A short deck highlighting the issues with the NASCAR brand, specifically with Millennials, the normal audience for video games. Strategic recommendations on NASCAR as a brand and the best way to position the game.

1. NASCAR 2014
Our Initial Thoughts

2. The Kenwood racing team
JIM SAMALIS
Creative Director
For the last 25 years, Jim has
been changing audience
behavior through brand and
product experiences across
multiple channels. He has
worked on launches and
campaigns for Levi‘s, Dockers,
Electronic Arts, HP, Sega,
Cisco, Autodesk, Genentech
and many more. He believes
that great creative is only as
good as the insight uncovered
about the audience‘s beliefs,
behaviors and triggers.
Creative without insight is like
throwing darts blindfolded.
Fortunately, Jim and his team
work collaboratively to ensure
every dart is a bullseye.
NICO VAN PRAAG
Strategist
Over the last 20 years Nico has
put his strategic fingerprint on
some of the world‘s best
brands including Nike, Audi,
GAP, VISA, Red Bull, Microsoft
and Xbox, GMC and many
more. He‘s driven by a belief
that great strategy requires
creativity just like the creative
itself. And that smart strategy
does far more than guide a
brand‘s messaging, it should
inspire its core behavior both
internally and in a consumerfacing way. Nico preaches that
brand behavior is core to what
makes an iconic, powerful
brand what it is.
BRIAN KERR
Account Manager
Brian Kerr has been involved
with a slew of marketing and
communications efforts for tech
companies and game
publishers – ranging from
building online game
communities to launching triple
A titles. Brian is the client's goto person and responsible for
making sure the internal
Kenwood team and the
external client teams are
always on the same page.
JOHN EMMANEEL
Executive Producer
John‘s experience is broad,
deep and international, having
managed multi-faceted
campaigns, launches and
brand activations for over 17
years. He is equally at home
delivering on any
communication platform and
understanding the importance
of a client‘s content and
business strategy. John has
spearheaded engagements for
a diverse set of major brands
including Cisco, Samsung
Mobile, Tune-in, Square Enix,
Food Brands, Caterpillar,
Mazda, Visa, Genentech and
Abbott Labs.

3. Our strategy process
EXPLORE
>
>
>
>
Business
Consumer
Culture
Technology
DISTILL
>
>
>
>
The real business issue
The key insights
Promising alignments
Enabling technologies
BUILD
> An integrated strategic
and creative platform
OPTIMIZE
> And adjust to achieve
defined KPI‘s

4. Background
NASCAR

5. Five facts about NASCAR
we should care about
1
NASCAR is second only to the NFL in
terms of top sports franchise TV ratings
2
$3 billion worth of licensed products are
sold to the 75 million fans each year
3
Ticket sales revenue fell 38% over the
past five years
4
Ratings among 18-34 year-olds fell more
than 25% versus a year ago
5
Fortune 500 sponsorships have been
on the decline since 2000

6. NASCAR games have underdelivered
JOURNALISTS
―Hardcore NASCAR fans might find
little to love in this lackluster title.‖
―Inside Line is a step up from its predecessor in
every way, but it falls short of being a winner.‖
CONSUMERS
―No NASCAR game ever was impressive.‖
―I never did get into the NASCAR games.‖
―I played one for a while before. While it was fun
it just didn't appeal to me like other racers do.‖

7. And sales reflect the reviews
Need For Speed franchise:
Best selling racing game of all time
100+mm copies
ALL NASCAR games made since
1998
18.16mm copies

8. Background
OUR CONSUMER

9. NASCAR represents a polarity
Love it!
―I love that NASCAR
is now an indelible
part of me, part of
my identity, who I
am.‖
Hate it!
―NASCAR‘s not a
real sport! It‘s like
WWE. All those
drivers do is mash
the gas and turn left.
Any old fool could do
that.

10. Reasons they…
Love it!
Danger <
Speed <
Community <
Driver back-stories <
The roots <
The violence <
The patriotism <
Hate it!
> Left turns
> Monotony
> Little appreciation of speed
> Perceived gratuitous crashes
> The fan base
> Lack of involvement

11. But those who get it get it
―There are but three true
sports—bullfighting, mountain
climbing, and motor-racing.
The rest are merely games.‖ Ernest Hemingway

12. The NASCAR fan
60%
8.6%
43%
Male
Hispanic
45yrs old and older
8.9%
32%
AA
18-34yrs old
$
More than 29% - HHI = $30-50k
Only 8% - HHI = $100k+
18%
24%
38%
20%

13. Millennials – 4 relevant
characteristics
Defined by technology
Highly social/connected
94%
> Social media is power
> As a generation, they are team players
Have a mobile
phone
69%
Own an iPod or
mp3 player
70%
Own a laptop
23%
Own a tablet
“If we want to truly grasp the power of connection for this
generation, we can look at how they want to be
remembered. It is not for their beauty, their power, or
their influence, but simply for the quality of their human
relationships.”
High expectations
Short attention span
> Rewrite rather than follow rules
> Expect the ability to create a fully
customized experience
Multi-screen natives in one week:
>
>
>
>
5 hours 39 min of online video
24 hours 44 minutes of ―live‖ TV
9 of 10 surf while they watch TV
The second screen is most often the first

14. Millennials and gaming
Gaming is ranked the #3
interest among Millennials
What they like most:
> Competition
> Connection
Console is still king
5.1
hours/wk consoles
4.4
hours/wk mobile phones
11.8
hours a week across devices
13.8
6 in 10
own a gaming console
1 in 3
hours a week among 12-24 yr olds
6 in 10
play games online
4.8
hours a week average
will likely buy the
next gen system
Friends are the #1
source for game
recommendations
Source: Be Viacom International 2013

15. Our most promising consumer
*
GAMERS
*
NASCAR
FANS
Common motivations:
> Immersion
> Social connection
> Customization

16. NASCAR 2014
OUR THINKING SO FAR

17. Business problem:
Sell a NASCAR product within a category dominated by
Millennials who have a waning interest in NASCAR.
Communication Challenge:
> Primary:
– Get the Millennial NASCAR fan to embrace NASCAR
2014 and become advocates of the game.
> Secondary:
– Get gamers who are not fans to take a fresh look at
NASCAR 2014.

18. Our opportunity is huge
Of NASCAR fans who
buy licensed products
75,000,000
42%
own and play video
games
31,500,000
Potential buyers:
Source: Simmons 2013

19. Our ideal strategy needs to…
1. Promote the excitement of NASCAR
2. Emphasize the immersive nature of the game
3. Highlight the games realistic effects, driving dynamics
and real teams and drivers
4. Appeal to the gamers need for community and
connectivity
5. Promote competition
6. Appeal to the need for customization
7. Leverage the real-time replay capability of the game

20. IT’S ABOUT TO GET REAL

21. The product
More sense
of speed
Better driving
dynamics
More immersive
experience
Customizability
IT’S ABOUT TO GET REAL
Replay real races
Real teams
Gen-6 Cars
Race against
real people

22. The marketing
Real drivers
Real cars
Create
immersive
experiences
Customizability
Real prizes
Day in the life
(trip to Daytona)
Of a NASCAR driver
Competition
against real
people
IT’S ABOUT TO GET REAL
Racing simulators

23. Harley-Davidson
AN ANALOGOUS
BRAND CHALLENGE

24. The business problem
H-D sales ‗09 revenue
Down 23%
Economy ‘09 category
Sales down 19%
Heavy competition
- Broader appeal
- Younger image
- Aggressive offerings within
the cruiser/touring category

25. Our goal:
INCREASE THE RELEVANCE OF
H-D AMONG YOUNG ADULTS (18-35
YEARS)
KPI: DEALER VISITS

26. What’s valued
Celebrate the individual
Be an ingredient, not a recipe
Enable mass customization
Be social
Revel in real
The perception of
Harley
―I don‘t want to be THAT guy‖
―It‘s for people who want to buy a set lifestyle‖
―You have to bleed orange and black‖
―I don‘t feel welcome‖
―It‘s just about merchandise these days‖

27. Perception
Reality
A homogenous group
of old white guys
Founded by
non-conformists
The ―tough guy‖ and
the ―touring guy‖
A history of diverse representation
of roles within society
A sea of sameness
across manufacturers
A unique product and
brand experience
We‘re stuck in the past
Constantly innovating

28. The opportunity
1. Leverage the roots of the brand
2. Create a warm invitation
3. Make Harley-Davidson
a blank canvas that celebrates individuals

29. Our invitation
Write the next chapter of the Harley-Davidson story
With each generation comes a
fresh perspective and a new
chapter
You create your
own expression of
Harley
There is a 106-year
history of individuals who
wrote theirs… now it‘s
your turn

30. APPENDIX

31. The Pastrana effect
A hope for the future of NASCAR?
―Everybody gives NASCAR guys a
hard time, especially action sports
guys, because they say, ‗Aw, all
you do is turn left.‘ But these are
the best drivers in the world – bar
none.‖ - Travis Pastrana

32. Fantasy sports have exploded – a need to
connect?
35 Million Participants*
1 in 5 fulltime employed adults
5.4 Million women
Multi-billion dollar industry