The NTT IndyCar Series is planning to significantly increase its marketing budget for next year in the hopes of making itself more visible amid a growing wave of motorsports popularity in the United States.
According to a report by the Sports Business Journal, the series has been working on a new marketing strategy for the past few months, with Penske Executive VP Jonathan Gibson telling the publication that there will be a “significant investment in our marketing plans.”
IndyCar has faced some criticism from fans in recent years over the lack of engagement and visibility compared to other racing series.
Formula 1 has exploded in popularity stateside, and is often celebrated for bringing a wave of interest to the sport through clever and persistent marketing wins.
The new strategy will focus on many different areas, and plans are reported to include new ad campaigns, an unscripted docuseries, a new app with renewed focus on digital content, and even plans to collaborate with more influencers to help spread interest to new audiences.
The information about a more visible marketing strategy comes just a couple weeks after reports that IndyCar had parted ways with its VP of marketing SJ Luedtke, signaling a wider effort to focus on promotion of its on-track product.
Roger Penske purchased IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the beginning of 2020, changing roles from an influential team owner into the point man behind the series itself.
He initially received praise for making some long-needed updates to the historic facility and navigating the series through the uncertainty of the pandemic, but fans have noticed that a few areas of the sport appear to be stagnating over the past year.
Continued delays surrounding planned adoptions of a new spec chassis and a new hybrid engine formula have meant that many parts of the current car are growing long in the tooth.
A renewed focus on marketing could go a long way to keep existing fans engaged and to bring new interest to America’s top-level open wheel series.
IndyCar leadership has already shared their plans with a few influential drivers, who are reportedly enthusiastic about the expanded promotion plans.
Expect plenty of new engagement tactics from the series starting with the first race from St. Petersburg, Florida on March 5, and even during IndyCar’s open preseason test from The Thermal Club during the first week of February.
