The sponsorship crunch hit NASCAR hard, a fact laid bare last year during the “State of the Sport” press conference. Yet, teams like Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) keep sailing through the storm, thanks in part to savvy marketing, their decades of legacy, and getting the word out there. Plus, they keep coming up with innovative ideas to keep their audience engaged and their sponsors exposed to them.
For instance, Dave Alpern, the team president at Joe Gibbs Racing, who was once on the fence about social media, has now turned into a TikTok star. His posts, spilling the beans on business and racing, aren’t just catching eyeballs; they’re roping in new fans to NASCAR and shining a spotlight on the team’s sponsors. Dave’s TikTok isn’t just a fun side project; it’s becoming a game-changer for the team and getting noticed.
The bigger picture of the TikTok videos by the Joe Gibbs Racing Team President
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The whole TikTok journey for the Joe Gibbs Racing President didn’t kick off until a couple of years ago, but the seeds were planted during the 2020 lockdowns. Bryan “Boris” Cook, the brain behind JGR’s digital strategy, was looking for fresh ways to churn out content when everything was on pause. His plan was to tap into the unique world of racing and the brilliant minds working behind the scenes at JGR.
What they ended up doing was these bite-sized videos that dive into specialized areas crucial at the Joe Gibbs Racing camp from day-to-day. These weren’t just any old race clips; they were insightful mini-lessons aimed at a broad audience, not just hardcore race enthusiasts. Plus, choosing Dave Alpern as the face of the @racecarbiz account was a no-brainer for them. The guy’s not just savvy about all things business at JGR; he’s also got a knack for the camera, thanks to his experience with public speaking.
Like, one of Dave Alpern’s hits racked up nearly 92,000 views just for spilling the beans on why Joe Gibbs Racing went sign-less for its first decade in Huntersville, North Carolina. Some of his videos have even hit the 200,000-view mark. The Joe Gibbs Racing team usually drops a new Alpern video weekly, filming a bunch in one go. The ones that really catch fire are usually the deep dives into the nuts and bolts of racing.
But these clips aren’t just for kicks; they’re gold for explaining the racing world’s ins and outs to sponsors and have even helped loop new fans into NASCAR. On top of that, Alpern’s enjoying a bit of the spotlight himself, thanks to his viral fame.
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Dave Alpern is enjoying the popularity and recognition
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JGR’s team president, Dave Alpern, is getting a kick out of the fame his TikTok videos are bringing him. Never in a million years did he think making a few social media clips would turn him into a well-known face. But hey, that’s the power of the internet for you.
“I think it’s interesting. It’s fun to talk about our sport. It’s a good way to expose people to the sport. They’re just really fun to do. And when they stop being fun, or if they start being stressful, I won’t do them anymore,” Dave Alpern said.
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He even recounted a story where a fan approached Alpern, saying that he got into NASCAR just from watching Dave’s TikToks. Imagine a sport being known to people just because of one’s videos! “I actually had a guy in Atlanta that said, ‘Hey, I follow NASCAR because of your TikToks. I discovered you and now I’m a fan and this is my first race. Seriously, a guy came up to me and said this. I thought it was really cool.”
