NASCAR fans are hungry for information. Information breeds knowledge and the more knowledge the fan accumulates, the better understanding they have for the science of the race. Fans like to demonstrate their knowledge, particularly if they have insider information on the cars, drivers, teams and tracks.

Alltel has been feeding this information frenzy through their weekly Alltel Racing Podcasts that began in February of 2006 with the help of Room 214 and Alan Taylor, Alltel’s marketing communications firm.

Alltel has been sponsoring NASCAR teams for the past four years, most recently with Ryan Newman and his #12 Alltel Dodge. The company’s growing appreciation and understanding of the NASCAR fan inspired it to create a series of podcasts featuring informal interviews with NASCAR crew members. Fans who listen to the podcasts get expert race analyses, track previews and interesting tidbits about the teams. Fans are also given an opportunity to subscribe to the podcasts and to submit questions to be answered in future broadcasts.

“We always try to give our customers and non-customers alike a unique experience that only Alltel can provide. We saw podcasting to be a natural fit in pursuit of that goal. Simultaneously, Alltel was launching Mobilecast, which allows our customers to download podcasts and listen to them on their phone,” explains Lucie Pathmann, Director of Marketing Publicity, Alltel Wireless.

James Clark, founding partner of Room 214, presented the benefits and opportunities of podcasting to Alan Taylor. He reviewed strategy points, such as who should host or moderate the podcasts, who the guests should include, how fan interaction could be encouraged, and how best to post the podcasts and properly promote them through iTunes and various directory submissions.

The Alan Taylor account team immediately recognized that the podcasting medium fit the information-ravaged target audience perfectly. “The NASCAR fan is hungry for consumption and is looking for everything NASCAR-related and there are fan bases that will buy and stay loyal to a product that supports their driver,” states Rob Bronfeld, Sr. Account Supervisor at Alan Taylor.

The benefits to Alltel were just as obvious and equally as important, giving the fifth-ranking wireless provider a means of breaking away from the pack and providing a new means for their customers and NASCAR fans to get the inside track on the races.

The Alltel Racing Podcast differentiated Alltel from their competitors right from the start. Alltel became the first to market with a NASCAR podcast, and since then, the idea has spread rampantly among other sponsored teams over the past year. A great idea can cut through the noise of media bombardment, and the podcasts captured Alltel’s target audience without diluting the message through traditional filtered media. Each podcast begins with a brief promotional message from Alltel that highlights new product or service offerings, other racing events and Alltel news outside of the sport. Best of all, it gives the listeners unique content that brings the NASCAR team to life. The audience savors insight that can’t be gleaned simply by watching the race, such as the bonding experiences team members enjoy during their days off.

Alltel provided their customers with information that they wanted and saw an increasing number of downloads each month. They also recognized that the same fans came back each week, solidifying their notion that NASCAR fans are incredibly loyal.

The company has enjoyed watching its Alltel Racing Podcast site visits increase in strides, beginning with 645 visits in February, reaching a high of 2,030 visits in October. Total page views came in at just slightly over 30,000. Downloads of the podcast reached 1,192 (for the February 21, 2006 Daytona 500 broadcast) and averaged 61 downloads per day.

In 2007, Alltel plans to charge ahead at full speed with the Alltel Racing podcasts. “We plan to involve more team members in the podcasts and include more interactive elements for our audience, just as we have done with the mailbag. We are working on features that will encourage consumers to come back each week during the season,” adds Pathmann.

For more information on how a podcasting strategy can benefit your business, increase your visibility in the online marketplace, and generate spirited conversations about your products or services, please contact James Clark of Room 214 at 303-444-9214 x10