a new marketing technique
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 1998--
National retailer, NASCAR Winston Cup champion ink two-year
deal for McDonald's - Service Merchandise Bill Elliott Racing Team
Service Merchandise Company (NYSE:SME) has joined forces with NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott, in a two-year relationship which makes the retailer the primary associate sponsor of the McDonald's-Service Merchandise Bill Elliott Racing Team.
The announcement was made at Daytona International Speedway, the site of two of Elliott's 40 career Winston Cup victories. The No. 94 Ford Taurus will display its new Service Merchandise identification for the first time at the Daytona 500, on Sunday, February 15.
"Tying in with NASCAR just makes good business sense for us. Research clearly shows how fanatically loyal fans are to the drivers and to the companies and products they associate with the drivers," said Service Merchandise Chief Executive Officer and President Gary Witkin.
According to Witkin, the agreement is one of a continuing series of initiatives designed to market the Company and its fine jewelry and home products to a new group of prospective customers. Additionally, it takes advantage of the similarity in Winston Cup and Service Merchandise customer profiles.
The Service Merchandise sponsorship will include a variety of potential promotional opportunities, including associate programs, inclusion of Elliott and his family in Service Merchandise advertising, and in-store appearances by Elliott and team show cars, in addition to the prominent logo placement on the TV panel of the car, team uniforms, and vehicle transporter. The arrangement will also provide significant cross-promotional opportunities with McDonald's.
Witkin added, "We're thrilled and proud to be partnering with a family-oriented driver like Bill Elliott. He's incredibly well respected, in the industry and by his fans, and that meant a lot to us as we looked at different sports marketing opportunities."
Elliott's NASCAR career is well-known, and he is a favorite with the fans, winning the Most Popular Driver Award for a record twelfth time in 1997. He is in his 23rd season as a driver on the Winston Cup circuit, and his fourth as the driver of the McDonald's Ford cars. The Taurus makes its debut this year.
"Service Merchandise is the kind of first-class, nationally known company we want to be associated with," Elliott noted. "Our goal is to provide Service Merchandise a successful program that enables them to increase brand awareness, ad awareness, market share and customer base."
NASCAR, which is the largest spectator sport in the United States, has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years. More than 5.7 million fans attended Winston Cup events in 1997. In addition, more than 160 million viewers watched NASCAR Winston Cup events on television in 1997, an increase of 75% over 1992 figures. |
