money bonus every time he slips in another sponsor? It probably all started out as a joke and he continued when he realized how well it worked.
 
How could I forget such obvious ones. Especially when it is the Aaron's 499. He talks about Aaron's and the 4 99 thing and then the car and then it just goes down hill from there.

I would like to thank Aquafina for the water I am drinking as I type this.
 
I remember that before Dale Earnhardt died, it was reported that Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon made up 2/3rds of the Merchandising market. 2/3rds of that number was Dale Earnhardt!

Since Earnhardt has died, most of that has probably moved to Dale Jr., which is one reason why he's become so popular so quickly.
 
Ciggie,

I'd like to thank Aberfoyle for my water, Skittles for my snack, Dell for my computer, and Funko for my Mr. T bobblehead.
 
Speaking of Dell, that "goofball" who does the Dell ads is most likely getting canned. Perhaps you could fill in for him RPM?
 
I don't know, I don't think I have that "hip teen", "surfer-boy" look. Maybe we could get Jamie McMurray to fill in as the Dell guy.
 
Originally posted by rpmallen
I remember that before Dale Earnhardt died, it was reported that Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon made up 2/3rds of the Merchandising market. 2/3rds of that number was Dale Earnhardt!

Since Earnhardt has died, most of that has probably moved to Dale Jr., which is one reason why he's become so popular so quickly.
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rpm, Dale Earnhardt still has a large portion of the merchandising market. I believe they will continue to market his merchandise for a long time to come. BTW, Dale Sr. was the first person to copyright his signature, and it has since made him large american dollars!
 
Not absolutely positive about this, but I believe that Richard Petty was the first to copyright his signature. A highly styled scrawl he worked hours and hours to perfect. I also believe he holds the rights to the "Petty Blue" color.

Up and coming it seemed McMurray fell into the sponsor lingo as quickly and smoothly as any rookie in past memory.

I think that Jeff and DJ are maybe the most currently marketable. Tony will be marketable as WC Champ if he wins obviously, but marketeers are not big on gambles with volatile personalities.
 
HS, I remember reading about the copyright in one of the many publications on Dale Sr., but you are definitely right on the "Petty Blue". Richard retains the rights to that for sure!
 
Michael Waltrip sure does a good job throwing his sponsors names into a sentence.
 
gordon24fan,

Michael's always made sure to mention all his sponsors, but he's done it even more the past few years. If I remember right, it started off as a joke to make fun of how drivers always had to slip in an endorsement. But I guess he realized it works so decided to continue it. He knows how he's doing it so blatently, so it makes it funnier.
 
Originally posted by majestyx
rpm, Dale Earnhardt still has a large portion of the merchandising market.  I believe they will continue to market his merchandise for a long time to come.  BTW, Dale Sr. was the first person to copyright his signature, and it has since made him large american dollars!
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Action Racing, the diecast company, will probably come out with 40 more Earnhardt cars to sell. And with each car, they will make a 1/64, 1/32, and 1/24 scale models. Then, they will make gold, platinum, clear cars, banks, Elites, standars cwc's, and whatever else they can think of.

The name Earnhardt will make money for a long time......
 
fergy1370,

Of course the Earnhardt name will. Which is why Jr. has been a major beneficiary of that. Yeah, a lot of Dale Earnhardt stuff will be sold, but I can bet you that just as much Earnhardt Jr. stuff will be made since people are pulling for him week in and week out.

Not to say he would have wanted it that way, but with his father gone, many of Earnhardt's old fans are looking at Jr. to succeed like his father.
 
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