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Earnhardt's move to Mountain Dew won't deter fans
Sep 25, 2007
FANS WON'T STOP FOLLOWING JUNIOREarnhardt supporters say they will keep old stuff, and buy plenty of new stuff
By MARTIN FRANK, The News Journal
DOVER -- Now what?
Dale Earnhardt Jr., perhaps the most popular driver in NASCAR, will have a new number, new sponsors and a new marketing campaign next year when he takes over the No. 88 car.
That means the legions of fans with the No. 8 caps, the Budweiser T-shirts, the die- casts, and every other known piece of Earnhardt paraphernalia, will find their items obsolete.
Some fans at Dover International Speedway said they will put their Dale Jr. stuff in mothballs, ready to buy a whole new armada of Earnhardt gear. Others said they will continue to use their soon-to-be-old stuff, while buying the new Earnhardt gear.
The common theme is, all groups of Earnhardt fans plan to keep buying, which must be music to the ears of Earnhardt's new sponsors, Amp Energy Drink and the National Guard.
"You're going to follow him no matter what," said Dave Frazier of Hagerstown, Md., who was wearing an Earnhardt hat and T-shirt. "That's part of the sport. Drivers change numbers all the time. He was No. 8. Now he'll be 88. It's just another eight."
Pepsi, which makes Amp, will certainly benefit. Amp has just five percent of the rapidly growing energy drink market, now estimated to be worth $5 billion. Amp is well behind Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar.
Amp will be on Earnhardt's car for 20 races, while the National Guard colors will run in the other 16 Nextel Cup races. Mountain Dew, another Pepsi product, will also be on Earnhardt's cars.
All expect a huge boost from Earnhardt, who ranks as effective a pitchman as actors George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston, according to the Davie-Brown Index.
It already worked on Lou Benedetti, of Bridgeton, N.J., who stopped at a convenience store after Earnhardt's announcement last Wednesday and purchased his first Amp.
Benedetti said he's still going to wear his current Earnhardt gear, which includes at least one hat from each year the driver has run in Nextel Cup, as well as T-shirts and other items.
"I'm going to wear [the old stuff], because it's Dale Jr., and I'll support him," Benedetti said. "I would have liked to see him continue with the No. 8. But I can see why he changed. At least he can keep the 8."
Many drivers change numbers and sponsors each year. But Earnhardt was always considered one of the few drivers synonymous with his number, just like his late father, Dale Earnhardt, was with the No. 3.
That won't deter his fans.
"We're an adaptable bunch," said Kathy Delee, of Easton, Md. "We're hanging on to our old stuff, but when they start marketing the new stuff, we'll get that, too."
While promoting Budweiser, Earnhardt could only affect sales for those 21 and over. Now, Earnhardt can appeal to a younger demographic that hasn't warmed to NASCAR.
According to Neilson Sports Marketing, only 3 percent of NASCAR's audience is between the ages of 12 and 17.
Budweiser, meanwhile, will turn to the boyish-looking Kasey Kahne as its driver, although it should still benefit from the Earnhardt gear that fans will continue to wear.
"There's no doubt that what Junior brought to the 18-34 male demographic was unparalleled and an amazing relationship between the two," fellow driver Jimmie Johnson said. "I'm sure [Budweiser] didn't want to lose Junior. Kasey Kahne may not be a wild guy, but he'll certainly drink his Bud Light and have some fun."
He probably won't have as much fun as Earnhardt.
Even Jeff Gordon, who soon will be Earnhardt's new teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, knows this.
When asked if it's fair that Earnhardt now has two diecasts to sell with Amp and the National Guard, Gordon responded with a laugh: "It doesn't matter. He sells twice as much anyway."
