When Words Collide, Sentences Form

"There's Room For Everyone"...But Do "They" Know It?

I'm sitting here watching the pre-race stuff for today's NASCAR race in Texas, and I saw an ad that caught my eye. At first, I thought it was just another normal NASCAR ad about how typical everyday people live vicariously through the drivers. Basically, it was a NASCAR car with people climbing out of the window. People in suits, people in racing uniforms, male, female, young, old...and then I noticed that many of the people climbing out of the car window were people of color - all different backgrounds. Then the final message flashed across the screen: "There's room for everyone [in NASCAR]." It was actually a really well done ad.

But then I started thinking about it. And I realized...they are showing this ad during the pre-race show for a NASCAR race. When current NASCAR fans are watching. And who comprise most of the current NASCAR fans? That's right, people who look like me. (I'm white, for those of you that don't know me!)

So then I asked, what is the point of this ad? Is it supposed to show that NASCAR is supposedly making a commitment to diversity outreach? Is it supposed to appeal to people of different backgrounds to make them feel welcome and involved in the NASCAR family? Is it supposed to show that NASCAR fans really are diverse? I'm not sure. But my gut, and background in marketing, tells me that the diversity ad campaign within NASCAR is supposed to be designed to attract people of different backgrounds to the sport.

Which makes me question the wisdom of NASCAR's marketing execs...and this is a sport that is supposed to have one of the most ingenious and best marketing plans in sports.

First of all, if you are trying to attract new fans to any sport or activity - don't run your marketing pieces to attract those fans DURING THE EVENT or in places that are already targeting CURRENT FANS. That's like running an ad telling shoppers where the nearest Target is when they are in the check-out line. You already have those people...focus elsewhere, it's ineffective. It's also like when a baseball team only runs ads during sports talk radio shows - which drives me nuts. Those listeners are aware of your team...they follow sports...they are probably listening to that station because it has news about your team. Run your ads on local hip hop stations, country stations, news talk stations, etc...where people aren't as aware and aren't currently following your team. ATTRACT NEW AUDIENCES.

Secondly, why run a diversity piece to make people of different backgrounds feel comfortable with the sport to an audience of mostly white viewers? I mean, maybe I'm going to go to one of my friends who isn't white and say "I saw a really cool ad during the NASCAR race...they say everyone is welcome to watch NASCAR...you should watch it." But probability is that I won't! So run these ads where this audience is watching. They aren't watching NASCAR - that's the point of NASCAR's diversity outreach programs...so run the ads during shows or sporting events are being watched by a diverse audience. I haven't seen these ads run during basketball, football or prime-time TV shows that have a diverse audience, so I'm only assuming that they aren't running then.

One good thing about the ad...there was no one talking during it. It just had music or something. And words on the screen. It is more appealing to a wider variety of audience members...no one is isolated or turned off by a dialect or accent.

This whole thing just brings me to the awareness factor of what NASCAR is doing to increase diversity in drivers and in fan base. I did a quick search on NASCAR.com for "Diversity in NASCAR." It came up with an almost infinite number of articles about programs to increase minority ownership, diversity scholarships, partnerships with historically black colleges and universities, diversity internships and diversity driver programs - just to name a few. But does anyone not reading NASCAR.com know about these? Everyone hears the rumblings about how "white" NASCAR is and that they aren't promoting diversity, etc. But the only place that you can find info about these programs is by going to NASCAR.com and searching. Once again, is that effective public relations or marketing??

All of this, from one 30 second ad.

posted by Steph @ 11:54 AM