NASCAR Introduce New Media Strategy for Chase Series

NASCAR has introduced a comprehensive range of media strategies for promotion of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

This includes TV advertising, digital promotions, driver appearances, track marketing and a social media campaign and is designed to raise awareness of the new Chase format in hopes of engaging new and existing NASCAR fans.

“We needed to make sure we are putting our best foot forward against what we think is a terrific format,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR’s chief marketer.

“Every single department is doing whatever it can to push this new format. It will create significant buzz and excitement.”

To increase engagement and interest, NASCAR announced a digital bracket competition called the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge.

The competition, hosted on NASCAR.com, will allow fans to fill out a Chase Grid, NASCAR’s playoff-like bracket.

NASCAR.com also plans to offer a round-by-round game called the Chase Grid Battle, in which entrants pick which drivers they think will advance.

NASCAR’s long-term partner, New-York based digital consulting firm Omnigon, designed and built these games.

Omnigon has built a reputation across the sports, media and entertainment industries as one of the smartest, most innovative companies in terms of delivering strategic, technical and creative guidance and solutions.

The main focus of NASCAR and Omnigon was to develop competitions that would appeal to fans and encourage more viewers in a similar way to the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament where fans also fill out brackets, which promotes interest in the sport.

“We think this is the opportunity to hook people who could be fans,” said Phelps.

“Being in an office pool, competing against friends or family provides a little bit of a hook … for that three-week period, and they’re engaged with the sport. We think we have an opportunity to do that, and the opportunity to create a potential lifelong fan by changing the format.”

Along with the digital game, NASCAR has also created a social media promotion where they encourage fans to submit photos using the hashtag #MyChaseNation.