The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) has just released its annual review of advertising spending. One of the highlights is a prediction that digital advertising will reach nearly every household by 2021.
This makes sense considering every other sphere of consumer behavior has been impacted by technology in some way. You can’t watch TV without pausing for ads. Get on the internet and you’re bombarded with ads. Even walking to the corner store becomes a chore because of all the digital marketing techniques trying to get your attention.
While the volume of ads may increase, the quality is expected to decline. According to the report, 80% of people are more likely to be frustrated by advertising, especially in comparison to other methods of communication.
Even if you’re not sold on the notion that advertising is inherently bad, the fact remains that ads can be quite annoying and disruptive. Despite the best intentions of creators, advertisers, and society at large, ads will never offer a good solution to any problem.
In the case of speedway racing, the majority of fans are already tuned into the online world of motorsport, or at least follow the sport via social media. This makes it all the more imperative for teams to connect with fans where they already are rather than force them to leave their homes to attend a race.
One way to do this is through discounts. However, it’s important to note that not all discounts are made equal, and there are certain strategies that can help ensure you maximize your savings while minimizing your losses.
Let’s take a look at how you can use discounting to promote your next speedway event, and how to make the most of it.
How To Het Discountrickets For Ky Speedway?
The benefits of using discounts are myriad, but let’s discuss a few of the more obvious ones.
- It’s good for business, especially when done correctly.
- It gets people’s attention, whether you want to sell them a product or service or just get them to come to your event.
- It creates an opportunity to entice people who might not have given the sport enough thought to attend a race.
- It can foster a greater connection between fans and teams.
- And finally, when done correctly, it can even make the sport more enjoyable for patrons.
The worst thing you can do is jump on the bandwagon and offer 100% discounts just because the majority of your audience is on social media. While it might make for good marketing material, in the long run, you’re doing more harm than good. The people you’re most likely losing are the fans who would’ve come to your event regardless, and the only people you’re really hurting are yourself.
It’s always good to offer discounts, but it’s even better when done strategically. You can use discounting to promote your next speedway event, but make sure you do it in a way that won’t close the doors on potential fans.
Take the 2020 Indianapolis 500 for example. The race took a big hit when the pandemic struck in April. Attendance was down by 80%, along with television viewing. However, a year later, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is still giving fans what they want. Why? They’ve implemented a new ticketing strategy that includes special offers.
The IMS is one of the first tracks to fully embrace online ticketing. This provides fans with the convenience of purchasing tickets from the comfort of their homes. In fact, all of the sudden, there were several options to choose from, rather than just the usual one.
The IMS also offered a special anniversary deal for the 500’s 80th edition. It was a combination of factors, but mainly because of the pandemic, the anniversary offer helped drive record-breaking ticket sales and online searches for the Indianapolis 500.
Rather than having 100% discounts, or at least significantly reduced prices, the IMS used a variety of methods to attract attention. These included:
- A 50% reduction for current season ticket holders, along with a loyalty program that rewarded them for returning annually.
- An upgrade offer for single-day ticket holders (returning customers received a 25% discount).
- A special offer for students (free admission for any full-time student).
- And finally, they introduced a “pop the camaro” ticket, where patrons would witness a virtual race between real cars, rather than just pictures on a monitor.
These types of promotions grab attention, and hopefully, encourage more people to visit the track. Even if they didn’t intend to attend the event, they might think about it because of the special offer. Or perhaps they’ll just go to see what all the fuss is about, rather than knowing exactly what they’re getting into.
More and more tracks are adapting to the digital age of racing. Several tracks, including:
- Kentucky Speedway
- New Hampshire Motor Speedway
- Richmond International Raceway
- and Talladega Superspeedway
Offering special discounts might not be the only way to get people’s attention and encourage them to attend your next speedway event. Other ideas include:
- Experimenting with different payment options (credit cards, debit cards, or even cash)
- Ticketing an event at a different venue (rather than the standard location)
- Publishing digital or physical guides to the venues and their attractions
If you can think of other ways to attract interest, don’t be afraid to try them out. The worst thing you can do is put a limit on how much you can offer based on the number of tickets sold. Sometimes, this can backfire and end up hurting the track rather than helping it. In some instances, this can even lead to insolvency.
As a business owner or promoter of a track, it’s your responsibility to put on a great show every time the horses and cars cross the start/finish line. To do this, you need an audience. One way to attract interest and fans is by offering them special discounts, whether it’s at the gates or in the digital space. But rather than simply offering up to 50% off, how about you offer something more creative?
Creative Strategies For Car Dealerships
An auto dealership is a business that sells and services cars. Whether it’s new or used, the vehicles are essentially the same. A huge portion of their revenue comes from selling and servicing cars, so it follows that they have a lot of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to marketing automobiles.
What works for one car dealership might not work for another. This makes it extremely important for marketers to find out what strategies work best for their specific audience.
When used-car dealerships are marketing a specific model of car (such as the Taurus), they have to be careful not to overselling the product. In other words, don’t come across as too aggressive with the car selling.
What type of marketing tactics work best for a used-car dealership?
- Online reviews, especially if they’re positive
- Interactive maps that help customers find the place
- Point of sale materials (such as flyers and pamphlets)
- And finally, some of the more traditional methods, such as radio ads and TV spots
Each of these methods can still be successful, but online reviews can play a particularly important role. When a customer is looking for a used car, the first place they go is to review websites such as CarGurus or Yelp. If they’re reading online reviews, the chances are they’re going to visit some of the other venues that are mentioned as well.
For this reason, it’s critical that used-car dealerships establish a good reputation online. One way to do this is by posting regularly on social media sites. Another way is through online reviews, where positive reviews can help build credibility.