Heads Up | Hot Rod Media

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Pro extreme driver Bubba Stanton during qualifying at Rockingham Dragway. Photo: Mark J. Rebilas |

Turns out, these days the key to promotion is information. Today’s race fans want more information than ever, before making a purchase. Google commissioned a study called the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) study. This study focuses on the time a consumer spends researching your product before making a purchase. We all do it: comparison shop on our cell phone, read a restaurant review before making a reservation or check out an event online before buying tickets. ZMOT is when your fan actively looks for more information online, through social media or any other source, before making their purchase decision. According to the study, back in 2010 consumers needed more than five sources of information before making a purchase decision. That number has since doubled and is expected to continue to rise. [Read more…]

Focused Strategies

NHRA pro stock driver Mark Hogan races alongside Lewis Worden during qualifying for the Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park. Photo: Mark Rebilas |

Advancing technologies have created more opportunities for motorsports brands and businesses to reach and interact with consumers than ever before with media that is portable, shareable and searchable. Gone are the days in which consumers were glued to a newspaper, television or radio broadcast. Advertisers have to keep pace with consumers. Traditional media is still very relevant, but unless you do something new with it, results may fall short. [Read more…]

Building Stronger Fan Connections

NHRA top fuel dragster driver Antron Brown during the Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park. Photo: Mark J. Rebilas |

Everyone loves a good story. Race fans definitely love a good story. Narrative is ingrained in our DNA. Storytelling is the most natural and effective way to reach a distracted audience. Authentic content resonates with fans through images, sound and video, and reaches them on a level that stirs emotions. Until you’ve reached your fans on this level, there’s little chance you’ll break through. Marketing can create more noise in the market or serve as the beginning of a conversation that builds stronger fan connections. A business or brand with a story to tell stands the best chance of making these connections. When you think of content, consider what would gain your loyalty and make you identify with a brand. Chances are a story is there that resonates and stirs something in you.

Large Companies Could Learn A Lot From Racing

[Photo: Mark J. Rebilas]

Large companies could learn a lot from racing. All too often in business, management uses data to employ a perpetual test run, rather than inform sound decisions and put them in play. Racing, on the other hand, demands decisive action. In racing, information is key and feedback is a continual loop. Data is collected on cars, drivers, track conditions and weather for real-time analysis and adjustments. Performance is optimized immediately, advancing the goal of entering the Winner’s Circle. [Read more…]

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Focused Strategies

Building Stronger Fan Connections

Large Companies Could Learn A Lot From Racing

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