Fox Sports Hopes to Woo New Viewers with Daytona Marketing Strategy

Fox Sports Hopes to Woo New Viewers With Daytona Marketing Strategy 01.25.2016 A guest appearance from Jeff Gordon and a shot of the Fox NFL Sunday crew decked out in NASCAR firesuits last weekend was really just the opening lap in a series of cross-promotional spots aimed at giving the Daytona 500 more crossover appeal. "Traditionally, we've focused more on the race and what happens at the track," says Fox Sports Executive VP of Marketing Robert Gottlieb. "But we've shifted gears this year and we're focusing much more on Daytona as a communal event along the lines of Super Bowl Sunday." Fox is trading on the mainstream popularity of Gordon, who retired from racing last year and joined Fox NASCAR. He'll be in the broadcast booth along with Darrell Waltrip and lap-by-lap broadcaster Mike Joy for this year's Daytona race. Gordon is also one of the centerpieces of Fox's Daytona marketing plan. In addition to his Fox NFL Sunday appearance, he shot a longform digital spot in which he races down the LA freeway before being pulled over in the Fox studio lot. That promo will go live on Feb. 11. Another light-hearted ad that will be airing online and on TV explores the evolution of Gordon's style, from the mullet of his youth to his present-day look. "Jeff is obviously a huge part of our marketing because he's probably the most well-known crossover NASCAR driver ever," Gottlieb says. "Having Jeff leave racing and come to Fox is a good way for us to reach past [just] NASCAR fans." As a Pepsi pitchman, a guest on the late-night talk show circuit and a host on NBC's Saturday Night Live, it's hard to disagree with Gordon's appeal. But will his star-power in the booth be enough to help bring ratings back to an event that has sagged in recent years? "Our marketing is not really a reaction to any ratings," Gottlieb says. "It's more looking at an opportunity to reinvigorate the franchise a little bit and expose people to a new message." Last year's race was up more than four million viewers from 2014's record low of 9.3 million, but is still well under Fox's average for the event. Fox executives point to rain delays and competition from events such as the Olympics as reasons for low ratings in recent years. The network took advantage of its huge NFL audience this past weekend once again, with a 60-second NASCAR spot directed by acclaimed music video director Joseph Kahn debuting during the NFC Championship Game. Another 30-second promo cross-branded with The Simpsons shows residents of Springfield getting ready for Daytona day, according to Gottlieb. Fox Sports is offering up close to 100 hours of content on multiple outlets leading up to raceday. Fox Sports 1's live coverage of all things Daytona begins at 5 p.m. EST on Feb. 12 with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice on the track of Daytona International Speedway. That night, the network unveils the one-hour specialUntold Stories: Daytona, looking at famous races and profiling drivers from years past. A short film series special, Beyond The Wheel, debuts at 9 p.m. The push to get new fans interested in Daytona doesn't end after someone takes the checkered flag. A week after the race, on Feb. 27, Fox Sports 1 airs 100,000 Cameras: Daytona 500. The half-hour special puts together fan and driver-made video to show what raceday is like from multiple perspectives. Using the hashtags #100KCams and #NASCAR, fans are encouraged to upload videos from wherever they watch the race to social media. Gottlieb hopes the bells and whistles surrounding Fox's coverage of Daytona help to share the network's broader message with its audience: that watching the Daytona 500 connects them with a bigger community. "It's an opportunity to say, 'Hey, this is more than a race,'" Gottlieb says. "It's an opportunity to take part in a cultural moment that's a lot of fun..

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