Dad recently attended a local Chamber of Commerce event to meet local businesses, network, and talk about the current market.
To his surprise, while checking in, the Chamber’s president, Laura O’Callaghan, recognized him and stated, “You’re Derek Robbie’s dad, aren’t you? The one with the racecar? I remember you guys from attending our event in 2013.”
It was astonishing to see someone who has run hundreds of events, met thousands of people, and worked with countless businesses, still remember me, Derek Robbie — the one with the race car — over twelve years later.
That got me thinking about the power of racing sponsorships and how they can help build a brand that lasts. Iconic cars such as the #24 Jeff Gordon Rainbow car, Tony Stewart’s #20 Orange Home Depot Car, and, of course, all-time great Richard Petty’s #43 Petty Blue cars all have stood the test of time. Every one of them had great success, but more often, it’s the car’s colors, logos, and identity, along with their brand, that come to mind first.
But there is so much more than just the visual component of building the brand.
For me, the value of a relational sponsorship came into full light this year when our longest partner replied to a Facebook post I made. During my “25 Days of Christmas” series, where I highlighted sponsors and supporters throughout my career, I featured New Hampshire Oil Undercoating and Joe, the owner of NHOU, shared the reel and explained why they’ve supported us for nearly a decade.
Joe said:
“Yeah, sure… we love racing. Loud motors. Fast cars. Smells like burnt rubber and happiness. All that good stuff.
But, honestly? The real reason we jumped into this world is because of the families behind these teams. Mom, dad, kids, even grandparents out there freezing at 6 AM like it’s a family reunion with horsepower — that’s what hooked us.
We’re a family business too. My kids work here. My brother works here. Half my close friends work here. If this place ever goes corporate, someone better check my pulse because that’ll be the day.”
That message reminded me what sponsorship really is – a partnership, not just a logo on a car. Connecting your brand with their brand. In this case, it was the family connection NHOU shared with our race team and how important that bond is to them.
Long gone are the days of running a fancy paint scheme, hoping for good finishes, and expecting people to recognize you just by sight.
Sponsorship has become much more complex. You now need to understand each of your marketing partners, learn what makes them unique, how the two of you connect, and then represent that in your branding.
A colorful logo or quick impression grabs your attention today, but connecting together through a common bond or experience creates a lasting impression. That’s what makes a marketing partnership successful: helping a company be remembered today, next year, and long into the future.
As we seek new sponsors, we are focusing on building those relationships. Finding the right companies and people that we align with to promote their values alongside our values.
Going forward, I have one big goal. Just like the opening of this blog, one, five, ten, and even fifteen years from now, I want all my sponsors call me and say, “A customer just told me they remembered our company from the 27 Modified that Derek Robbie drove. Thank you for representing us.”
That’s when I’ll know I built the right brand – one that has created a lasting impression for others, like it has for Laura and Joe.
Thanks to all my current and future partners for supporting me and we’ll see you at the race track soon.
