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Marketing and Sponsorship

Mars Extends With NASCAR, Keeps Official Chocolate Status

Mars' NASCAR extension likely lines up with its current deal with Joe Gibbs Racing, which runs through '22getty images

NASCAR has reached a multiyear renewal with Mars in a deal that extends the company's status as the official chocolate of NASCAR past two decades. Terms were not revealed for the renewal, but Mars will become a third-tier official partner in NASCAR's new sponsorship model debuting next year. Mars announced a renewal with Joe Gibbs Racing through '22 earlier this year, so the NASCAR deal is likely through the same year as sponsors often line up their deals to expire concurrently. Mars mainly promotes its M&M's brand in NASCAR but also mixes in some of its other products such as Skittles, Snickers and even Pedigree dog food. Mars has been an official partner of NASCAR since '00 and this is the third time it is renewing its deal. Mars VP/Sponsorships & Sports Marketing William Clements said that the company renewed with the sanctioning body again because the company is seeing an overall good ROI in the sport and part of its marketing mix is using NASCAR marks and logos on point-of-sale retail grocery store displays.

GIMME SOME CANDY: Mars has been leveraging JGR's No. 18 Toyota driven by Kyle Busch to promote new M&M's flavors in recent years, including the Crispy flavor in '15, the Caramel flavor last year and the Hazelnut flavor this year. Clements said using the company's NASCAR ties to help promote the brand "has worked quite well for us." As he did when Mars renewed with JGR earlier this year, Clements also touched on the company's longtime support of the sport and how it was a sponsor during the sport's strongest days and that Mars will "work with NASCAR to continue to improve the sport and get it back where we as a sponsor know it can be." NASCAR Senior VP/Partnership Marketing Lou Garate pointed out that M&M's-branded merchandise is often in the top three for all NASCAR drivers. M&M's also had a 51% recognition rate as the official chocolate of NASCAR in last year's NASCAR sponsor loyalty survey, the fourth highest of any brand in the sport and up seven percentage points from '17.

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