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International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide

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SPONSOR SEARCH

Event sponsorship: This service is designed to acquaint marketers with the latest sponsorship opportunities available. To have your karting-related event listed, please e-mail or fax the following information on letterhead: Event name, dates, location, types or levels of sponsorships available, contact name, phone, fax and e-mail address. There is no charge to have an event listed. E-mail address: karting@msn.com. Fax: 630-653-2637.

WHY SPONSORSHIP IS THE FASTEST GROWING MARKETING MEDIUM

Changes in the economy, demographic shifts and the fragmentation of media have all contributed to sponsorship’s growth. Some of the largest factors behind sponsorship’s rise are:

DECREASING EFFICIENCY OF MEASURED MEDIA
Costs of traditional advertising continue to rise, while ratings and readership decline. On top of that is an even more basic problem: consumers are not paying attention to ads. The situation is particularly acute in television. When a commercial comes on, viewers flip to another station. When viewing a program recorded on a VCR, ads fall victim to the fast-forward button or are edited out entirely.

The bad news for measured media only gets worse, as the digital future puts more power into consumers’ hands.

Sponsorship, on the other hand, provides opportunities for embedded advertising, a fail-safe delivery system where messages are incorporated right into the action.

CHANGING SOCIAL PRIORITIES
As issues such as poverty, the environment and AIDS loom larger, there is a growing realization that the needs of society and the interests of business overlap. Buyers are demanding to know where a company stands before they purchase its products. Making the world a more livable place is a prerequisite to achieving consumer affinity.

Sponsorship, which allies companies with community responsibility and improved quality of life, is precisely the kind of statement consumers will respond to. When a company sponsors, it is providing something for its customers – not making some media conglomerate richer, but saving a high school sports program or underwriting a symphony performance.

SHIFTING PRESONAL VALUES
Conspicuous consumption has been replaced by cashing out. Shopping for shopping’s sake has become déclassé. Tapping into today’s consumers’ elusive will to spend requires turning the buying experience into something larger than just acquisition.

Sponsorship provides companies this opportunity. It says to the potential customer: “Buy this product not to indulge yourself, but to make the world a better place.”

INCREASING NEED FOR TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
In response to the fragmentation of the mass market and mass media, companies are looking for alternative methods to communicate sales messages. The idea is to find delivery systems that allow companies to deepen their relationship with customers.

Sponsorship, which is the most direct channel of communication, is tailor-made for this environment. It reaches people in an environment that matches their lifestyle rather than intrudes upon it. It is not a passive monologue that interrupts a television show, or comes as a piece of mail that needs to be dealt with. Sponsorship speaks to the public, not at them, creating opportunities for two-way dialogue.

HIGH CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE
While traditional media is less effective than ever, much of the new media alienates consumers. For example, 75% of Americans view phone solicitation as an invasion of privacy, while 81% find ads in stores to be distasteful, according to a “Brandweek” magazine study. In addition, 69% of consumers who buy or rent movies on video are annoyed by advertising before the film, according to a Gallup survey conducted for “Advertising Age” magazine.

On the other hand, public response to sponsorship has been overwhelmingly positive. Sponsorship is viewed favorably because it is seen as a form of advertising that gives something back that benefits someone else in addition to the marketer. It implies a degree of altruism absent from more commercial types of marketing.

Article courtesy of IEG’s “Complete Guide To Sponsorship”. IEG, Inc. can be reached at 312-944-1727.

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EVENT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

HSDA Indy Go-Kart Challenges. Date: Fall, 2001
Volunteer chapters of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America will hold fun, family events at local tracks across America this fall to raise money in the fight against Huntington’s Disease. Various sponsorship levels are available. Contact: Lauren Kalter @ 1-800-345-4732 x14 or e-mail: lkalter@hsda.org.

Championship Enduro Series. Dates: April-November, 2001
Sanctioned by the IRA, this is one of the premier racing series in the USA. Their schedule includes events at Road America, Gateway International, Grattan, GingerMan, Blackhawk Farms and others. A variety of sponsorship levels are available. Contact Dave Larson at 847-395-2398.

Burris Circle Tour. Dates: March-September, 2001
Now sanctioned by the IRA, this is Midwest oval track racing at it’s finest. Events in 2001 will be at two tracks: Joliet Memorial (Illinois) and Lake Geneva (Wisconsin). A number of sponsorship levels are available. Call John Nuttall at: 630-355-8714.

Superkarts USA (SKUSA) 2001 Tour. Date: 2001 Season
Shifter kart racing presented by Ohio-based Superkarts USA has become one of the most popular forms of kart racing in the USA. The 2001 season will feature Formula C, S1, S2, Formula 80, Junior and Senior 80cc classes. Various sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact: Jim Murley @ 614-369-4226.

Kart Expo International. Dates: February 23-24, 2002
The 10th annual trade/consumer show will be held at Pheasant Run Resort/Convention Center, St. Charles, Illinois USA. The show attracts a worldwide mix of exhibitors and attendees. Included are nearly 200 booths, seminars, special attractions and giveaways. Many levels of sponsorship are available including: Title, Major, and Associate. Contact: KMG @ 630-653-7368 or e-mail: karting@msn.com.

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INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Individual or team sponsorships: If you or your race team are seeking sponsors, we offer paid advertising space for that purpose. Cost: $1.00 (US$) per word, minimum 25 words, minimum run: 3 months. Please see the classified order form and check the box marked SPONSOR SEARCH. This is a secure site so your credit card information is protected. All advertising must be pre-paid in US funds. We accept Visa, MasterCard or American Express. E-mail to: karting@msn.com or fax to: 630-653-2637.

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Kart Marketing Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 101
Wheaton, IL 60189 USA
Telephone: 630-653-7368
Fax: 630-653-2637
Email: karting@msn.com

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