UPS AND THE HOME DEPOT GAIN BRAND AFFINITY WITH NASCAR TIE
A new survey by THE SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY and SRi shows
that nearly 50% of NASCAR fans are more likely to use a
specific product or service if that product or service is a
NASCAR sponsor, and over 55% of those fans have more loyalty
and brand affinity toward that product or service if it is a
NASCAR sponsor. These results come as companies continue to
study ways to achieve more return on their sports
sponsorship investment and seek market research that
supports their strategic sponsorship initiative.
METHODOLOGY: THE SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY and SRi surveyed
NASCAR fans -- defined as having an interest level in NASCAR
of six-plus on a scale of one to ten, where ten is "follow
NASCAR as closely as possible." Surveys were conducted via
the Internet through the ATent Research Panel from May 12-
16, and a total of 136 interviews were completed from an
online random research panel of 30,000 members.
TARGETS: THE DAILY targeted three industry segments in
the study -- a delivery service, a home-improvement retailer
and a consumer product/brand. In Part One of our survey,
THE DAILY examined the sponsorship effectiveness of UPS
among the 95% of respondents surveyed who have used an
overnight delivery service. UPS became a NASCAR partner in
'00 and has leveraged its sponsorship largely through its
support of Dale Jarrett's No. 88 car in a deal that was
reportedly one of the most lucrative in stock car racing.
1) What Overnight Delivery Service Companies Do You
Associate With Or Believe Sponsors NASCAR?
(multiple response options)
UPS 75% Airborne Express 12%
FedEx 32% DHL Worldwide Express 5%
USPS 20% Don't Know/Other 19%
Questions two and three were asked of those who have used an
overnight service and believe that UPS is a NASCAR sponsor.
2) What Overnight Delivery Service Do You Use Most Often?
UPS 48% Airborne Express 5%
USPS 19% FedEx 5%
Other 23%
3) How Does UPS' Recent Sponsorship Investment Of
NASCAR, Specifically Dale Jarrett's No. 88 Car,
Affect Your Likelihood To Use UPS Services?
Increase Likelihood To Use UPS In The Future 45%
Have No Affect On Likelihood To Use UPS In The Future 55%
4) Does UPS' Sponsorship Of A NASCAR Team...
Increase Loyalty to UPS 57%
Have No Affect On Your Loyalty To UPS 43%
THE HOME DEPOT: In Part Two of the survey, THE DAILY
gauged NASCAR fans' feelings/affinity toward a home-
improvement retailer, specifically The Home Depot, among the
97% of respondents surveyed who have shopped at a home-
improvement retailer in the past six months. The Home
Depot's corporate partnership with NASCAR was signed in '99,
and the company has leveraged largely through its
sponsorship of Tony Stewart's No. 20 car. The company is
currently locked in a competitive battle for market share
with Lowe's, which is also active in NASCAR sponsorship.
1) What Home Improvement Warehouse Retailers Do You
Associate With Or Believe Sponsors NASCAR?
(multiple response options)
Lowe's 89% Ace 12%
The Home Depot 81% Other 4%
Asked of those who shopped in a home-improvement warehouse
and believe The Home Depot is a NASCAR sponsor:
2) Which Home Improvement Warehouse Do You Shop In Most Often?
The Home Depot 55% Ace 5%
Lowe's 19% Other 21%
3) How Does The Home Depot's Sponsorship Investment,
Specifically Tony Stewart's No. 20 car, Affect Your
Likelihood To Purchase From The Home Depot?
Increase Likelihood To Buy From The Home Depot In Future 48%
Decrease Likelihood To Buy From The Home Depot In Future 3%
No Affect On Likelihood To Buy From Home Depot In Future 48%
Don't Know 1%
4) Does The Home Depot's Sponsorship Of A NASCAR Team....
Increase Your Loyalty To The Home Depot 57%
Decrease Your Loyalty To The Home Depot 5%
Have No Affect On Your Loyalty To The Home Depot 37%
BEER: In Part III of our survey, THE DAILY examined
beer preference of the 94% of respondents who drink beer and
whether it had a correlation to what driver they support.
1) Which driver/NASCAR car would you be most likely to support?
BEER CONSUMED MOST OFTEN
DRIVER TOTAL Bud Miller Coors
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Bud) 57% 66% 44% 100%^
Rusty Wallace (Miller Lite) 24% 16% 52% --
Sterling Marlin (Coors Light) 19% 18% 4% --
EXAMPLE: In the survey, 57% of NASCAR fans are most
likely to support Dale Earnhardt Jr. Meanwhile, 66% of the
NASCAR fans who drink Budweiser more than any other brand
are most likely to support Earnhardt Jr. ^ Every one of the
NASCAR fans who said that Coors was the beer they drank more
often were most likely to support Earnhardt Jr.
This story appeared in The Sports Business Daily's Special Motorsports
Marketing issue published on May 25, 2001.
|
