On The Podium – Promote Your Sponsor
Media Mania
We've talked a little bit about the media, but let's dig deeper. What's so important about the media anyway? Well, its essentially one of the very few ways to get free, "unbiased" advertising out there with the possibility of huge exposure depending on the media source. Free exposure to a huge audience sounds like something a sponsor might like, doesn't it? And you don't have to be racing in the Nextel Cup Series to take advantage of this. So how do you get the attention of the media? First, you'll need to put together a list of every possible media source that could be available to you in your area. That list could include, but not be limited to:
Your second step in catching the media's attention is to tell them something - something of interest that is. And you typically do that through a press release. A press release is simply a brief, attention-grabbing paragraph or two making a special announcement or update about your race team. You can put out a press release for just about anything going on with your team with the idea that it would create enough interest with your media contact to report or publish it or develop an even more in-depth article or interview. Some of the basic things you can put out a press release for include:
Just put yourself in the reporter or editor's shoes and see if you'd be interested in what you just wrote. If so, then send it in. If they don't know about you, they sure won't report on you. One more item you should have available to hand out to the media is a media kit. The media kit is simply info on your team, race series, sponsors, latest press releases, pictures... You should already have this available from your proposal development, so it will be easy to put together. The media kit will let your media contact know who you are - a way of bridging the gap in developing a relationship with these folks just as you did during your sponsorship hunt. When you go to put out another press release down the road, then that media person has some familiarity with you. One final topic in this media section deals with a driver's interactions with the press as a driver progresses into the upper echelons of racing. In years past a driver could make his way to the professional level on sheer driving skills alone. However, these days a racer's ability to reach the top levels of the sport requires the development of solid media skills as well. Given the fact that the team driver is one of the primary reasons a pro-level sponsor has handed over a six or seven figure check to the team, you can see the importance of his ability to be a quality spokesperson. As such many young drivers aspiring to make a career of racing have begun taking "media relations" classes. Just like developing those on-the-track racing skills, learning to work and communicate with the media has become an integral component of a successful motorsports program and career.  
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