NHRA scores high approval ratings in 2003 league report card
10/10/2003
NHRA tied for first in overall value for sponsorship in an independent report published in SportsBusiness Journal, a Charlotte, N.C.-based business weekly covering the national sports scene. The report - which included NHRA for the first time - appeared in the Oct. 6-12 edition of the popular news magazine and is the first of a three-part series on sports sponsorships. NHRA was first overall in the category "Offer Good Value for the Money" and ranked in the top five in 14 of the categories among the featured leagues, including the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour and NHL, among others. The world's largest motorsports organization, NHRA ranked higher than the median average in all 16 categories utilized to assess sponsor satisfaction in their relationships with major sports leagues.
Among the four major auto racing sanctioning bodies included in the report, NHRA ranked first or second in every category.
"When I became president in 1999, we made sponsor relations a key initiative in our five-year strategic plan," said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. "This survey, and NHRA's strong approval ratings, is a result of the hard work and effort of the NHRA, the racers and team owners working together with our sponsors to deliver them maximum results.
"NHRA is one of the best kept secrets in all of sports. But it won't be for long as people realize what NHRA can offer, particularly as it relates to sponsor value, return on investment and the overall relationship between the sanctioning body, the racing community and the sponsors. At NHRA we have always worked hard to recognize the needs of our sponsors and help them to develop a value-based package that provides a great return on investment. The format of our sport affords us the flexibility to allow our business partners to participate and fully maximize their sponsorship programs in ways that perhaps more traditional sports can't allow."
NHRA was first among auto racing leagues in eight categories, including offering good value for the money; delivering exclusivity and protecting the client's investment; flexibility of the property; offering good value-added programs; providing good service after the sale; coordinating programs between the league and teams; willingness to share databases; and providing in-venue assets.
NHRA was second only to NASCAR among auto racing leagues in seven other categories, including focus on providing a strong return on investment; providing a media package that meets the sponsors' needs; understanding sponsor objectives and being responsive to sponsor needs; being service-oriented; providing helpful research; and providing expertise to help deliver value.
NHRA, with headquarters in Glendora, Calif., is the world's largest auto racing sanctioning body and has many high-profile business partners, including Coca-Cola, whose POWERade brand sponsors NHRA's top touring series; ESPN, Inc.; Anheuser-Busch; Miller Brewing Co.; Sony; Mazda; Goodyear Tires; Oakley; Honeywell; U.S. Tobacco; Sears; U.S. Army; General Motors; Checker Schuck's Kragen Auto Parts; Ford; Daimler-Chrysler; CARQUEST Auto Parts; Matco Tools; Castrol North America; Michelin Tires; O'Reilly Auto Parts; MBNA; Snap-on Tools; Harley-Davidson; Suzuki; Advance Auto Parts, Accor America Hotels, Auto Club of Southern California, Lucas Oil, K&N Filters, Summit Racing Equipment, Jeg's Mail Order and Mac Tools.
The following lists NHRA's assessment percentage for each category as compared to other major auto racing sanctioning bodies that were ranked in the independent report conducted by SportsBusiness Journal. The median percentage for each category also is listed. Each auto racing league's overall rank for each specific category among the 16 sports leagues is listed in parentheses.
| CATEGORY |
NHRA |
NASCAR |
IRL |
CART |
MEDIAN |
| Offer good value for the money |
60 (T1) |
51 (4) |
26 (13) |
13 (16) |
37 |
| Work well with us and our agency |
59 (6) |
64 (2) |
32 (T13) |
NA |
53 |
| Client-centered and service-oriented |
57 (4) |
59 (T1) |
33 (13) |
26 (16) |
40 |
| Deliver exclusivity, protect investment |
54 (5) |
49 (9) |
38 (15) |
30 (16) |
50 |
| Provide in-venue assets |
54 (3) |
51 (5) |
35 (10) |
NA |
44 |
| Responsive, understand sponsor objectives |
52 (T3) |
56 (2) |
43 (8) |
14 (16) |
42 |
| Media package meets needs |
50 (4) |
56 (2) |
12 (12) |
NA |
39 |
| Offer good value-added programs |
50 (2) |
47 (3) |
22 (T13) |
9 (16) |
35 |
| Focus on strong return on investment |
50 (T2) |
54 (1) |
30 (T11) |
NA |
39 |
| Provide good service after the sale |
48 (T5) |
43 (7) |
17 (16) |
23 (14) |
41 |
| Easy to coordinate with league and teams |
46 (3) |
43 (4) |
26 (12) |
18 (15) |
34 |
| Property is flexible |
43 (T4) |
34 (9) |
42 (6) |
NA |
36 |
| Provide helpful research |
41 (3) |
51 (1) |
14 (13) |
10 (T14) |
22 |
| Provide expertise to help deliver value |
41 (T5) |
49 (1) |
26 (13) |
5 (16) |
34 |
| Innovative, aggressive marketers |
39 (7) |
83 (1) |
20 (14) |
11 (16) |
34 |
| Willing to share databases |
30 (2) |
28 (4) |
16 (T7) |
NA |
16 |
