From NASCAR.com .. KODAK moving on

[FlyingPhotog]

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Eastman Kodak Co. is ending its 22-year sponsorship in NASCAR and putting more sports marketing dollars into professional golf.
The photography pioneer, betting its future on electronic imaging, said Monday the realignment fits better with a new effort to highlight its brand digitally, such as on PGA Tour scoreboards.
Kodak also wants to engage more customers overseas since 60 percent of its sales are outside the United States.
Kodak said it is also ending a four-year sponsorship of Penske Racing at year's-end.
Since signing on with NASCAR in 1986, Kodak-sponsored cars have won the Daytona 500 four times -- with Ryan Newman (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rnewman00/cup/index.html)'s car this year, Sterling Marlin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/smarlin00/cup/index.html)'s in 1994 and 1995 and Ernie Irvan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/eirvan00/cup/index.html)'s in 1991.
"Just as we have transformed our company, we are transforming our marketing," said Betty Noonan, Kodak's vice president of corporate marketing and branding. "We want to express our deepest thanks to our friends at NASCAR and Penske Racing for their partnership and support. We remain big fans."

[Emphasis Mine .. Found that stat interesting...]

[Woolburr]

When I got the announcement yesterday, I just had to shake my head a bit... they are looking to expand their market, but I don't see golf as being the venue to propel them upwards. Very strange choice.

[FlyingPhotog]

When I got the announcement yesterday, I just had to shake my head a bit... they are looking to expand their market, but I don't see golf as being the venue to propel them upwards. Very strange choice.

Very different demographic for sure...

Perhaps they view the "Country Club Set" as more recession proof (but I know from experience that ain't absolutely true...)

NASCAR has definately taken an attendance hit this year.

[Woolburr]

NASCAR continues to hurt themselves. The refused to listen to the panel they convened last season. People only have so many dollars to spend.

[FlyingPhotog]

NASCAR continues to hurt themselves. The refused to listen to the panel they convened last season. People only have so many dollars to spend.

I know gas prices had a major impact. Saw some very empty campgrounds earlier this summer.

Michigan especially was a near ghost town and the infield at Pocono was pretty empty too. So was 'Dega...

[KarlosDaJackal]

NASCAR is a joke to a lot of people outside of the USA, its draws no kind of interest outside the USA. So basically 100% of Kodaks sports advertising spend is only possible being seen by 40% of there sales audience according to that story. I'm assuming that nascar is the only spend as I've never seen kodak associate with any other sport I'd actually see.

Golf, Tennis and a few other sports are safe bets for multi-nationals. They do have worldwide interest, they are seen as more professional and corporations dig that. NASCAR does have a bad rep outside the states, I don't know a single person who has seen an entire nascar race in europe, but i know lots who have seen talledega nights. Its not just nascar, oval racing never really caught on in europe or asia and from the looks of it the middle east are all building tracks for F1 and Moto-GP to come visit. At least with F1 you get europe, asia and the middle east. MotoGP is probably a good bet for international advertising right now.

It also has a lot to do with advertising, european tv has huge restrictions oh the number and frequency of adverts and product placement also, so US format friendly sports don't work over this side of the pond. We do get the super bowl, but without a single advertisment (on tax payer funded stations that don't rely on advertising) it would not work on any other station. We don't get adverts during our football games (soccer you call it) we get adds before, then first half is 45 minutes ad free, then ads during half time, then another 45 minutes ad free and ads after the game.

I did notice that canon went mad to advertise inside one of the fifa footbal games around the time of the 350d release, but i've rarely seen a canon billboard anywhere else.

[Wazza]

Nascar? What's that?

Seriously, worldwide, I'd see golf perceived as a more global sport, better for sponsorship etc.

[asysin2leads]

Golf is perceived as an upscale sport. Golf is associated with country clubs, BMWs and $700 golf clubs. NASCAR is associated with the beer-drinking, tobacco chewing, trailer park living crowd. Granted, NASCAR brings in millions of dollars every year.

Non
Athletic
Sport
Centered
Around
Rednecks

[FlyingPhotog]

Golf is perceived as an upscale sport. Golf is associated with country clubs, BMWs and $700 golf clubs. NASCAR is associated with the beer-drinking, tobacco chewing, trailer park living crowd. Granted, NASCAR generates billions of dollars every year.

Non
Athletic
Sport
Centered
Around
Rednecks

Fixed It...

Actually, NASCAR's fastest growing demographic is women aged 18-35... ;)

It ain't yer Grandpa's NASCAR any more.

[asysin2leads]

Fixed It...

Actually, NASCAR's fastest growing demographic is women aged 18-35... ;)

It ain't yer Grandpa's NASCAR any more.

Thanks for the fix. I wonder if there is a statistic for how many teeth the combined NASCAR nation has.

[gdrMatt]

i would think Soccer(Football) is a more global sport to sponsor then golf.

[Clark]

Thanks for the fix. I wonder if there is a statistic for how many teeth the combined NASCAR nation has.

Do you stereotype everyone like this?

[DegasGoneDigital]

Nascar is a joke.....all the cars are the same style. no more rubbing or you will be fined. No more arguing or you will be fined. I had tickets to Dega for the past 8 years, I gave them up because the excitement is gone...

[Agged]

I've been an avid motorsports fan for decades. NASCAR has gotten really boring. 33 cars for 200 laps to determine which of the five cars that has a legitimate chance to win actually does. I never turn it on anymore, and I wouldn't drive 30 miles or spend $20.00 to see any of those races.

It's all marketing gone mad. I was at the local mall last week and saw a family of four- mom, dad and two small boys. Dad was looking resplendant in his vivid blue jacket with "Viagra" emblazened in huge letters on both sides. His wife must have been proud. I'm just sorry I didn't have my camera.

[Croasdail]

NASCAR is marketing gone mad. They admit it is a show, and is slipping down the slope of WWF or what ever it is called. No doubt the drivers are talented and there is some great teams, just visit Hendrick and you will see a world class organization regardless of the sport. But the cars don't represent anything I drive, and they aren't bleeding edge technology either. It doesn't represent the best of any world. It is sad, because there is some really fun saturday night action going on at small tracks around the country.

I don't blame Kodak. Their being there doesn't represent any market growth for them. Kodak is a global brand, and NASCAR is anything but global. The NASCAR faithful even fight against racing in Canada or Mexico. It is a nationalistic crowd who all they want is things to stay the same. Not the crowd your going to spend a ton of cash on new technology.... over generalizing of course. But on average, they are a more conservative spending then the average folk. Not the crowd to save your company or launch new products to.

[pastanley]

How about NHRA drag racing? That seems to be a growing sport.

[davejames909]

Yeah I'm getting a bit sick of the rules & regs for NASCAR too.. its seems like its more of a show of engineering these days, not brute strength speed. Bring back the proper racing!

[gary88]

I gave NASCAR a chance a few years ago. I tried watching one of the races, but I didn't last longer than 10 minutes.

Though I wish F1 would come back to the US for the USGP. I went in '04 (last good race before the tire disaster of '05) and loved it.

[gdrMatt]

i went to a couple races at Dover Downs... it was horrible both times, sitting shoulder to shoulder on metal bleachers for hours in extreme heat.. it had to be 120 degrees in the stands. I probably lost more water weight then the drivers.. at least the drivers had a breeze blowing through their suits.. it's even more boring sitting there with no announcers talking about the drivers..

[FlyingPhotog]

Yeah I'm getting a bit sick of the rules & regs for NASCAR too.. its seems like its more of a show of engineering these days, not brute strength speed. Bring back the proper racing!

The biggest problem with NASCARs rule book is that it's a loose-leaf binder.

Sporting Clays are eaiser to hit than that moving target! :lol:

[FlyingPhotog]

i went to a couple races at Dover Downs... it was horrible both times, sitting shoulder to shoulder on metal bleachers for hours in extreme heat.. it had to be 120 degrees in the stands. I probably lost more water weight then the drivers.. at least the drivers had a breeze blowing through their suits.. it's even more boring sitting there with no announcers talking about the drivers..

No Scanner? I'm told that makes it vastly more interesting from the stands.

(I'm stuck out in the broadcast truck so I've never actually attended a race inside the track...)

[gdrMatt]

sitting at home in the A/C, drinking a cold beer on a nice comfy sofa, watching on a 42" wide screen HDTV with surround sound makes it more interesting... lol

and no traffic when it's over and no line for the bathroom. :D

[FlyingPhotog]

sitting at home in the A/C, drinking a cold beer on a nice comfy sofa, watching on a 42" wide screen HDTV with surround sound makes it more interesting... lol

and no traffic when it's over and no line for the bathroom. :D

As a member of the FOX and TNT broadcast crew, I thank you for parking yourself on the couch on Sundays... ;)

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