Five years ago, NASCAR moved ad operations and sales in-house, and thought carefully about how to approach advertising to keep online fans excited and engaged. Ultimately, they decided to partner with Google and leverage solutions from Ad Manager. Programmatic Guaranteed and AdX helped NASCAR weather the traffic fluctuations in seasonality and circumstance that are common in sports, and which make it challenging to accurately predict patterns. "We had to walk before we could run," says Wyatt Hicks, Managing Director of Digital Media at NASCAR. "Monetizing with AdX was the safest way to do that. Plus, Google is a trusted partner in delivering high-quality creatives." By working together, NASCAR could accelerate toward its goal of engaging more fans in the racing experience. But performance isn’t the only thing that contributes to NASCAR’s success. The NASCAR team is proud of their ability to bring the sport to fans everywhere by monetizing with ads.
The organization's digital efforts have significantly enhanced the experience for audiences everywhere. "NASCAR pushes innovation on the track and off it, with a huge emphasis on the fan experience," says Brendan Reiley. "Those values resonate in our daily work, giving the team great pride in providing our fans with one of the most engaging digital platforms in all of sports." Anyone looking to engage deeper with racing content, for example, can dive into insights such as telemetry data that displays auto speeds, or try out the augmented and virtual reality experiences on the site. Following a recent merger with the track group, NASCAR digital now offers users the opportunity to drive on virtual tracks, racing alongside professional drivers who’ve competed in the playoffs. During these virtual drives, sponsors can also make an appearance, integrating their brands with the thrill of the race.
