Pennzoil sponsorship in NASCAR viewed as important as consumers change mindset
Pennzoil is one of the primary sponsors for Richard Childress Racing's No. 29 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. // Jeff Robinson, NASCAR Scene
Companies involved in the automobile industry used to be the primary source of sponsorships for teams, and while that has changed, Pennzoil still sees important benefits.
In fact, with all sponsorships in motorsports now being scrutinized, there might be extra incentive for Pennzoil to remain on the Richard Childress Racing car of Kevin Harvick and to continue to sponsor events such as the burnout contest last Saturday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, a company official says.
Marketing is always important, but Pennzoil Director of Marketing Troy Chapman knows that in these economic times, people are keeping their cars longer. He says that the average person is now keeping a car for 10 years.
And that means an opportunity for those who sell motor oil, as consumers might be more cognizant of what they’re buying.
“We’re seeing quite an increase in the way that people are taking care of their vehicles and the desire to maintain them better, which means we’re getting people to change their oil more frequently,” Chapman said last week. “They’re using better quality oils.”
Pennzoil has a long history in the sport, including with teams such as Dale Earnhardt Inc. and RCR.
“The passion [of the fans] is the heart of it,” Chapman said. “They tend to be much more involved in their own vehicle and the way they maintain it.”
There also is a technological aspect of the sponsorship as Pennzoil considers Richard Childress Racing a technological partner in the development of new products. Quaker State, owned by Pennzoil parent company Royal Dutch Shell, has a similar relationship with Hendrick Motorsports.
With television ratings down more than 10 percent and some race tracks suffering from dips in attendance, any extra benefit to the sponsorship is extremely important, whether it be from the technology end, using drivers in commercials or other ways of reaching consumers
“Viewership figures we watch very closely; attendance figures we watch very closely,” Chapman said. “The thing that really at the end of the day matters the most to us beyond all of that is how good a job we’re doing activating.
“What are we doing, beyond just having the logo on the car? [Are we] bringing it out to the fan, where they’re shopping and where they’re getting their oil changed.”
