2017 Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts

Before...

The weekend started with the milestone media event held at Kentucky Speedway on Friday afternoon. Hosting the press conference was Jim McCormick on behalf of Quaker State, Mark Simendinger representing Kentucky Speedway, and of course Larry McReynolds as former Quaker State team crew chief and current TV personality. The event was a collaboration between Sport Dimensions and Coyne PR to write the press release and Sport Dimensions leading the charge of the press conference in conjunction with Kentucky Speedway. Click the logos below for nationwide coverage earned from the event. Traditional media impressions counted as of 7.18.2017.

Quaker State delivered more unique experiences in one weekend than most brands do in a year. To celebrate the 5 year extension of the Quaker State 400, over 100 customers, partners and employees joined together in downtown Cincinnati for a cocktail party and dinner.

When guests arrived to the track Saturday afternoon, it was clear Quaker State was in charge with the green walls and crowd-favorite green shop towels handed out to fans. Through the rich partnership with the Speedway, Quaker State guests filled some of the most important and highly watched roles of the weekend. This included everything from behind the scenes garage tours, to the Grand Marshall, to waving the green flag to start the race, and joining the parade lap with professional NASCAR drivers.

All that before the race even started.

During...

To enjoy one of the few night races on the calendar, guests were treated to start/finish line suites, a curated tent, and Pit Zero - a custom hospitality space that isn't found at any other NASCAR event. We had friends of Quaker State drop by and chat with guests, from Tommy Pike sharing the custom car world to Jimmy Houston & Co. teaching guests how to cast a perfect fishing line.

After...

And what better way to wrap up the evening than a VIP trip to Victory Lane with race winner Martin Truex Jr.? Guests were featured front and center in Quaker State green and Advance Auto Parts grey to celebrate a thrilling race, and to wrap up an unforgettable weekend.

Quaker State has a dynamic set of relationships that include both B2C and B2B applications that drive business across North America. The activation opportunities at the Quaker State 400 provided a unique platform for these relationships to come together. The large footprint of fan/potential customer engagement can be seen from birds-eye view below, and included a host of fun and educational ways to interact with the brand throughout the weekend leading up to the race. 

On the B2B side, Quaker State delivered an unforgettable reward for top business performers across North America. Hyundai, Advance Auto Parts and Family Dollar were all key relationships engaged throughout the weekend. Not only was it a blast for guests to enjoy the race...new friends were made, faces connected with email addresses, and many new things were learned.

In an effort to constantly improve guest experience, we administered a comprehensive survey for guests to complete after the event. The results were overwhelming. A critical element of this sponsorship is what it does to incremental sales for Quaker State products throughout the year, and our survey shared with Quaker State distributors and customers focuses on this element. Not only was the feedback positive, it generated considerable ideas for future business development opportunities surrounding the event. 

Q: Do you think this sponsorship is effective for Quaker State's business?

🏁  "I think being apart of professional racing on this stage adds so much value to the products you offer. People, like myself believe the best products have to be used to compete at this level and makes me want to put the best into my own vehicles."

🏁  "Keep doing what you are doing. Based on my experience, it shows me that Quaker State cares. In the world of Big Box Stores and Companies personal relationships get lost. I feel like I am part of the Quaker State Family now and not just a number."

🏁  "Our Hyundai Head Office folks will now be able to deliver a message throughout their organization about the experience and value Quaker State brings."

Q: What are some of the ways we can improve this experience?

✅  "Instead of using all of our Hot and Cold passes on Shell staff, we need to look at ways to leverage this with distributors, and key customers."

✅  "Maybe send one of the group shots, in a frame to the employee to hang in the dealership. Will generate conversation, plus reminder of the relationship."

✅  "We could consider a 'business summit' with customers on the morning of the race (optional) with some internal/external speakers."

If you have any questions about this event, please contact us.
Copyright of Shell International. Viewership data from Nielsen. Photos from Sport Dimensions. Information and website produced by Sport Dimensions.