The Value of Going “Undercover”…

Much has been made about the decline of NASCAR in the past 18 months, although their.slo. numbers in revenue and TV are still the stuff most sports outside of the big three dream about. Still, the ability to stem the tide and find new ways to both invigorate the core and go afte. another round of casual followers is still tantamount, especially in these challenging times.

That is really why Steve Phelp. appearance on.Undercover Bos. Sunday night on CBS was so important to the sport, at a time of year when the sport is not really top of mind given all its weekend competition. Now naysayers will mention that the show does not draw the demo that NASCAR fans nee.the primetime hour when it airs is about women after the sports fans have been watching NFL all Sunday long. It is also not really about the drivers, the teams or the competition on the track, which again are the key factors that grew NASCAR exponentially over the past 25 years, and are the factors that brought in big brands and big time TV.

Some of that may be true to some extent, however the hour long show answered a few questions that the brand has been dealing with. First, there is a strong feeling that NASCAR has lost touch with its fans and has gone too far away from its core in order to attract new fans. Phelps appearance counteracted that on national TV. It showed a brand that needs to reconnect with fans, and the brands and people who are passionate about racing, and gave one of the sport. leaders a primer into how to do so. It was very genuine and not contrived. Second, it reaffirmed to its brands that NASCAR can also be responsive to them and can find ways to package their partnerships in a place away from the track. That, after all, is really what NASCAR helped write the book on. Showing how brands can expand their ROI because of their association with the sport away from the race. It was the.off sports pag. exposure that has also become a hallmark of NASCA.s growth, and followed in the tradition of the sport. trail blazing brand integration programs with movies and TV over the past decade. Third, it got the NASCAR brand great exposure with an NFL base that may not exactly be their biggest supporters. By getting day-long promotion of the show during CB. NFL run Sunday, the casual fan became more aware of NASCAR at a time when they may not have been thinking about the sport. Is that an immediate payoff for drivers and team. No. Howeve. it was a great seeding ground from which to grow from. Fourth, the time slot really helps with an even larger casual audience. Hands down, 60 Minutes is still the king of Sunday night programming. So the bump the NASCAR brand receives by following 60 Minutes and then the Amazing Race gives two hours of additional draw for a viewer who may be casual but wo.t flip the channel after a few additional hours of traditional TV viewing, not sports viewing. By airing in that time slot, NASCAR got the allure of football during the day, the pop of the leading national news show and then the added value of a longtime reality show. Three different areas of viewership, all of which had an ability to at least be aware of a NASCAR presence on an October Sunday. Lastly, it gave brands a chance at added value. NASCAR is all about the brands, and the big numbers those brands pay in to get their association has slid somewhat with lower numbers and attendance. Therefore coming up with a platform that is in prime time, features key brands and gets added exposure was a tremendous add-on and enhancement for those who have been loyal to the sport.

End of the day will more people now watch the season ending championship race or tune in to Daytona because of.Undercover Bos.? given that the focus was not on racing or even a driver, probably not. However the show provided brand assurance for all those already involved, and reassurance for those who may be on the fence that NASCAR is still a viable sports and entertainment property.