Song of the South No More
There has been discussion about what the future holds for NASCAR. Will it expand into more markets in the United States? Will it go into Mexico or Canada or perhaps overseas? First and foremost, NASCAR is a business and there is no question that it wants to increase its market size. I don’t think, however, that NASCAR can expand while hanging onto the Southern image.
When people who aren’t fans hear about NASCAR, an image of drunken, redneck, good ol’ boys pops into their heads. People don’t want to associate themselves with that type of lifestyle, especially the wealthier ones, if that is the image conveyed to them. If people don’t want to associate themselves, there is no fan base in that area and thus no expansion into that market.
What NASCAR needs to do is figure out a way to portray the American values, which are found in the South, to these potential new fan bases. These values include hard work, dedication, and passion, to name a few. In reality, however, many people worldwide possess these core values. They are able to relate to the sport thus increasing NASCAR’s fan base. These values are just as easily virtues that everyone wants to strive for.
The key for NASCAR is to separate the American/Southern values from the Southern image. That is the only way for new domestic and international markets to embrace this sport. People may not be able to relate to corporate sponsorships or the business of the sport but NASCAR can hook them with an image of being a dedicated hard worker just as cigarette ads got teenagers hooked by sending a message it was cool.
Internationally, NASCAR needs to make the sport seem so universal that it is easy for people to accept it. Not many Europeans would want to associate themselves with a sport whose American fans’ lifestyle they dislike. Everyone can relate to the values, not everyone can or wants to relate to the image.
In closing, the southern image cannot survive in NASCAR if NASCAR wants to expand. NASCAR can’t expand if it wants to keep the Southern image. Emphasize the American/Southern values if NASCAR wants to grow and eradicate the image. NASCAR management needs to decide which way it wants to go because it can’t do both.
And that’s the view from here.
MA