Februar. was certainly one of the most intriguing months on the sports calendar in recent years. It began with a record Super Bowl, took us through a controversial Daytona 500, saw a very intriguing two weeks of Olympics, and a record setting NBA All-Star game. So now as we hit the ides of March, we look to what the rest of the calendar can shape up to show us, outside of the usual hoopla of March Madness and spring training in the United States. The month of March in past years brought us the AFL, the ideas of spring professional football, indoor soccer, and lots and lots of indoor and outdoor lacrosse, all of which have either gone the way of the Buffalo or are in some form of relaunch or reorganization. So with those brands on hold or being re-jigged, there are two intriguing platforms which will kick it into high gear for what could be make or break years in terms of growth, IRL and soccer.
First, IRL, which began its season quietly this past week between the raindrops and in front of an enthusiastic crowd.in Sao Paulo, but will come back to the United States for a good run in the next few weeks. The sport is now unified for the first time in years and has a new head in former PBR leader Randy Bernard. They have a title sponsor in IZOD willing to invest dollars into brand growth both on the sport and on the consumer side, and they have a mix of personalities who can get the sport continued mainstream growth. Can it all work, and make the Indy 500 again one of the worl.s must see, must follow must engage with events, especially as the race turns 100 in 201.? Can they find ways to effectively merchandise not just Danica Patrick (who continues to delve more into NASCAR) but a group of drivers who are multi-national and multi-lingua.? Can they assist their other sponsors like Honda and Firestone into showing bigger ROI than in past years, and can they help create a mix of traditional and social media which will bring more eyeballs and dollars from the discretionary fa.? All to be seen. NASCAR for all its growth and the promise of an uptick in 2010, is off to a slow start this year but still has the benefit of years of success and brand building among its followers and partners. IRL is basically starting anew in many areas of the marketplace, and without a halo effect from NASCAR on the feel good side, they will have more trouble breaking through the clutter in the short term.
However IRL does have a strong list of promotable and marketable benefits to exploit:
Green technology: The IRL has been at the forefront of clean, efficient ways to run cars for several years, and have looked to translate that green effect into all aspects of their business.
Hispanic Marketing: One of the great holes in NASCAR marketing is the lack of transition into the Hispanic marketplace. Althoug. Brazilian style is not always equated with the Hispanic community in this country, the amount of Spanish language drivers opens up all kinds of doors for media and marketing.
The Great.Unknow.: Because IRL has fallen off the landscape in many ways, there is a unique opportunity to re-introduce the sport to media who have not covered or been exposed to the racing style in many years. Media do know the Indy 500 and probably know what the cars look and sound like that makes them different. Now is a great time to take the show on the road and explain why they are different.
Celebrity: The sport has never suffered from celebrity exposure. It has lacked in consistent mainstream celebrity coverage. Now is a great time to tie the drivers even more closely to celebs of all levels.
A hungry title sponsor: There may be no more aggressive lifestyle brand looking to grow in sport right now than Phillips Van Heusen and its IZOD brand. They have spent dollars looking for exposure tied to sporting events, and will look for creative ways to use the property to break through with its brand.
Good Old Science: The drivers and the teams are living and breathing engineering test products. In a time where te4chnology is becoming an even bigger factor in the marketability and the telegenic presence of sport globally, IRL could emerge as a leader.
So does the sport have its challenge.? Yes of course. It remains expensive with large barriers to entry. Like NASCAR is is still lacking of a New York presence. It is still lightyears behind NASCAR in mainstream exposure, and its TV presence remains an issue in a time where even NASACAR.is declining. The key for IRL is to rebuild with little wins in communications, branding and partner success. It certainly has many of the tools needed for succes.science, strong personailites waiting to be exposed, a marquee name in Danica Patrick that has crossed over to the mainstream, celebrity participation and a great event day experience.
It will be a long race, but it is one that the brand is more poised to win now than in years.
