Formula Fords welcome at the Laguna Seca Spring Classic

Andrew,

Thank you not taking away Laguna Seca!

There is rarely any deep nuance required in exploiting brand sponsorship opportunities. A company pays the money and plasters their brand name on everything in sight. Fair enough. But there are rare circumstances when branding does require a more nuanced and strategic approach. And for the exact same reason: to build not just brand awareness, but positive brand awareness.

The Weathertech brand is already exceedingly well-known, well-established and solidly-positioned. The company is profitable and contribute's to the nation's economy. And your sponsorship involvement in racing is also very well-known and very appreciated.

But...Laguna Seca is more than a brand, it is more than a racetrack – it is an icon. An icon that has a real and deep meaning to several generations of racing fans. Sacred ground, so to speak. And your sponsoring execution seems to respect this reality.

Most importantly, taking away the Laguna Seca name would have been one of those examples when a sponsor's natural reflex to "brand everything" (which, I repeat, under most circumstances, is exactly what a brand is supposed to do) would have been disastrous for your brand. I strongly believe it would have had the opposite intended marketing effect and damaged your "brand opinion" in the minds of the people that you (theoretically) wanted to affect the most with the sponsorship.

It takes a confident company to understand that it has a strong enough brand name to allow for marketing restraint at times. I trust that you will continue to allow the "sacred" Laguna Seca name room to breathe – which includes allowing its name to stand on its own at times as well.

So, I again say thank you.