NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Twitter photo in front of a statue of his late father at Daytona Int'l Speedway "exemplified the convergence of NASCAR’s emphasis this season on social media to promote its brand, especially to capture coveted young fans, while showcasing a promotion set for Father’s Day on June 15," according to Alan Snel of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. To get its "more than 50 category sponsors on the same page," NASCAR showed the photo "on Friday morning to its company sponsor representatives during NASCAR’s quarterly 'Fuel for Business' networking session" at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. For Earnhardt Jr., the photo was "especially significant from a business perspective because Junior followed through on his promise of creating a Twitter handle if he won the Daytona 500." NASCAR VP/Partnership Marketing Norris Scott said, "With social media interest, it made sense. Father’s Day is a natural fit for us. This gives a platform for the sponsors. It allows them to join in.” Snel noted NASCAR also "deployed a social media strategy" at the Daytona 500, inviting famous people to "collectively send out tweets on behalf of your brand." NASCAR had 30 "celebrities with a combined 18 million Twitter followers at the Daytona 500 firing off tweets." NASCAR "wants its many sponsors to use social media to pump up the Father’s Day promotion" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/8).
