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The company wanted to capitalize on the timing of the race and the passion of the fans.
The 2018 Winter Olympics are just two months away, and not even the historic games are absent of new sponsorship and marketing opportunities.
Comcast, the parent company of Xfinity, did just that through their NASCAR partnership.
“The Texas race weekend took place right around 100 days out from the 2018 Olympic Winter Games,” said Matt Lederer, Executive Director of Partnership Marketing at Comcast. “[And] we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate that important milestone than through our NASCAR partnership.”
To activate the partnership, Comcast turned to Joe Gibbs Racing and Matt Kenseth to sport the Xfinity Team USA paint scheme for the third to last race of the NASCAR season.
Beyond being a Joe Gibbs Racing partner since 2015, Comcast elected to sponsor Kenseth during the Texas race due to his historically good performances at the mile and a half long track.
Not only was past success a factor, so to was the passion of NASCAR fans and the timing of the race.
“We wanted to bring the passion that NASCAR fans have for racing to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and one way Comcast is doing that is through XFINITY X1,” said Lederer.
XFINITY X1, marketed as ‘your entertainment operating system,’ is Comcast’s newest way to access entertainment all on one TV screen. The product is designed to allow broad customization for all entertainment, and namely their Olympic Games experience. X1 pushes the ability to follow fan’s favorite athletes and sports, with new features, content and capabilities.
Since Texas hosts the third to last race of the season, Lederer and his team knew the time was right to push the sponsorship.
“Drivers were in fierce competition to make it to the last round of the playoffs and the NASCAR fan base is very engaged,” said Lederer. “The timing of this within both our Olympic and NASCAR sports partnerships was perfect to celebrate our Xfinity Team USA partnership.”
Throughout these two partnerships, Comcast has been at work to provide a bigger service to its clients and the world stage as a whole.
“Comcast will be the official cable television and communications partner of the Olympic sports organization,” said Lederer.
Their Xfinity brand will also be displayed on U.S. Ski and Snowboard athlete uniforms at events across the world. The cross-promotion partnership increases brand visibility, in not just the United States but around the world, and on the big Olympic stage.
With the momentum mounting around the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Comcast looks to the future to continue its marketability in sports — namely through their X1 product.
“We’ve been able to hone in on the cross-section of sports and entertainment,” said Lederer. “Providing fans with a viewing experience on XFINITY X1 that changes the way they view game day.”
Whether partnering with U.S. Olympic sports, esports or NASCAR as its Official Entertainment Provider, Comcast and Xfinity continue to deliver and satisfy its customers through live stats and new features on X1.
“We’re excited to continue showcasing our products and services through a wide spectrum of sports partnerships,” said Lederer.
Cross-Promotion is something Comcast predicates on. They know it is an effective way to bring brand awareness to different audiences. Lederer, who’s learned a lot, also knows cross-promotion is vital for the future.
“Comcast has a great platform to find synergies like this across a number of our partnerships,” said Lederer. “While we always have to be strategic in the approach, we definitely see value in continuing to look for cross-promotion opportunities like these.”
Driver Matt Kenseth, supportive of the Games and Comcast’s broad marketing efforts gleaned at the opportunity to drive their sponsored car to a fourth place finish.
“Being able to feature Xfinity and Team USA aboard our № 20 Camry during the Texas race weekend was really exciting,” said Kenseth. “The games give our country and the world a way to unite in competitions through sport and I always enjoy getting to watch these athletes do what they do best.”
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