Indy Car’s Identity Crossroads

Some time ago I read a decent sports marketing book titled, The Elusive Fan: Reinventing Sports in a Crowded Marketplace. Parts of the book were timely and insightful, other parts a little too heavy on the collegiate case studies.   But overall, I enjoyed it and learned a few things from it.  I read the book from two different perspectives the first had to do with my job, marketing the video game brands of Incredible Technologies. The second (and reason for this blog) was my passion, motor racing – namely the Indy Car Series: a textbook case for a sports brand at an identity crossroads.

Let’s face facts – I say crossroads, not crisis for Indy Car. Unlike many floundering, up-and-coming sports, Indy Car puts asses in seats around the world. Even so, those asses are much harder to come by and are costing the ICS more in marketing dollars each year then they likely spent in a decade during the height of the sport’s popularity.

The Elusive Fan breaks the involvement of sports fans down to these interesting levels:

1. Indifferent Fans – just don’t care
2. Eyeball Fans – just watch the big stuff
3. Wallet Fans – will spend money on the sport
4. Collector Fans – must have every part of sport
5. Attacher Fans – want to be attached to the sport
6. Insider Fans – participate in the sport’s inner circle
7. Ensared Fans – their identity is the sport

For the Indy Car Series, their conundrum lies with the elusive Eyeball Fans – AKA the “500 Fans.”  Lucky for the ICS, the 500 is still a must-watch event, viewed by millions around the globe.  The race is the cornerstone of the sport, it’s schedule, it’s promotions and it’s brand leveraging power.  But it just drives me nuts –  what is the ICS missing in its other 16 races of the season to bring a fraction of those eyeballs with them?

This blog gives me a chance to address what I think the voids are in the ICS identity crossroads.  And no – I’m not a genie AND I realize much of this is strategized, debated, argued by ICS marketing types and other attacher fans like me every day.  But this is my blog – and my chance to blow-hard and pontificate.  So sit back and strap in….

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Teach Indy History: Having nearly 100-years of sporting history to teach your fans is an incredible asset.  Show your new fans how important you are to the fabric of american sports, the automobile and history in general.

WHOA, Not Too Much History!: Ill timed or over abundant Indy Car history lessons make you look like an old grandpa trying to use an iPod.  Keep the history lessons short, sweet and too the point.

Sensory Immersion: The sights, sounds and smells of Indy Cars are the sports best marketing tools – that is the experience.  But if people never experience it, it’s a waste.

Bring the Experience to the Fan: Not entirely impossible – for example, video games.  The years of protecting the Indy Car licence for their own game should be over.  Give fans Indy cars in every virtual experience with wheels – let them race cars, smash cars, and paint them stupid colors.  Let them do it with popular games, don’t make them buy new ones.  Make sure the experience is quality and authentic and it’s a valuable marketing expense.

Distribute Quality: Indy Cars were on a massive network, ESPN with minimal coverage.  Now they’re on targeted network, VS. with maximum coverage.  There are pros/cons for both sides but regardless – distribute coverage as in-your-face as possible.  Use mobile applications, online sites and whatever else will take your feed, FREE.  Oh, AND GET DIRECTV BACK!!!!! (personal gripe)

Connect: This is a no-brainer, but fire up those tweety, Facebooky, YouTuber interns over of ICS corporate.  And while you’re at it, throw in flash games for the little ones, more “free” fan clubs, YouTube contests and fun user-generated projects.  Do whatever you can to let your fans own and experience Indy Car.

Get Your Look On: Kudos to the ICS – cause this one seems to be in order.  The IZOD Indy Car series is just the type of unique promotional partnership the sport needs.  It includes money and a new distribution channel for the sports brands.  Bravo….

Instigate Innovation: Take a page out of the GrandAm Series and invite manufacturer support through innovation.  Manufacturer innovation sparks monetary support, market presence and road car innovation.  This is where the Indy Car series came from and hopefully, when the new Indy Car is announced, the series takes a step back in this direction.

Develop Character: Whether it’s foreign drivers, American, male or female – it doesn’t matter.  The series needs to continue to develop its characters, get them on talk shows, push them to visit schools, go on signing tours, etc.  Create personality pieces and seed them on the Internet.  Don’t go NASCAR, but close…  

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Well, that’s enough for tonight but I promise you I will tackle this topic again.  I think it’s a healthy exercise for all of us Indy Car fans – it’s not ICS bashing.  There are so many good things about the sport that it’s time everyone, eyeballs or indifferent, comes to experience it the way us homers do.