In our rapidly visual and available world, standing out from the crowd has more to do with your brand than anything else. No longer are there “rules” to land the sponsors you want and reach peak visibility—awareness and support are more democratized than ever. 

And while it might feel a little Wild-West-y out here, this is great news for you. In this post, we’re talking about how to brand yourself in a desirable and enticing way that makes you stand out from your competition on every level, not just on your race stats and team.

Here are five tips to developing a racing brand fans love and sponsors want to back.

What do you want to be known for?

And before you say “being the fastest” or “having the most race wins,” think bigger. Think deeper, actually. What are 2-3 emotional touchpoints you want to own? Let’s talk about cars for a moment. Honda and Audi are both car companies, but they’re known for totally different experiences: Honda is known for reliability and Audi is known for their sophistication. Red Bull is daring, Oakley is accurate, etc. You get it. What do you want to be known for?

Your brand is more than a race team.

You’re a whole person, with a whole life, and with a bunch of touchpoints available to you. Sponsors and fans are craving authenticity and relatability. Just sharing your racing stats and posts in the shop won’t cut it against your competitors. What else can you add to your brand that will give you a human, holistic, and authentic touch?

Be mission-minded with your brand.

Branding has given consumers the ability to align their voices, purchases, follows, and more with companies and brands that share more than just a good product. Fans and clients want to align with the heart of your brand, with your mission. Knowing what you stand for, what you value, and what causes you most want to support will help you connect with sponsors and fans who value the same things. Consider a nonprofit, being eco-friendly, high- and new-tech—the list is endless! What do you care about? Be open and choosy about those things.

Be omnipresent and a leader in your industry.

Now that you know the overlap of areas you want to own (high-performance racing with a passion for elevating women of color, for instance) own them. Talk about your success, share your thoughts on the industry. Get your name out there and don’t play small. Whatever your industry is talking about, comment on it—get your voice seamlessly into the conversation.

Be flexible and future-focused.

Media is changing rapidly almost every day at this point. What used to be tried-and-true growth methods are failing fast. For example, TV views are trending down—so how are you going to increase your visibility and viewership when those things are generally declining? Harnessing the power of new media tools and experimenting with them to meet your needs (followers, viewers, etc.) will give you miles on the people who are waiting for media to be comfortable and predictable again.

What do you think about these tips? What else do you want to know about branding and standing out in the motorsports industry?