Fastenal is one of the biggest global names in the industrial supplies business. Its presence spans continents to over a hundred countries and its tradecraft put it on the 2021 Fortune 500 list. An organization of such reach and influence wouldn’t pick NASCAR as its biggest marketing platform in sports without reason. Brooke Mlsna, the VP of Fastenal’s Marketing team reasons the choice.
Advertisement
In an interview for the RFK Racing program, Backstretch Banter, Mlsna noted how NASCAR offers brand exposure like no other sport. She said, “When we look at other sports and we do have other sport partnerships, NASCAR does the best job at screaming the brand names out loud and proud,” and contended that brands have to blend in with the existing noise for relatively low real estate in other sports.
She continued, “With racing, it’s all over the car. The pit crew, I mean, they really just take it to the next step. So, when I compare and look at new opportunities, racing is still #1 when it comes to taking your brand out there.” The one other positive factor that racing has is that it doesn’t create a scenario where sponsors seem to be showing favoritism amongst regional sports teams.
The teams in NASCAR aren’t region-based as in with the NBA or the NFL. These benefits are why Fastenal has chosen to back RFK Racing for nearly fifteen years now. In 2024, the brand’s name was featured on the #17 Ford Mustang of Chris Buescher for 17 races. Brad Keselowski’s #6 car will take it on for two races. It can be seen next on Buescher’s car at the Iowa Speedway on June 16.
Why NASCAR is the perfect spot for marketers and advertisers
Since its inception in 1948, NASCAR has become a cultural phenomenon in the United States. It is the single most premier motorsports event in the country and boasts one of the largest longstanding fanbases. How this popularity appeals to businesses is evident from an independent study conducted by Performance Research in 2022.
The organization surveyed 1000 fans countrywide at random to collect results. 6 in 10 fans said that they have a higher level of trust in the products offered by team sponsors. Seven in 10 said that they almost always or frequently choose a product from a sponsor rather than a non-sponsor. Another study from MarketCast in 2021 reported that four in five fans believe that it is essential to be aware of the official sponsors in the sport.
With multiple opportunities such as league sponsorship, media sponsorship, track sponsorship, and so on available for businesses, NASCAR is one of the most welcoming avenues in sports. The increasing popularity and worldwide reach that is becoming a trend only add more flavor to the drink.
