This, That and the Next Thing by Ernie Saxton - September 21, 2024

Evergreen Raceway’s 2-Seater Ride-along returns for another thrilling day on Saturday, October 5, from noon to 4:00 pm and this time around not only will fans once again get to be high-speed passengers but now if they choose they can actually drive the cars themselves.

“This has been part of our intent from the get-go, to not just have the ride-along but also give this unique opportunity to drive an honest to goodness race car at Evergreen,” said track owner/promoter Jason Makarewicz.

“The Ride-along portion of this program has gotten off to a nice start thus far and while it’s still growing we also want to get the next phase underway which is for fans being able to strap into either a Modified or Late Model stock car.”

The Modified drive will be $15 per lap while the Late Model is $10 per lap. All participants will be given in-depth instructions before being cut loose and heading out onto the track.

“We’ve gotten a wonderful response from those who already did the Ride-along and I am certain this will now elevate the thrill of fan experience to the next level,” said Makarewicz.

For those wishing to do the Ride-along the cost is $50. Fans will then take part in a competitive 12-lap run against other cars.

This event is by reservation only. To reserve a time slot or seeking additional information please contact Jason Makarewicz at 570-956-6347 or email Evergreenraceway@gmail.com

Evergreen Raceway is located on Mill Mountain Road in St. Johns, Butler Township. For up to date info please log onto the official track website at https://www.evergreenracewaypark.com/ or on Facebook at

The museums annual Legends Day event will take place on Sunday November 17th at the New England Racing Museum (922 Rt. 106, Loudon, NH). Headlining will be seven road racers who had major success across the New England region. Sam Posey, Skip Barber, Janet Guthrie, Rob Dyson, Chris Dyson, Jocko Maggiacomo Sr and Jocko Maggiacomo Jr will be honored. The event will include an honoree panel discussion, permanent banner unveiling and a buffet lunch. A VIP ticket is available in which you can meet the attending honorees in a small group setting for a photo opportunity, join a private museum tour led by founder Dick Berggren and premier event seating. The event is supported by Lime Rock Park and Thompson Speedway and is a fundraiser for the nonprofit museum.

Sam Posey grew up near Lime Rock and started racing there in 1965 with the SCCA. In 1966 he joined the Cam-Am Series racing for Ray Caldwell’s Autodynamics Corp. He captured a Trans-Am victory at Lime Rock in 1969. He finished 5th in the 1972 Indianapolis 500 and competed in ten Le Mans events. He won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1975. For years Sam was a broadcaster for the Indy 500. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2016.

John “Skip” Barber began racing SCCA National races in 1959 and was a winner. In 1969 and 1970 he won consecutive Formula Ford Championships. He won three SCCA National Championships in a row from 1969 to 1971. He started the Skip Barber Racing School which became the largest in the United States and for decades he owned and operated Lime Rock Park until its sale in 2021.

Janet Guthrie began racing in 1963 with a Jaguar XK140and competed across the northeast at tracks such as Thompson, Lime Rock and Bryar. She spent 13 years competing in amateur and professional road racing. During this time Guthrie was a multi time winner in various disciplines. In 1977 she became the first women to compete in the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Guthrie is a groundbreaker and an inspiration for female racing drivers. She is a member of eight motor racing Halls of Fame.

Rob Dyson began competing at Lime Rock in 1974. He is the 1981 SCCA GT2 National Champion and raced professionally in IMSA GTO and Trans-Am. He formed Dyson Racing, one of America’s premier sports car teams. The team has won 19 championships across various disciplines. Rob has a passion for preservation and is chairman of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Chris Dyson began his racing career with the SCCA at Lime Rock. For the past 25 years Chris has competed in races around the globe. He is a two time American Le Mans Champion and three time Trans-Am Champion.

Chauncey “Jocko” Maggiacomo Sr is one of few regional drivers to have success with road racing and oval racing. Maggiacomo Sr successfully raced at Lime Rock, national and international road races. He was a three time Champion at Agawam, Massachusetts Riverside Park Speedway. In 1965 he won his final race the Riverside Park 500. When testing at Lime Rock and catching the attention of IMSA founder John Bishop, Jocko Jr made his first IMSA start there in 1974. He won that race which changed the trajectory of his career. In 1976 he won the Trans-Am Championship and then focused on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series making 23 starts.

VIP ticket holders will have early private access to the museum starting at 10am with a private tour starting at 10:30am. All other ticket holders may enter at 11am to view the museums 30+ race cars, motorcycles and artifacts. Buffett lunch and social hour is scheduled for 12:00pm until 1:00pm. Honoree discussion to start at 1:00pm and the event will conclude with an auction and dramatic banner unveiling ceremony.

Only 150 tickets available! The event is likely to sell out so order soon. Price per ticket is $65 for museum members and $80 for non-members. VIP tickets are $120 each. You may purchase your tickets by calling 603-783-0183 or by visiting NERmuseum.com. You may also send your payment to the New England Racing Museum PO Box 7011, Loudon, NH 03307.

USAC RaceAid will hold a multitude of functions and activities for you to enjoy during this year’s running of the Driven2SaveLives BC39 Presented By Avanti Windows & Doors on September 26-27-28 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Right now, you can bid on a chance to ride in a 2-seater sprint car around The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with USAC Hall of Famer and seven-time USAC national champion driver Levi Jones. Bids can be placed now at https://app.galabid.com/bc39auction/items. Bidding for one of the six available rides ends at Noon Eastern on Wednesday, September 25.

Furthermore, the first ever 50/50 raffle held at IMS will go to benefit USAC RaceAid and you. At each night of racing during the BC39, you can purchase tickets at the USAC apparel trailer or from individuals who will be walking around selling the tickets. The winner will be drawn after the semi-feature during Saturday night’s program. The winner does not need to be present to win.

Additionally, a silent auction will be held at the USAC apparel trailer throughout the BC39. Among the items are a signed helmet, which will be signed by all participating BC39 drivers as well as race-used victory lane boards, autographed banners and more from this year’s BC39.

For these events, all proceeds will directly benefit USAC RaceAid. Since 1959, the United States Auto Club Benevolent Foundation (now USAC RaceAid) has provided financial aid to the families of auto racing participants with ties to USAC who have been injured and/or need assistance.

USAC RaceAid also provides support to surviving family members with immediate and ongoing expenses. Over the years, the foundation has provided millions of dollars to help members and their families in times of need. The needs, whether small or large, never cease.

Spectator tickets are also available at www.TheBC39.com. Spectators are to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway via 30th Street. Competitors are to enter through the tunnel on 16th Street.

On track action starts Thursday, September 26, beginning with the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 3pm Eastern. For both Thursday and Friday, September 26-27, the field will be split into two with one half of the field competing on night one and the other half competing on night two. On both nights, public gates open at 4pm Eastern with hot laps at 6pm, followed by opening ceremonies, heat races, qualifying races and the semi-feature before concluding with the feature event.

The BC39 finale, on Saturday, September 28, will have the public gates opening at 4pm and cars on track for practice at 6pm, followed by opening ceremonies at 7pmand the main events, starting with the D-Main, multiple C-Mains, Semi-Feature and the 39-lap Feature event paying $20,039-to-win.

Evergreen Raceway’s season ending premier event, the 23rd Annual King of the Green will be held over a two weekend period on October 11-12 and 18-19.

Each of those dates will start off with Friday open practice for all divisions from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm (or longer if needed) and the respective main events being held on the following Saturday’s during the afternoon. Practice is $25 per person for the pits.

Weekend number one for King of the Green will see the DW Machine & Fabricating Late Models running in a 55 lap feature and paying $2000-to-win. Time trials will set the starting grid for this class.

The 602 Crate Modifieds will contest in a 40-lap/$1000-to-win main. Also on the docket will be the Harry’s U-Pull-It Street Stocks racing in a 55-lapper with the winner collecting $1000. The McNulty Funeral Home Novice division will cap off their season with a 20 lap run which awards first place $125. The day will also include a 20 lap feature for the East Coast TQ Midgets and during intermission the JuiceBox Division will take to the track.

Saturday pit gates open at 9:00 am with registration taking place until 11:00 am. Warm-ups will run from 11:15 am to 12:30 pm. Qualifying will commence at 1:00 pm. Main grandstands open at 11:00 am.

Pit admission is $50 and $20 at the front gate.

Moving ahead to the following Saturday, October 19, the Tour Type Modifieds will headline the racing card with a 75-lap feature and $3000 to the winner. The Modifieds will run time trials for this event.

Also on the ticket will be the Himmer Graphics Four Cylinders battling in a 40-lap showdown that pays $500-to-win. The Rotten-and-Forgotten will be part of the line-up with a 30-lap race. The touring INEX Legends are set for a 40-lap feature with $400 bestowed to the victor. Rounding out the day will be the Bandolero’s going a distance of 20-laps and $100-to-win.

October 19 pit gates and registration opens at 9:00 am. Registration will close at 11:00 am. From 11:15 am to 12:30 pm there will be practice for the support classes. The Tour Type Modifieds will then have their practice round from noon to 1:30 pm. Racing will start at 2:00 pm. Pit admission is $50 and $20 at the front gate.

Pre-registrations are as follows: Tour Type Modifieds - $100; 602 Crate Modifieds $60; Late Models $80; Street Stocks $50; Four Cylinders $40; Novice $25; Legends $40; Bandolero’s $25.

Pre-registration forms can be found on the website, https://www.evergreenracewaypark.com/ All pre-registration forms must be submitted by October 6.Afterwards it is $20 additional.

In the event of inclement weather, each King of the Green will use the next day Sunday as the rain date.

More news and information about the King of the Green including purses will be forthcoming.

The world’s first hydrogen racing series, Extreme H, has met a significant milestone as part of its development programme, as its Pioneer 25 race car has successfully passed its mandatory chassis FIA crash tests.

This marks a major milestone moment for motorsport, with the Pioneer 25 becoming the first-ever hydrogen-powered car to meet the FIA’s crash test regulations, centred around side impact and rollover safety, paving the way for the series to herald a new era for automotive technologies and innovation.

Speaking to Racer, Mark Grain, Technical Director at Extreme E, said: “I am pleased to say that the Extreme H Pioneer 25 has passed its mandatory chassis FIA crash tests with flying colours.

“We shouldn’t underestimate this. It’s the first hydrogen race car that’s met stringent FIA criteria. We’ve worked with the FIA to define these crash tests and there’s been huge collaboration in order to achieve this important milestone. No other hydrogen racing cars have gone through crash tests like we have, so that’s a big achievement.

“The chassis itself is much stronger, however we’ve added carbon composite crash structures that are sitting over the two hydrogen tanks, and also for the side impact test we’ve got composite structures either side that are energy absorbing. The hydrogen high-pressure and low-pressure systems were also fitted during the tests. The systems were pressurised for both tests, and the pressures within them were monitored as live data. That was to ensure the systems were not damaged and lost pressure.”

“I’m pleased to say that in each of the tests both high and low pressures were maintained and that’s the indication that there was no damage to the hydrogen system.”

The next significant milestone for the Pioneer 25 car is to undertake FIA resilience tests for its tanks and battery packs, before further track testing is carried out later this month and in October.

Production of the Extreme H cars for its inaugural campaign will also begin in the coming weeks, with their delivery to teams expected before the end of 2024.

F1 Miami Grand Prix Organizers Weigh Night Race Possibility

Autoweek sat down to talk Formula 1 racing in South Florida with Miami Grand Prix president Tyler Epp.

The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix has been held in mid-late afternoon in early May since its inception in 2022.

Organizers in Miami are discussing a move to late afternoon or even night.

Factors in any move would include affects on the European TV schedule and the greater Miami Gardens community.

Organizers of Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix are studying whether a twilight or night event would be feasible for the Grand Prix.

Miami joined Formula 1’s schedule in 2022, with the specially-designed street-style Miami International Autodrome looping around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

The event has been held in mid-late afternoon in early May since its inception, where it will stay in 2025 (May 4), but officials are assessing whether a night event would be viable.

“We’re not doing that [a night race] in 2025 but we’re in the middle of a study to see what it would look like, how it would impact,” Miami Grand Prix president Tyler Epp told Autoweek.

The suites and Paddock Club at Miami would have a different look with a night race.

“I will tell you there are some unintended consequences of that, that even in our early discussions we’ve got to make sure we’re aware of.

“It’s really more about a couple of big points: No. 1, as it relates to the broadcast business for Formula 1 and how that does push it back a little bit and make it difficult for other parts of the world to see what we’re doing.

“And the other piece is the impact on the community, and making sure we’re aware and cognizant of the impact it has, moving the race back to a twilight or an evening race, and how that impacts the community of Miami Gardens, and making sure we’re ahead of that.

“We’re just at the beginning stages of looking at that optionality, we’ll see where we land on it, 2025 will be late afternoon, as we always are, Eastern Time.

“We do need to make sure that all the consequences [of a night race] are planned ahead for.”

Miami held F1 Sprint in 2024 for the first time and the circuit has already committed to running the format in 2025, as well as in 2026.

“I will admit I was very wary of the sprint race and the impact it’d have,” Epp said. “It was a positive for us, our single day attendance was up on Saturday, and the feedback was [that was] directly because of the sprint race; you couple the sprint race with qualifying for the grand prix, its positive.

“I think we’re committed for the next two years with F1 to run the sprint, we’re very happy with that to this point; where we go from there, I don’t know.”

Epp added that Miami plans to “increase attendance heading into next year, but not by a ton. We’re hyper focused on the fan experience so just flooding the market with more people and having more people on campus creates some bottlenecks and things we’d want to avoid.”

Epp was speaking in the wake of tickets going on sale for next May’s Miami Grand Prix, with a new Grandstand Membership program, aimed at rewarding loyal attendees.

“I think one of the key things we’re looking at is to stabilize the fanbase and that’s manifested itself in the membership programme we’re rolling out,” he said. “We’re stealing a page from the [Miami] Dolphins’ playbook a little bit and saying ‘okay how do we really take care of the people who continues to support us year after year after year,’ we’re pulling about 40% of our general base from South Florida, so how do we take care of these people?

"That’s been rolled out, hopefully reflects our commitment, it offers discounted tickets, an opportunity to spread the payments out over a year, experiences around the F1 weekend, but also touch points outside of the weekend.”

Miami is one of three U.S. races on the current Formula 1 schedule. That schedule also includes races on The Strip in Las Vegas and at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Miami is now one of three U.S. races, following last year’s addition of Las Vegas, which joined long-term U.S. Grand Prix home Austin, and Epp has been encouraged by the differences between the events.

“I think Formula 1 gets some credit here for allowing us as promoters and individual races to represent our marketplace,” he says. “I think the US races specifically do that in spades, you go to Vegas you feel like you’re in Vegas, hopefully in Miami you feel like you’re in Miami, and Austin the same way, they have a completely different offering for fans.

“The working relationship is really positive; the team in Austin works well together, we understand what each other is doing, we talk to Vegas very frequently, especially in the luxury market, we’ve got a lot to learn from each other, it’s a healthy working relationship—and adding Canada and Mexico to that in the North American center as well.”

Miami has avoided the risk that years two and three of an event can dip after the initial interest and shine of a new race wears off and there is now a stable platform on which to build.

“We feel like we’ve evolved every single year, there’s different challenges every single year, we look at it like it’s an opportunity to stabilize the business a bit,” he says.

“I think we have strong ambitions, we want to be one of those key races in the calendar for Formula 1, the FIA, the teams, for the media, for our partners and for our fans. It will take time, we’re in the business of creating experiences.

"So when we do have moments like Lando [Norris] winning his first race, or great passes in particular turns, and meaningful moments in history, it helps our circuit and event. It does take time, but it’s also intentional that we’re being thoughtful and strategic in delivering the experience.”

Goodyear, Anheuser-Busch top annual most-recognized sports sponsorship list has been produced by David Broughton.

Goodyear’s status as the official tire of NASCAR and Anheuser-Busch’s official sponsorship of the NFL are the most recognized sponsorships in sports, according to the 18th annual Sponsor Breakthrough studies fielded over the past year by MarketCast for Sports Business Journal.

Sixty-seven percent of NASCAR and NFL fans in separate sport-specific studies fielded during each sport’s playoffs correctly identified the brands as being the exclusive tire and beer sponsor, respectively.

Both partnerships have enjoyed past success in the surveys: The Goodyear-NASCAR relationship has now finished No. 1 nine times since 2012; the NFL-Bud Light partnership came out on top in 2021. Bud Light has been the league’s official beer since 2011, and shared that distinction with Budweiser from 1988 through 2001.

In 2007, SBJ and MarketCast launched the Sponsor Breakthrough franchise after multiple leagues claimed their fans were the most brand-loyal and brand-aware consumers in sports. SBJ has fielded 141 league-specific studies across Major League Baseball, MLS, NASCAR, the NBA, NHL, NFL, PGA Tour (starting in 2008), NCAA basketball (beginning in 2013, skipping 2020), WNBA (starting after the 2021 season) and the NWSL (beginning in 2023).

Goodyear last month renewed its NASCAR sponsorship through the 2027 season, extending a relationship that began in 1954. The Akron-based manufacturer maintained its status last year as the top seller of replacement tires in the U.S.

The brand has worked with NASCAR for several years on development of the Next Gen cars, which debuted in 2022, and has received significant exposure as NASCAR begins presenting drivers with the chance to choose from a “prime” tire, which sacrifices short-stint speed for longer-run durability, and an “option” tire made with a softer rubber compound that maximizes short-term grip at the cost of more rapid wear.

In the NFL, Bud Light moved on from the commotion (and loss of sales) that came after it used transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney for some marketing to launch its seasonlong “Easy to Sunday” campaign, which pays tribute to the hard “work” that goes into being an avid football fan. Additionally, the beer-maker brought back market-specific, team-branded cans for nearly all of its 27 team partners.

Bud Light, which dethroned big brother Budweiser in 2001 as the country’s top-selling beer, was toppled last year by Constellation Brands’ Modelo Especial and has since been leapfrogged by sister brand Michelob Ultra.

The competition for the top sponsor spot has intensified over the past few years. Following the 2016 NASCAR season, for example, 57% of the sport’s fans correctly identified Goodyear as its official tire, a level of awareness that would rank seventh in our most recent year of data. Similarly, 59% of golf fans in this round of studies recognized FedEx’s longtime PGA Tour partnership, the same level attained in our 2017 study. Seven years ago, that was the most recognized partnership in sports. This time around, it ranked No. 6.

In terms of other year-over-year movements, the NCAA earned the four biggest such recognition improvements, as Buffalo Wild Wings, Reese’s, Capital One and Wendy’s each saw a double-digit increase in the percent of college basketball fans that correctly identified the sponsorships.

“NASCAR and its brand partners still lead in sponsorship awareness among fans, but women’s sports — especially the NCAA women’s basketball tournament — are gaining significant traction,” said Greg Truex, Market Cast’s vice president of sports and sponsorship research. “Four of the NCAA’s partnerships experienced the largest year-over-year growth in sponsorship awareness of any of the more than 450 brands [sponsors and non-sponsors] that we measured across all leagues during the most recent cycle of surveys.”

On the other side, half of the eight partnerships to see the biggest year-over-year decline came from the NHL, as Honda dropped from a 21% recognition level in 2023 (following a six-point drop in last year’s study) to 14%, while Truly Hard Seltzer, Geico and MassMutual each shed four points compared to the study fielded after the 2022-23 hockey season.

Most-recognized partnerships of the past year

Brand-Property (partners since)

% of the fans of each specific league who correctly identified the brand as an official sponsor

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Bud Light/Budweiser-NFL (1988-2001, 2011-present)

67%

Goodyear-NASCAR (1997)

67%

Gatorade-NBA (1984)

65%

Gatorade-NFL (1983)

62%

Coca-Cola-NASCAR (1998)

60%

FedEx-PGA Tour (2007)

59%

Rolex-PGA Tour (2005)

55%

Capital One-NCAA (2010)

54%

Gatorade-MLB (1990)

54%

Adidas-MLS (1996)

52%

Monster-NASCAR (2017)

52%

Coca-Cola-MLS (2015)

51%

Busch-NASCAR (1988-2007, 2018-present)

50%

Bud Light/Budweiser-MLB (1980)

49%

Rocket Mortgage-PGA Tour (2014)

49%

Home Depot-MLS (2008)

49%

Buffalo Wild Wings-NCAA (2013)

47%

Pepsi-NFL (2002)

46%

Sunoco-NASCAR (2004)

46%

Coca-Cola-NCAA (2002)

46%

AT&T Wireless-NCAA (2001)

44%

Home Depot-NCAA (2024)

44%

T-Mobile-MLB (2013)

44%

AT&T Wireless-MLS (2009)

43%

Gatorade-WNBA (1997)

42%

Incentive Based Marketing and Some Ideas to Gain Customer Loyalty that could certainly work in auto racing

Successful marketing comes in all shapes and sizes.

From SEO to social media marketing, email outreach to affiliate programs, marketers have lots on their plates. However, successful marketing can sometimes be as simple as rewarding your customers.

The central premise of incentive marketing could hardly be more straightforward. It’s all about appealing to our innate desire to earn rewards or win prizes. For global brands and small firms alike, marketing incentives can boost sales significantly.

What is incentive marketing?

Incentive marketing offers rewards, special perks, gifts, and other incentives to encourage customers to promote a business's products and services. The promotional techniques will vary depending on the business.

Many B2C brands use loyalty management software to identify repeat customers and reward them for their continued support with special discounts and perks, which will bring them back to shop more. Advertising incentives give consumers a final nudge and result in conversions like initial or repeat purchases, website visits, email signups, and referrals.

Someone who’s reading your pages or other material is already interested in what you offer. By offering a reward or incentive, you encourage them to take the next step in their customer journey. What, then, are some incentive marketing ideas that might do the job for your company?

6 incentive marketing ideas

Whether you run a local store or operate a cloud contact center, effective marketing is vital. It’s how you attract those new customers or clients. Incentive marketing can play a crucial role in your overall strategy.

The following are some straight forward yet effective incentive marketing ideas. You can pick and choose those most suited to use on your customers.

1. Loyalty programs

When people talk about incentive marketing, they’re often thinking about the digital world. So much business gets done online these days that such an assumption is natural. Marketing incentives work for - and get used by - companies both online and off, however. Loyalty programs are a prime example. Such incentives are a staple of all kinds of businesses, for the simple reason that they work really well.

At the most basic level, a card that you can get stamped to give you a free coffee or haircut is a loyalty program. As is anything that incentivizes customers to stick with a brand by providing some form of reward. The reason these programs are effective is because people like to feel appreciated. They enjoy thinking that companies are grateful for their custom and they value a great customer experience.

For that reason, 69% of consumers say that whether they can get loyalty points impacts their choice of retailer. If you’re in a position to run a loyalty program that’s free for customers to join, you should. It’s as simple as that.

2. Referral bonuses

Another common type of marketing incentive is a referral bonus to bring in new customers. This type of arrangement is a win-win for firms and customers alike and is particularly effective with affiliate marketing. That’s definitely how you should sell it to consumers if you do implement the idea.

Once again, the premise is refreshingly simple. You offer existing customers a reward if they recommend you to others. That could be a straightforward monetary bonus or something specific to your products.

Referral programs work particularly well for e-commerce websites and other online businesses. Such firms can make it straightforward for customers to recommend them. They can also track whether those referred actually do go on to become paying customers.

Reviews and other kinds of word-of-mouth marketing, too, are influential in the digital world. If you don’t already use social listening to see what people say about your brand online, you should start.

For tracks this could apply to fans or participants when it comes to referrals. A participant could actually bring both and the plan could be structured as such.

3. Special features for premium memberships

Not all marketing incentives work in precisely the same way. Most offer a financial reward or a prize for customers who make a purchase or take another action. Some add new and desirable features to a product or service. That's when customers take out a premium membership.

This is a slightly different way of rewarding your most loyal customers. They have to pay for their heightened level of membership, but the benefits are worth it. That’s especially true for those most regular users of your product or service. Amazon Prime is the highest-profile example of this kind of marketing incentive.

4. Access to special pricing for paid customers

These incentive marketing ideas are about inspiring and rewarding customer loyalty in one fell swoop. Giving access to exclusive prices for the most reliable customers is another example. It’s a superb way to show consumers how much you value them and their custom. Such a show of gratitude can be particularly impactful when many people feel loyal customers miss out.

Incentivized pricing can also have a further positive impact on your business. Customers will know they get a better price for buying a particular volume or using your service a specific amount. As a result, they may make more effort to reach those thresholds. Thus, your marketing incentives boost customer loyalty and turnover at the same time.

For non-premium events perhaps there is a discount that can be offered for people who loyally attend your speedway and your events.

5. Early access to new items and sales

If you release new lines or run special offers, you may want to provide them to loyal customers before anyone else. That’s another tried and true form of incentive marketing. It’s a method often employed in the entertainment and leisure industry. Think about the last time you saw tickets for a concert or gig go on sale. You probably noticed that some people could buy them first. That might have included members of the fan club, users of a particular sponsor’s product, and others.

Priority tickets are an example of incentive marketing

This is a great incentive marketing idea to consider. You give up very little and could still get abundant rewards. By giving some customers early access to products or promos, you create a sense of urgency. That’s an excellent way to boost sales. On top of that, you’re still rewarding loyal customers and aiding retention.

Marketing email lists and unified communications as a service, platforms too, make this technique simpler. It’s quick and straightforward to reach out to all your existing customers.

6. Sweepstakes and contests for free merchandise

Incentive marketing isn’t all about inspiring people to buy from your brand. Sometimes, a successful marketing incentive is one that helps you gather new leads and info. Sweepstakes and contests are highly effective techniques, in this regard.

Many firms use giveaways to persuade people to give them their email address or fill in a short survey. The former gives your brand a new channel through which to reach potential customers. The latter provides potentially invaluable detail on your target audience.

Sweepstakes and contests are easy for even smaller businesses to run. You can appear generous, after all, without breaking the bank. One very desirable prize will delight entrants to your competition. It doesn’t, though, have to make much of a dent in your budget.

Incentive marketing examples

Whatever your niche, your brand must use all at its disposal to aid your marketing strategy. If you’re main focus is to find new customers or to keep those you’ve got, the more marketing weapons you have, the better.

Some firms combine tech, such as software with VoIP video or VoIP browser capabilities, in order to reach a broader audience. Others leverage the types of marketing incentives we talked about above, including some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Many of those use loyalty programs, contests, and a variety of social media marketing techniques. The results they’ve achieved by doing so, too, are remarkable.

Let’s take a look at some notable incentive marketing campaign examples and the benefits they’ve delivered.

Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks

Two leading brands provide a superb example of how impactful loyalty programs can be. Starbucks runs one of the most famous loyalty schemes in the world. Their rewards card and mobile app helped significantly boost sales after its launch.

It also made Starbucks a target, however. When the coffee brand made changes to its loyalty scheme, rivals Dunkin’ Donuts took aim. What ensued was a pitched battle over rewards programs. The firms waged a PR war about which of them offered a better deal to consumers.

Two world-renowned brands clearly see incentive marketing as a vital battleground – one on which to try and get an advantage over one another. It’s not a marketing technique that any organization can afford to ignore.

Amazon Prime

We touched on Amazon Prime and its success as an incentive marketing technique earlier. It’s well worth giving it some more attention, though. In a way, Prime combines a few of the versions of incentives we discussed earlier. It’s similar to a loyalty program in that it’s most beneficial to more regular Amazon customers. It also provides extra features to customers who upgrade to Prime membership. Throw in that you can also get a free trial, and Prime shows another incentive marketing hallmark.

However you categorize Prime, there’s no question it’s been a profound success for Amazon. That’s a testament to both Amazon’s clout as a brand and the effectiveness of the Prime program.

Prime is a particularly smart example of incentive marketing. That’s thanks to its innovative nature. Starting as an offer of free or speedier delivery, the scheme has expanded over the years. Now, Prime members get all manner of features, not to mention access to the firm’s subscription TV service.

Amazon has turned a comparatively simple premium membership into so much more. Prime is a loyalty program and incentive for new customers; all rolled into one.

McDonald’s Monopoly Sweepstakes

We did say that incentive marketing gets leveraged by the world’s best-known brands. Now that we’ve followed Amazon with McDonald’s in our examples, it should be apparent that we weren’t kidding. The fast food brand’s Monopoly-themed sweepstakes contest has run for decades. It’s among the best-known examples of incentive marketing in the world. That makes it an extraordinarily long-lived marketing exercise with a remarkable history.

Despite some less favorable episodes in the past, the scheme has still delivered for McDonald’s. The contest has become akin to an institution and has given away millions of dollars in prizes. Its annual implementation is an event that people eagerly anticipate. National newspapers around the world even run stories about it. If that’s not an example of how beneficial a good marketing incentive can be to brand awareness, nothing is.

It's a win-win!

Incentive marketing is a potentially lucrative avenue for any brand to explore. That’s whether you want to find new customers or reinvigorate those you already have. This strand of marketing is one that excels in aiding both customer acquisition and retention. Contests, referral bonuses, and loyalty programs, after all, have universal appeal.

It’s easy to try some of the clever techniques listed above. Not all of them will suit your brand or customers. You only need one effective scheme or contest, though, to see a benefit. Get it right, and you could taste similar success to the world’s leading brands, which already make incentive marketing work for them.

Retention will bring no results unless your audience engages with your brand.

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