Audible won the Florida Derby at the end of March, it gave the horse marquee exposureGetty Images
Audible, Amazon's audiobook company, is "sponsoring a horse in Saturday's Kentucky Derby" also named Audible, according to Golden & Chemi of CNBC.com. The partnership with the horse "began as a charity agreement" when the company "donated $15,000 to the nonprofit organization Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in return for some promotional rights." However, when Audible "won the Florida Derby at the end of March, it gave the horse marquee exposure," causing Audible the company "to give the horse full sponsorship." The horse and jockey Javier Castellano "will now be dressed in Amazon's Audible signage." The company has "created social media and marketing campaigns around the horse and even scheduled a company-wide happy hour with a Kentucky Derby theme." Audible has also "launched an interactive game, asking players to guess whether it's an Audible book or a racehorse, and has built a special section on its website dedicated to horse-related audiobooks." WinStar Farms President, CEO & Racing Manager Elliott Walden "didn't even know about Audible Books" before the company initially reached out. He said that the horse was "named after a football tactic" (CNBC.com, 5/2).
CROSS-PROMOTIONAL POSSIBILITIES: Walden said that Audible's ownership group was "intrigued by Audible, Inc.'s concept for cross-promotion of the horse and its products, including a comprehensive social media campaign and television commercials that tie into horse racing, and the company's commitment to contribute to equine aftercare." BLOODHORSE's Ron Mitchell reported Audible "will allow free downloads of Joe Drape's book 'American Pharoah,' which chronicles the Zayat Stable runner's path to Triple Crown glory," should Audible the horse win the Derby. Walden said that the company has a "marketing team of eight on site at Churchill Downs to help promote the initiative" (BLOODHORSE.com, 5/3). Audible.com ads "will run at Churchill Downs throughout the week and during the Derby" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 5/1).
