Brad Keselowski is a versatile multi-tasker. Not only does he drive his NASCAR Cup race car, but he also works on it mechanically, then puts on his co-owner’s hat of RFK Racing with Jack Roush and John W. Henry, handling numerous administrative duties, buying new equipment, and more.
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Basically, anything the team needs, Keselowski is usually the guy who gets the call to do the work. Moreover, he is quite intelligent and isn’t afraid to criticize NASCAR if he feels the sanctioning body is wrong. Likewise, if NASCAR does something right in his eyes, he is usually quick to pat the organization on the back.
Like this week’s scoop by Ad Age, which reported that NASCAR is going through a selection process of interviewing 11 different marketing agencies to find the right one that will enhance the sport’s image and hopefully pump out commercials and the like that will attract fans who’ve left the sport, as well as bring in new ones.
Keselowski is more than willing to help NASCAR spread its message and strengthen its voice. He recently appeared in a video with former bitter rival and now friend Kyle Busch that was well received.
But Keselowski was even more impressed by how the folks at NASCAR Productions put together a three-minute video that promoted next June’s highly anticipated “street race” on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.
NASCAR is trying to reshape its image
There’s a caveat to that, though, according to Keselowski. He feels NASCAR should have done this kind of marketing push 10 years ago.
“I think they’re doing a lot of things that were sorely needed a decade ago and we’re kind of at least heeding those lessons,” Keselowski said during media availability on Saturday at Iowa Speedway. “I look at the driver ambassador program, look at some of the marketing initiatives they’ve brought in and they’re star-power oriented. I think it’s exactly what the sport needed.
“The sport has to be realistic with itself that it went a decade or so of really weak marketing efforts. You’re not just going to recover from that overnight, but they’re doing the right things, I think now, to put the sport into a growth trajectory and that’s exciting to me.”
Keselowski laughed when he was asked if he will start taking acting lessons in the event his personality and aura are needed for more NASCAR promotional videos and the like.
“It’s more than that, it’s engaging in all kinds of different mediums that are bigger or broader than commercials and promotions,” Keselowski said in a serious tone. “I think we’re seeing a lot of that happen in ways and certainly with a velocity we didn’t see in the last decade or so.”
