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After reading this article, to learn
more about NASCAR
Merchandise, visit www.NASCAR-THINGS.com
The
NASCAR brand today is recognized around the world as
a premier sports property. More Fortune 500 businesses
use investment in NASCAR racing than any other sport.
Landor Associates was quoted in December 2004 as stating
"NASCAR was the Number 6 brand in 2004 and is forecast
to be the Number 2 brand in 2005, in front of Google
and iPod,"
From
its modest origins in the Southern US, NASCAR racing
has exploded to immense popularity across the entire
nation lately. From the inaugural races held in 1948
to this generation's NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, NASCAR
has become arguably the number one spectator sport in
The US, sporting 75 million loyal fans.
The NASCAR recipe is one that no other spectator sport
uses. Week in and week out, the top teams (drivers)
are contending directly against each other. Unlike,
for example the NFL, where you could have to wait several
weeks for that critical match up, at a NASCAR race,
you can follow number 1 against number 2 every week.
It's almost like having the World Series of this sport
every week.
Surprisingly, 40% of today's race fans are female and
53% work in white-collar or skilled labor jobs. And
even with this diversity, the figures continue to be
strong; annual attendance at raceways is over 7 million
and upwards of 275 million Americans watch on TV.
Those
who keep up with the sport ascribe several factors to
its' success. Years of tradition and a grass origins
origin are some of the factors given for the sport's
popularity. The roots of the sport in the "bootlegging"
days and the modest start of several of it's first aces
seems to be a positive factor to buffs in this day of
the spoiled, indulged, disrespectful pro athlete.
Race
buffs seem to have a vast appetite for merchandise that
shows endorsement for their preferred driver, whether
it is by donning NASCAR apparel, purchasing accessories
for their auto or pickup, or even decorating their residence.
NASCAR
clocks, even NASCAR
throw blankets, sheets and wall tapestries are popping
up in homes everywhere.
From
small local courses in the South, NASCAR has become
very big business today. Including television revenues,
sponsorship money, and licensed merchandise sales, NASCAR
generates huge dollars today. NASCAR merchandise gross
revenue now have moved up to top $2 billion per year
and the markets continue to stay substantial. This is
built upon a 250% growth from 1995 to 2004.
Apparel
such as NASCAR
jackets, NASCAR
jerseys and t-shirts, etc appear to be thriving
in success as makers release expanded products and are
even including more high end items like leather jackets
and specialty products like jewelry. The true devotee
can even dress the entire family with recent introductions
of complete NASCAR
kids clothing and youth lines.
Within
the big NASCAR product market, strong sub markets turn
up. NASCAR collectibles
have become very big simply by themselves. A mixture
of products from plaques and signed pics to diecast
cars are snapped up, partly due to success, but also
in hope of increase in value for the collectables market.
While
the NASCAR diecast
arena has softened lately, it is still reasonable in
size. As drivers alter their paint schemes, it permits
producers to expand the product sets several times over
in this segment and that helps keep gross sales from
dipping too much.
Where
will it all stop? I don't think we know, but when I
see corporate secretaries getting into NASCAR
hats and white collar managers putting on NASCAR
shirts with photographs of "Junior" plastered on
them, I wonder if there is a limit to this market.
*Note: cellularphoneoffers.com is not affiliated with
the authors of these articles or responsible for there
content.
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