The partnership between NASCAR and Twitter is growing, and the Pocono 400 on June 10 served as an example of their new goals. NASCAR has been promoting the Twitter accounts of drivers this year and encouraging them to use the social network. Now, I think the organization is simply taking the partnership more seriously.
Twitter's First Commercial on Television
The lack of rain at the Pocono 400 on June 10 was not the only surprising aspect of the race. Twitter included the company's first television commercial during the broadcast of the Pocono 400. The video of the 16 second advertisement has already been added to Twitter's official YouTube channel. The short commercial featured Brad Keselowski using his iPhone to help promote a specific Twitter hashtag. Both NASCAR and Twitter have been busy advertising the new Twitter.com/#NASCAR page.
NASCAR Notices Potential
Although NASCAR can be accused of ignoring some recent trends, the organization has noticed the potential of Twitter. In Feb. 2012, the impact of Twitter became clear as driver Brad Keselowski gained more than 100,000 new followers on his account while tweeting during a delay at the Daytona 500. NASCAR allowed him to keep his phone in the car and clarified the rules for using Twitter. I think NASCAR wants to use drivers to build the social media presence of the sport.
A New Marketing Method
NASCAR has been struggling to attract a younger demographic to the races and has been facing issues with losing sponsorships. Twitter is the latest attempt to reach a wider audience. The partnership's debut was the Pocono 400 race that featured the release of the Twitter.com/#NASCAR page. Prior to the June 10 race, Twitter's official blog indicated that a series of complex algorithms would be used to determine the content featured for the hashtag.
Will the new partnership actually benefit NASCAR? It is difficult to assess the success of the new Twitter hashtag page after only one race. Twitter has released a photograph that shows how the content was curated by Twitter employees during the race, so there were more than algorithms used for the page. I think the new partnership has the potential to bolster the presence of both companies as long as the page does not devolve into a spam feed. NASCAR may increase its reach while Twitter may show its potential for brand marketing.
More from this contributor:
Matt Kenseth Has a New Sponsor: NASCAR Fan Reaction
NASCAR Gets a New Sponsorship with Bojangles: Fan Reaction
NASCAR Searches for New Sponsors: Fan View
Growing up in Indiana, Lana developed a love for motorsports at an early age. She follows NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One. Follow @Lana_Bandoim on Twitter.
