By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
For the first time in their history, Wyndham Rewards made their debut as primary sponsor on a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car at Kansas Speedway on the No. 6 Ford Fusion piloted by Matt Kenseth and Roush-Fenway Racing.
Wyndham Hotels is the largest hotel operator in the United States. Hotels that fall under the Wyndham banner include but not limited to are Baymont Inn and Suites, Days Inn, Ramada, Microtel Inn and Suites, Howard Johnson and Super 8.
How did this deal with Roush-Fenway come about? According to Steve Newmark, president at Roush-Fenway, Wyndham saw the organization’s on and off the track programs, their creative social media posts, and sponsor activation as a value, despite being courted by many teams in the Cup garage.
According to Newmark, the relationship with the Boston Red Sox and the Fenway Sports Group was also an integral part as to why Wyndham joined in as a partner.
“It’s also a testament to our relationship with the Boston Red Sox and the Fenway Sports Group. They were integral in making the connection and were with us every step of the way as we tried to create programs and show Wyndham that this was the right family atmosphere and gave them the best opportunity to connect with the entire NASCAR fan base and succeed both on and off the track,” Newmark stated.
For Eliot Hamlisch, vice president of worldwide loyalty and partnerships for Wyndham, the deal with Roush-Fenway brings excitement for the company for a couple of reasons.
The first reason is that the organization is excited to be a small part of Kenseth’s comeback to Cup competition after he was left without a ride after the 2017 season. The second reason is that they want to know and understand the Roush-Fenway organization better.
Hamlisch recalled a moment just before the official announcement on April 25 with Kenseth and his family and how it encompasses the heartbeat behind Wyndham.
“I saw Matt walk in with his family and he was holding the baby’s car seat and just that image – I’ve got two small kids – just the family nature of this team is something that resonated so soundly with us,” Hamlisch said with joy. “It very much goes that way at Wyndham Hotel Group as well, so we’re thrilled. What an amazing opportunity.”
Wyndham has over 55 million rewards members, while NASCAR has over 80 million plus fans. According to Hamlisch, the overlap between the reward members and the NASCAR fan made tons of sense for them to become sponsors
“If you think about that overlap, there is an endless amount of opportunity and upside associated with this partnership. Not only engaging our existing 55 million customers in a sport we know they love and are passionate about but introducing the Wyndham Rewards program to fans who may not know about it today,” Hamlisch said.
The deal with Roush-Fenway is a huge, multi-faceted deal. As part of the partnership, Wyndham will provide VIP experiences for some of its top customers, whether it be on the sales side to partners on the rewards program.
For Roush-Fenway, the partnership with Wyndham is not about building their awareness, but to showcase the loyalty of the NASCAR fan. Based on research, Newmark and Roush-Fenway know that many fans make decisions based on sponsorships within the sports. Based on that sponsorship, Newmark hopes that fans will flock to Wyndham for their hotel needs on race weekend.
“There is no doubt that what we do with Wyndham is no different from what we do with our other partners. That is to grow them into an anchor presence in this sport where fans automatically associate Wyndham with NASCAR. Obviously, they have a presence everywhere; we don’t need to help build their awareness, but we want to showcase the NASCAR fan loyalty,” Newmark said.
The opportunity with Wyndham provides tremendous business to business opportunities. Newmark knows the organization will take advantage of the sponsorship and hopes to integrate Wyndham into their other partners.
“From our perspective, we will take advantage for our traveling road show that we will be at their hotels and introduce them to our other partners, ROUSH Industries, and the Red Sox. Hopefully, we can be integrated with them on the marketing side, the business side, the trackside and every which way possible.”
