Landing your sponsorship contract is only half of the equation. Sponsorship activation is the other half. 

You could do the bare minimum and stick to exactly what your contract outlines. But keeping sponsors is way easier than finding new ones. You want to go above and beyond and use sponsorship activation techniques to boost your brand and theirs.

Successful activations are key to creating long-term value for companies that invest in racing. To maximize returns on sponsorship marketing, teams must activate at events and online in ways that resonate with participants, fans, and spectators. Proper activation will elevate the returns of sponsorship investments many times more than the actual cost, thereby creating additional value for you, your team, and your sponsors.

The type of activation depends on the goal of the company. Do they want leads, brand awareness, product demonstrations, sales, or hospitality?

Activating sponsorships is not just putting a logo in different locations and calling it a day. Come up with unique ideas that make the sponsorship an entire experience that stands out and is the answer to the sponsor’s problems. 

Things like virtual reality, pop-ups, and product sampling competitions are great ideas for activating sponsorships! Always double-check with your series if they are okay with you doing these events to draw in the crowds.

You will still be building brand awareness by having logos on your car and uniforms, but activations take it to the next level by being memorable. (Nobody remembers the 24” logo on your hood scoop after they leave the track). A year later, they might not remember who won the race, but they will remember the fun they had at your sponsor’s activation booth.

Check out the benefits to sponsorship activation at your racing events:

Sponsorship Activation Brings the Brand to Life

Brands are made up of more than just logos or the products they sell. Great brands are made up of experiences. Bringing the brands you sponsor to life with a real-life experience at the track will create brand awareness and salience. And at race events, you’ll be able to seamlessly incorporate and activate the brand in a setting their customers are likely already involved in.

More Fun = More Results

Activation events give you the chance to be your most creative and have fun thinking outside the box. Be unique! What kind of event would win you over for this brand? Plus, branded events are one of the best sales techniques with nearly 75% of customers who attend a brand event being more inclined to purchase the product. More fun + more creativity = more results!

Support Your Own Brand

You’re in an influencer partnership with the sponsor, which means that a brand win for them is also a brand win for you! You’ll be able to shape this event to your brand image and growth needs, too. Add an email list sign-up to one of your giveaways, or ask people to tag you on Instagram when people post from your booth. Make sure you visit to give them a reason to take a selfie and provide a cool backdrop and a fake trophy for their own winner’s circle experience with you!

Love this deep dive? So much more information on motorsports activations will be available at the 2023 Virtual Drag Racing Sponsorship Summit, happening March 28! I’ll be going deep into Sponsorship Activations during a panel with other successful drag racers (such as Ron Capps, Amber Franklin, and more!) at 4:45pm PST (6:45pm CST)! Get your tickets today to level up your sponsorships with ease for 2023.