For decades, the world has become accustomed to hearing about people in the motorsports industry talking about sponsorship. They not only tolerate motorsports athletes plastering their clothing and vehicles with industry logos, they have come to expect it. With this plethora of expectations, you would think more people would be able to clearly and concisely dictate what motorsports sponsorship really is.

I am here to unravel the mystery. It won’t take long to do it either, because it is simple. Influencer marketing. That is what motorsports sponsorship REALLY is. Influencer marketing. I don’t even need to outline seven ways to define it, only ONE.

Let me break it down.

In motorsports, businesses find influencers and equip them with the products or message they want their respective followers to adopt. This is referred to as sponsorship. The term “sponsorship” is linked to commercials and traditional advertising. Ultimately though, it is a marketing campaign administered via a figure that controls an audience and portrays an attractive brand.

Companies give a portion of their marketing budget to people that influence others to make purchasing decisions. You might ask next, what is an influencer? That is simple as well. An influencer is someone that others follow, listen to, or respect when it comes to making a choice or decision. 

Why do you need to know this? Well, there are some practical uses for this knowledge, especially if you want to explore sponsorship outside the motorsports industry (non-endemic sponsorship). First and foremost, you sound more competent if you can describe to someone what it is that you do in a way that is both clear and logical. This perception of competence helps build trust and ultimately influence, leading to more credibility in the thing you are trying to become…an influencer!

So the next time someone asks you what it is that you are doing with those logos on the side of your ride, you can confidently and intelligently say…influencer marketing.