NASCAR Planning Agency Review With Aim At Increasing Youth, Multicultural Fan Base

NASCAR is “planning to launch an agency review as it seeks a shop that can help increase its fan base among youth and multicultural audiences,” according to Jason Del Rey of AD AGE. The review follows the arrival last fall of NASCAR's Managing Dir of Brand & Consumer Marketing Kim Brink, who previously served as Cadillac Exec Dir of Advertising & Sales Promotion. Brink said that the incumbent agency, St. Louis-based Jump Co., which has worked with NASCAR since ‘05, will “be invited to participate.” Jump will “face off against three or four other shops.” Brink said that the “ideal agency will also have sports experience, a passion for NASCAR specifically, and demonstrated success in leading a transformation of a similar organization.” Brink said the budget will be "way north" of the $24M NASCAR spent on measured media in ‘11. Brink: "It's bigger than the fee pay or media dollars against it. It's a very ripe place for (the agency) to demonstrate their capabilities to all the Fortune 500 companies involved with NASCAR." Del Rey notes the pitch process “won't begin in earnest until June” (ADAGE.com, 3/20).