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Fans pump up Goodyear’s recognition stats

Goodyear’s recognition level soared among NASCAR fans this season, as the tire maker was the property’s most-recognized sponsor for the fourth consecutive year, according to the annual NASCAR sponsor loyalty survey conducted for SportsBusiness Journal/Daily by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment.

Across the board, all 11 of NASCAR’s partners that were tracked in both 2014 and 2015 saw an increase in the percent of fans who correctly identified them as an official sponsor within a specific consumer category.

The sponsor loyalty series was established in 2007 and features similar annual studies of NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, PGA Tour and NCAA fans.

Goodyear performed complimentary tire checks at races.
Photo by: GOODYEAR
Goodyear has been NASCAR’s official tire company since 1997, and one of its blimps typically has hovered above approximately five races per season. But this year Goodyear was the exclusive aerial coverage provider for all 17 of the Fox/Fox Sports 1 broadcasts, including the Daytona 500 and the Sprint All-Star Race. Goodyear’s blimp headquarters is located in Pompano Beach, Fla., 230 miles down the coast from NASCAR’s Daytona Beach headquarters.

Avid fans also may have been one of the more than 75,000 beneficiaries of Goodyear’s surprise complimentary tire checks that the company conducted in parking lots during several race weekends.

Additionally, its “Tire Talk” commercials, featuring spokesman Carl Edwards, generated more than 40 million views online, more than double the views of the similar campaign in 2014, led by Kevin Harvick. And the company’s Twitter handle, @GoodyearRacing, grew to 67,000 followers, a 400 percent increase compared to the beginning of the season.

Exposure that may have helped increase casual fans’ awareness of Goodyear’s NASCAR presence included its 1970s sidewall design to support Darlington’s “Throwback” theme at the Bojangles’ Southern 500, which was mentioned during the NBC telecast.

While Goodyear had the highest recognition rate and a five percentage point improvement compared to our 2014 study, Coca-Cola had the biggest year-over-year improvement.

Fifty-five percent of the survey’s 402 fans (evenly split by avid and casual fans) correctly identified Coke’s official sponsor status, matching that brand’s previous high attained in 2008. This year’s result was bolstered by a nine percentage point improvement, the biggest jump among the 76 brands measured in the study. The beverage company has been an official NASCAR sponsor since 1998.

Additionally, Sprint saw an overall gain of seven percentage points, pushing the brand’s overall awareness to 56 percent, its highest level since 63 percent in 2009.

Other findings from the study:

n Digging into specific fan segments, Toyota led all gainers among avid fans with a 9 percentage point year-over-year increase. Coke saw a survey-leading 11 percentage point improvement among casual fans.

n Coors Light had its second-best survey ever, as its overall recognition rate of 29 percent in 2015 trailed only 2013’s 33 percent. The beer signed on in 2008 as NASCAR’s beer category sponsor, replacing Budweiser, which held that role from 1987 through 2007. At the time of our inaugural survey, 71 percent of NASCAR fans correctly identified Budweiser’s partnership. Coors Light’s return: 7 percent. The gap has closed dramatically, although the only time Coors Light has topped its predecessor was in 2013, by a little more than one percentage point.

n UPS’s nearly seven percentage point decline was the steepest of any brand in the survey. It was the company’s third straight decline, as it slowly withdrew from the sport. Prior to the 2012 season, the company dropped its full-season primary sponsorship of the No. 6 Cup car then driven by David Ragan. Then it announced in December 2013 that 2014 would be its final season as a NASCAR sponsor, a partnership that began in 2000. Rival FedEx, on the other hand, has seen four straight years of improved response rates among avid fans, and Denny Hamlin, who wrapped up his 10th full season behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx car this year, qualified for the Chase the last two seasons.

Methodology

For this project, Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, through its Turnkey Intelligence operation, conducted national consumer research surveys among a sample of more than 400 members of the Toluna online panel who were at least 18 years old.

This year’s survey was conducted Nov. 9-12, during the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. The 2014 and 2013 surveys similarly were conducted during the time of the Chase races in those years.

Respondents were screened and analyzed based on general avidity levels. Fans categorized as “avid” were ones who responded “4” or “5” to the question “How big a fan are you of NASCAR?” and then claimed to “look up news, scores and standings several times a week or more often,” “watch/listen/attend at least 21 races per season” and “have a favorite driver.” Fans categorized as “casual” responded “3” to the same initial question, then claimed to “look up news, scores and standings several times a month or more often,” “watch/listen/attend at least five races per season” and “have a favorite driver.”

When asked to identify official sponsors, respondents selected from a field of companies and brands that was provided to them for each business sector. The percentage responses listed have been rounded. The margin of error for each survey is +/- 4.9 percent.

Turnkey works with more than 70 retainer-based clients across the major professional leagues in North America, including several tracks, teams and brands involved in motorsports.

IMPACT ON SAMPLING AND SUPPORT

Are you more or less likely to consider trying a product/service if that product/service is an official sponsor of NASCAR?
  Avid Casual
  2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
More likely 72% 70% 76% 51% 49% 50%
Unaffected / less likely 28% 30% 24% 49% 51% 51%
Are you more or less likely to consciously support a company by purchasing its products/services if the company is an official sponsor of NASCAR?
  Avid Casual
  2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
More likely 69% 75% 78% 55% 47% 51%
Unaffected / less likely 31% 25% 23% 45% 54% 50%
Are you more or less likely to recommend a product/service to a friend or family member if that product/service is an official sponsor of NASCAR?
  Avid Casual
  2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
More likely 66% 73% 75% 48% 48% 49%
Unaffected / less likely 34% 28% 25% 52% 52% 52%

SPONSORSHIP SIGNIFICANCE AND ASSESSMENT

Subject: How much more likely are fans to consider purchasing/using a NASCAR sponsor’s product/service if they are aware of the relationship?
To read: 46 percent of NASCAR fans said they would be more likely to consider using NASCAR’s official credit card if they knew which brand had that designation. The rate increased to 61 percent when considering only those NASCAR fans who correctly knew that Visa is NASCAR’s official credit card.

CATEGORY (NASCAR SPONSOR) AMONG ALL NASCAR FANS AMONG NASCAR FANS WHO CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE SPONSOR DIFFERENCE
Credit card (Visa) 46% 61% +15 pct. points
Bank (Bank of America) 44% 56% +12 pct. points
Motor oil (Mobil 1) 58% 66% +8 pct. points
Beer (Coors Light) 49% 56% +7 pct. points
Soft drink (Coca-Cola) 55% 57% +2 pct. points
Insurance (Nationwide) 47% 49% +2 pct. points
Tire (Goodyear) 62% 62% None
Wireless (Sprint) 47% 42% -5 pct. points
Fuel (Sunoco) 49% 43% -6 pct. Points

Subject: What brands do fans think should be NASCAR sponsors?
To read: 62 percent of NASCAR fans said they think Goodyear should be a NASCAR sponsor, compared with 21 percent who think Bridgestone should have a NASCAR deal. Those numbers became 72 percent and 17 percent, respectively, when considering only those NASCAR fans who correctly knew that Goodyear is NASCAR’s official tire.

  AMONG ALL NASCAR FANS AMONG NASCAR FANS WHO CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE SPONSOR
NASCAR SPONSOR/COMPETITOR RESPONSE RATES DIFFERENCE RESPONSE RATES DIFFERENCE
Goodyear / Bridgestone 62% / 21% +41 pct. points 72% / 17% +55 pct. points
Coca-Cola / Pepsi 66% / 34% +32 pct. points 81% / 31% +50 pct. points
Visa / MasterCard 56% / 29% +27 pct. points 73% / 27% +46 pct. points
Mobil 1 / Castrol Edge 34% / 15% +19 pct. points 53% / 15% +38 pct. points
Bank of America / Wells Fargo 36% / 20% +16 pct. points 55% / 23% +32 pct. points
Nationwide / State Farm 34% / 29% +5 pct. points 54% / 29% +25 pct. points
Sprint / AT&T 36% / 29% +7 pct. points 49% / 27% +22 pct. points
Sunoco / Shell 24% / 25% -1 pct. points 42% / 23% +19 pct. points
Coors Light / Bud Light 29% / 38% -9 pct. points 43% / 32% +11 pct. points

Notes: Fans could select both the official sponsor and the competitor if they chose to do so. The one specific competing company listed was selected by Turnkey for consideration in the survey file.

Which of the following is an official sponsor of the NASCAR?

  Avid Casual
tire 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Goodyear* 72.1% 64.5% 70.0% 61.2% 58.7% 56.5%
Firestone 7.5% 6.5% 10.0% 11.9% 6.5% 11.0%
Bridgestone 4.0% 12.0% 8.5% 6.0% 7.0% 7.0%
I’m not sure 6.0% 8.0% 4.5% 14.9% 21.4% 18.5%

For the fourth consecutive year, Goodyear earned the highest recognition scores of any sponsor in our survey. NASCAR’s official tire since 1997, Goodyear brought back its Goodyear Gives Back charitable program for a sixth time with commemorative tires that read “Support Our Troops” during the Memorial Day weekend events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fans also could bid on charity auction items, buy merchandise, and make donations through goodyear.com/givesback.

  Avid Casual
WIRELESS 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Sprint* 59.7% 52.0% 54.0% 51.7% 40.5% 40.2%
Verizon 10.9% 10.0% 11.0% 9.0% 10.0% 17.6%
AT&T 10.0% 13.5% 11.0% 8.0% 10.5% 9.5%
T-Mobile 5.0% 5.0% 7.0% 8.5% 8.0% 4.0%
I’m not sure 9.5% 11.0% 12.5% 20.4% 27.5% 26.6%

Sprint saw the biggest increase in recognition in this year’s survey and trailed only Goodyear in total recognition marks for any sponsor, narrowing the gap from a second-place finish last year also to Goodyear. The season-opening NASCAR Sprint Unlimited in February was seen by more than 5.6 million viewers on Fox, up from FS1’s 3.5 million viewers in 2014. Change could be coming in this category, though, as Sprint is ending its NASCAR sponsorship (a relationship that began in 2004) following the 2016 season.

  Avid Casual
SOFT DRINK 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Coca-Cola* 61.2% 54.5% 53.5% 48.3% 37.3% 44.0%
Pepsi 12.4% 12.0% 16.5% 13.4% 12.9% 13.0%
Mountain Dew 9.0% 11.5% 11.5% 13.4% 14.4% 15.0%
I’m not sure 9.5% 13.0% 11.5% 18.9% 31.3% 22.0%

NASCAR fans could win a trip for two to the 2016 Coca-Cola 600 through the Coca-Cola #ChaseHappiness Challenge Sweepstakes that began Sept. 20 and continued through November. The company has title sponsorship of two NASCAR Sprint Cup races (Charlotte’s Coca-Cola 600 and Daytona’s Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola). Also this year, three Coca-Cola racing family drivers qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup: Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman. Coca-Cola has been NASCAR’s official soft drink since 1998.

  Avid Casual
FUEL 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Sunoco* 52.2% NA NA 33.3% NA NA
Chevron 9.0% NA NA 12.9% NA NA
Exxon 11.4% NA NA 9.5% NA NA
Shell 9.0% NA NA 10.0% NA NA
I’m not sure 8.5% NA NA 28.4% NA NA

Over Memorial Day weekend, Sunoco launched a campaign labeled Essence of Racing through NASCAR, IndyCar and the NHRA. The company, as part of that Essence effort, also released a new cologne, Burnt Rubber, but the scent was not for sale and was only given away through promotions, contests and Sunoco’s social media sites. In September, Sunoco was announced as a founding partner of the Daytona Rising project and naming-rights sponsor of one of Daytona International Speedway’s new “injector” entrances.

  Avid Casual
INSURANCE 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Nationwide* 46.3% 43.5% 48.5% 30.3% 32.8% 35.0%
Geico 11.4% 7.0% 7.0% 11.9% 16.4% 6.5%
Allstate 6.0% 9.0% 12.5% 7.0% 4.0% 6.5%
State Farm 6.5% 6.5% 5.0% 4.5% 6.0% 3.0%
Progressive 3.5% 3.5% 4.0% 5.5% 4.5% 5.5%
Aflac 4.5% 4.5% 8.0% 3.5% 1.5% 5.5%
I’m not sure 15.9% 18.0% 12.5% 34.3% 33.8% 35.5%

Nationwide led off the 2015 racing season with a new commercial starring Dale Earnhardt Jr. that aired during Fox’s Daytona 500 broadcast. The spot, titled “It Takes A Nation,” would air throughout the season. As part of a three-year deal signed last year, Nationwide is a primary sponsor of Earnhardt’s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Separately, the company in March extended through 2017 its long-standing association with Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks, including its status as the exclusive insurance company at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

  Avid Casual
AUTOMOBILE 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Chevrolet* 43.8% 44.5% 46.5% 29.9% 28.4% 27.5%
Toyota* 41.8% 33.0% 40.5% 20.4% 18.4% 24.0%
Ford* 30.8% 36.5% 35.0% 30.3% 24.4% 28.0%
Dodge 13.4% 16.5% 16.0% 12.9% 10.0% 14.5%
I’m not sure 17.4% 26.0% 20.0% 38.3% 39.8% 35.5%

Respondents were allowed to choose multiple responses in this category, which has Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford all as official NASCAR sponsors.

  Avid Casual
BANK 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Bank of America* 37.3% 29.5% 36.0% 34.8% 29.9% 35.5%
Citibank 6.5% 10.5% 9.5% 5.5% 5.5% 7.5%
Wells Fargo 6.5% 5.5% 7.5% 7.0% 3.5% 2.5%
I’m not sure 34.3% 36.0% 33.5% 44.3% 50.7% 43.0%

Bank of America, NASCAR’s official bank since 2007, for a fourth year brought back its Express Your Thanks campaign to support military personnel and their families. Fans could share comments through social media using the label #troopthanks or by visiting bankofamerica.com/troopthanks, with Bank of America pledging to donate $1 for every qualified expression from May 15 through the end of the year, up to $1 million.

  Avid Casual
MOTOR OIL 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Mobil (Mobil 1)* 36.8% 36.0% 41.0% 35.3% 28.4% 29.5%
Pennzoil (Pennzoil Ultra) 15.4% 12.0% 14.0% 19.9% 18.9% 13.5%
Valvoline 9.5% 11.0% 8.0% 9.5% 13.4% 13.0%
Quaker State 4.5% 6.0% 11.0% 5.0% 5.0% 10.0%
I’m not sure 15.9% 20.5% 14.5% 21.9% 25.9% 23.5%

This year marked Mobil 1’s 13th season as the official motor oil of NASCAR. In the #Mobil1Sweepstakes contest, fans could tweet questions to owner/driver Tony Stewart during a live Google+ Hangout hosted by Mobil 1 for a chance to win a trip to the Pure Michigan 400. Pennzoil also was on the hood of Joey Logano’s No. 22 car for all six of his Sprint Cup Series wins and a total of 22 races this season.

  Avid Casual
CREDIT CARD 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Visa* 34.8% 33.0% 41.5% 33.8% 30.3% 34.5%
MasterCard 13.9% 13.0% 15.5% 11.9% 11.9% 13.5%
American Express 10.9% 8.0% 7.0% 7.5% 8.5% 5.5%
Discover 6.0% 6.5% 6.0% 4.0% 4.5% 5.0%
I’m not sure 31.3% 35.5% 29.5% 41.8% 43.8% 40.5%

Visa, the official credit card of NASCAR since 2006, saw an increase in awareness numbers among both avid and casual NASCAR fans in this year’s survey, as did competitors MasterCard and Discover. Visa still holds a commanding lead in this category.

  Avid Casual
BEER 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Anheuser-Busch 32.8% 35.0% 35.5% 32.3% 34.8% 28.5%
Coors* 25.9% 23.5% 34.5% 31.8% 23.4% 32.0%
Miller 10.4% 11.0% 11.5% 9.5% 9.5% 9.0%
I’m not sure 14.9% 13.5% 11.0% 18.9% 25.4% 22.5%

Coors Light signed on in 2008 as NASCAR’s beer category sponsor, replacing Budweiser, but it still trails the A-B brand for fan recognition in this category. Coors is the only official sponsor in the survey that was not correctly identified by most fans in its respective category. 

  Avid Casual
DELIVERY SERVICE 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
FedEx 40.8% 37.5% 34.5% 29.9% 28.4% 30.0%
UPS 25.9% 32.5% 38.5% 23.4% 29.9% 36.0%
I’m not sure 18.4% 19.5% 17.5% 38.3% 32.8% 28.5%

This is a newly open category after UPS last year ended its role as NASCAR’s official delivery service, a standing it had held since 2000. UPS had been the category leader among fans as recently as 2013, but it slipped behind FedEx last year, and FedEx pulled further ahead this year, with UPS no longer in its official-sponsor role. FedEx, meanwhile, teamed for a fifth consecutive year with Autism Speaks and Dover International Speedway to raise awareness with the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks race.

* Official NASCAR sponsor
NA — Not available; this category was not asked about in the annual survey prior to this year.


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