Talladega Days and Nights Post 2: Marketing 24/7

The title of this post is inspired by my observations here at Talladega Superspeedway.

As marketing professionals, wouldn't it be great if we could speak to our audience every hour of the day?

Well, judging from what I've seen on my trip to Talladega, NASCAR and some of its sponsors appear to be doing just that.

As I got closer to the speedway, I notice businesses were crowded and parking lots were full. Gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores - all had large crowds before the sun came up.

These were all parts of the activation strategies of NASCAR sponsors. Events with show cars, giveaways, autograph sessions, concerts in the early morning hours – every event was designed to further brand each product in the eyes of their customer.

Can customers link to your brand? Even at 3:00 a.m.? Think about it.

Posted by Emily Bennington on behalf of Jim Nester

Talladega Days and Nights

Beginning today and continuing through Monday, I will be posting blogs from Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

I am here on behalf of a client who sponsors a race team on the ARCA series. I will be focusing on the sights and sounds of NASCAR, its applications as a marketing platform and lessons we can take as marketing professionals.

Right now, it’s 5:45am. At this hour, you'd think everything would be quiet. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There is so much activity, and to get the full experience, I've decided to camp in the infield of the track. It’s a great view, but there is a catch. Once you enter the infield with your vehicle, you can’t leave until after Sunday’s race.

What does that mean? It means the local grocery stores were very crowded when I was there at 3:30 this morning.

One could easily expect the staff of these businesses to be rather anxious, flustered and perhaps even unprofessional at times given the increase of customers in the wee hours of the morning. I was quite surprised when the grocery store I went to chose to be proactive in their approach to customer service.

The store had the feel of a retail establishment. A team of employees greeted shoppers at each entrance. They shook hands, welcomed folks, and engaged in small talk. Staff floated in the aisles, maintaining the dialogue established at the door, and offering assistance in locating items. Their approach reminded me of Kelley's in Charleston, WV, with its personal shoppers helping customers select the perfect suit.

The tactic was very effective. Customers felt at ease despite the large crowds, early hours and fatigue.

If marketing is creating an environment in which sales can flourish, customer service is one very important way of controlling/maintaining that environment.

Something to think about.

Posted by Emily Bennington on behalf of Jim Nester

World's Strongest Man - Phil Pfister

Our good friend and neighbor, Phil Pfister, is headed to Anaheim, California, to defend his title. The World's Strongest Man finals will be held September 21 - 23. Phil has once again made a strong showing, reaching the finals, to compete against rival strongmen from Poland, Estonia, Sweden and England.

Good luck, Phil. Bring back another title!!

Back on "The TOUR" - Posts from the Pete Dye Classic

Day 7: Saturday

Round 3 is complete. And while nothing is ever certain on the golf course, it appears that Parker McLachlin has the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic in the bag. The fat lady might not be singing, but from all appearances she should certainly start warming up.

As the day began Parker was 13-under. As the round progressed he built upon that lead and ended the day 17-under for the tournament. Each day as the rounds begin to come to a close the PGA TOUR Media Official and I discuss which golfers we’re going to bring to the media room for interviews for the Nationwide Tour, local, regional, national and international media (I get a call from Australia’s version of ESPN every day).

Since Thursday I’ve met Parker at his finishing hole with the cart. We’re on a first name basis now. Yesterday when I picked him up he said, “I guess I’m still in the lead, Jim.” After three days of talking to him, I felt comfortable enough in my response, “The other guys are walking.” We both laughed.

Back in the media room Parker and all the other interviews all basically said the same thing when asked how they would prepare for the competition on the final round – they’re 'playing against the course.' It reminded me of a Sam Snead quote. “Forget your opponents; always play against par.”

It got me thinking about a follow up to yesterday’s post about a layered approach to marketing. While we certainly can’t forget our opponents (competition) we are to some extent playing against par. When Sam Snead said that he was talking about playing against the course – his environment week after week. In the world of marketing we’re playing against the environment, responding to a number of factors and developing the appropriate strategies for success in that environment.

In the world of golf the goal is under par; in the world of marketing we strive to be above par. In either case, no matter how you define it, success is determined by the how we respond to the environment.

Back on "The TOUR" - Posts from the Pete Dye Classic

Day 6: Friday

Round 2 is over. The scores have been low and the temperatures high. Today it was 95 degrees with a heat index in triple digits. Today only 2 caddies needed medical attention – down from 5 in round 1.

Parker McLachlin continues to lead the tournament at 13-under. During his post-round interview he said, ‘It’s a game of momentum…the key is to keep that momentum going.”

I think the same can be said for marketing. Sometimes marketing is all about momentum. We keep that momentum going in a number of fashions. It is my opinion though that perhaps the best way to keep momentum going in marketing is to have a layered approach to marketing. We’ve all heard the expression “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” That’s the thought behind a layered approach to marketing.

In my experience the best marketing plans have been the ones that include elements of Marketing 101, advertising, media relations, public relations and other various elements. In my opinion if you rely only upon one tactic you’re letting your marketing environment control you. If you take a layered approach, you’re controlling the environment.

After all, marketing is creating an environment in which sales can flourish.

Back on "The TOUR" - Posts from the Pete Dye Classic

Day 5: Thursday

Round 1 is over…well, not quite. A 40-minute fog delay delayed the start this morning. At 8:06 p.m. play was suspended due to darkness. Fourteen players must finish their round Friday morning, take a short break and start on Round 2.

While the golf is certainly impressive at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic, what’s equally impressive is the event operations staff of the Nationwide Tour even in the face of the unexpected (fog, darkness, etc.). Every process is down to a science. They have to be when dealing with 156 competitors, international television, and 30,000 spectators.

What processes do we employ as marketing professionals? Why do we employ them?

Do our processes impact profitability, improve operations, or impact the overall success of our marketing campaigns or events?

If so they’re worth developing…and they’re certainly worth applying and enforcing. After all, in the words of the great Crash Davis in the movie Bull Durham (excuse the departure from golf for a moment), ‘Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes it rains.”

The processes help you prepare for all three.

Not a long post today (It’s almost 10:00 p.m. and I’ve been here since 5:00 a.m.). Just something to think about.

Back on "The TOUR" - Posts from the Pete Dye Classic

Day 4: Wednesday

It’s finally here. Round 1 of the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic Presented by Northrup Grumman. As I write this post it is still dark (it just turned 5:00 a.m.). I am not alone though. PGA TOUR officials, caddies and players are starting to roll in – some have already eaten and are going over strategy for the course. Others are fishing at the pond in an effort to relax one last time before their quest for a trophy, $108,000 and perhaps a ticket to the PGA TOUR.

It made me think about how we prepare as marketing professionals. What do we do to get our clients, our campaigns and ourselves to victory? What’s our game plan? How do we formulate our strategies?

These are very important questions. If you haven’t thought them through you’re doing yourself and your profession a disservice.

I’ve spoken with a number of golfers this week and they’ve all shared with me the keys to success - practice, patience and a little luck.

Luck. That’s an interesting concept. A coach of mine once said, “luck is nothing more than preparation meeting opportunity.” I guess to some extent that’s true. But in looking at how these golfers prepare I am starting to believe that opportunity is truly possible only with adequate preparation.

Think about it. Do you really have a chance to win on the Nationwide Tour if you haven’t practiced your swing, worked on your irons or got your putting down to a science?

Is a marketing opportunity really an opportunity if you aren’t prepared to take advantage of it?

So when you get set to develop your next marketing campaign think of the golfers on the Nationwide Tour. It’s all about patience, practice and yes, a little luck. Luck that you’ve made possible by preparing yourself for the journey ahead.