Menu
Sponsorships Advertising Marketing

Some Manufacturing Of Dale Earnhardt Collectibles To Stop

The Dale Earnhardt "rush is on," according to Paul Newberry of the AP, who reports, "Anything and everything with his name on it became the hottest sports merchandise a day after his death." Getting "hold of the memorabilia became a challenge at best. In many cases it was impossible." NC-based Action Performance Co. President Fred Wagenhals, whose company is a licensee of Earnhardt merchandise, said, "Everyone is sold out." Wagenhals will "wait until next week before determining whether [Action] needed to make more products to meet the demand." Meanwhile, NASCAR.com stated that its store was not accepting orders on Dale Earnhardt products (AP, 2/20). NC-based Sports Image Associate Manager Dennis Kern, whose company markets Earnhardt clothes and model cars, said that "there will be no more shipments of Earnhardt merchandise until further notice" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 2/20). SFX/Cotter Group VP Ben Schlosser said that Earnhardt merchandise "accounts for about half" of the $1.2B in NASCAR's licensed sales (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 2/20). In Dallas, Steve Quinn writes that at TX Motor Speedway's Speedway World souvenir store, fans "were lined up when the doors opened" at 9:00am CT yesterday and "the cash register lines were" 13-15 "people deep most of the day." Speedway World execs announced that "it will donate all earnings" from Earnhardt merchandise to NC-based Speedway Children's Charities (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/20). Phoenix Int'l Raceway Race Shop Manager Steve Ward said that the store "sold more merchandise in four hours Monday than all of last week" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/20). Pro Sports Memorabilia Exec Bryan Miller said that his firm "sold out of its supply of Earnhardt photos Sunday" (USA TODAY, 2/20). In Atlanta, John Manasso reports that the amount of Earnhardt memorabilia for sale on eBay.com "soared," as the number of Web pages listing Earnhardt memorabilia "increased from" 590 to 684 in about three hours (ATL. CONSTITUTION, 2/20).

FOR CORPORATE AMERICA: In Charlotte, Stella Hopkins reports that Coca-Cola "rush[ed] to stop TV ads that kicked off NASCAR's new season with Earnhardt." SFX/Cotter Group Chair Tom Cotter "estimated the Earnhardt name was worth" $20M a year in sponsorship dollars. Cotter also said that in the "short term," company ads featuring Earnhardt "should be pulled." However, Earnhardt sponsor General Motors "plans commemorative ads" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/20). In Atlanta, Scott Leith writes that people "on the business side" of NASCAR "wonder if it will be possible to replace" Earnhardt, who "had the power to make the sport more attractive to corporate sponsors." Home Depot spokesperson Carol Schumacher: "He was somebody who made the transition and was a bridge from the old school NASCAR stereotype of the guy running moonshine to the corporate world of today" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/20). In discussing the future of NC-based Dale Earnhardt Inc., Liz Allison, whose husband, former racer Davey Allison, was killed in an off-track incident in '93, said she believed Dale Earnhardt's widow, Teresa, will become more involved in the company: "She's always been involved in his business and she's involved in the day-to-day. She knows what's going on" (CNN/SI, 2/19). Single A Kannapolis (NC) Intimidators GM Todd Parnell said that team execs "will meet" to talk about the effects of Earnhardt's death "on the team," as Earnhardt had an ownership stake in the franchise (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/20).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2001/02/20/Sponsorships-Advertising-Marketing/Some-Manufacturing-Of-Dale-Earnhardt-Collectibles-To-Stop.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2001/02/20/Sponsorships-Advertising-Marketing/Some-Manufacturing-Of-Dale-Earnhardt-Collectibles-To-Stop.aspx

CLOSE