Media Shower


Verizon tapped into an existing fan base when it decided to sponsor the IndyCar Series.

The goals of content management are company visibility and credibility, both of which lead to sales and higher profits.

To be credible and visible, a brand must come up with original, engaging content. If a company can tap into an existing fan pool rather than having to build a new one from the ground up, all the better.

That’s exactly what Verizon did when the company took went the content marketing route by joining forces with the IndyCar Series.

Although companies have long sponsored race cars and series as a means of advertising their brand, Verizon has taken that trend into the 21st century with online elements of their Verizon IndyCar Series.

Traditional Exposure

Events of the Verizon IndyCar Series have been broadcast throughout the country on CBS, ABC, Fox, TNN, FSN, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic. The NBC Sports Network broadcasts 13 Verizon IndyCar races each season, while the rest of the races are on ABC. Of course, marketing also takes place at the race track with the thousands of fans who are on site for games.

Enter Online Content

In the late 2000s, however, Verizon saw the writing on the wall when it came to content marketing and the online world.

Company management realized that a huge portion of consumer attention was, indeed, focused online, and that advertising did not appear to be working all that well. Instead, quality content pulled consumers in, putting its sponsors in the spotlight and their products or services in high demand.

Verizon began streaming all races online.

Some companies are deathly afraid of giving anything away for free, assuming that once consumers get used to free online content, they will no longer pay to attend the real-life events. In reality, it is expense inconvenience and the general availability of at-home entertainment that have cut attendance rates across all sports.


Verizon management knew that content marketing online would be one major key to success in their sponsorship campaign. 

In this incredibly competitive entertainment climate though, added exposure is shown to reduce attendance attrition or even increase on-site attendance. In short, consumers remain more interested in their hobbies when they are frequently reminded of their original interests.

Flash, Bam, Boom

By its very nature, the IndyCar series is flashy, bold and in your face. It is also a long-time series, loved and trusted by its fans, known well to many others.

By throwing its name into that mix, Verizon gave itself an instant and enormous boost in visibility and credibility, not to mention a hero-like popularity amongst those who were afraid the series would fold without a solid sponsor.

Marketing Strategies

Verizon keeps IndyCar users engaged through multiple forms of media and content, one of which is BuzzFeed.

There, the company has made a big splash with content that is relevant to consumers beyond those who already love the IndyCar Series. 10 Race Car Features We Wish We Had in Real Life, for instance, taps into a much wider audience by tantalizing users with that popular dream of driving a race car; the idea of a much safer or cooler vehicle; a great sense of humor; and the draw of sheer novelty.

Other engaging titles include 11 Reasons Your Job Isn’t As Hard As An IndyCar Pit Crew’s and 12 Signs You Live Life In The Fast Lane, both of which really entice their audience to click through and find out more.


Verizon brought the world of IndyCar races to its fans, through social media and engaging content on BuzzFeed.

Content Marketing Diversity

BuzzFeed garners a lot of attention for Verizon, but the company has also followed one of the cardinal rules of content marketing, that of maintaining diversity: Verizon also informs and interacts with fans, through vehicles such as: