Steve’s breakdown: From the article “Nascar looks for a full-service agency with experience in youth, multicultural (with a focus on the Hispanic market), and digital marketing, as well as media planning and events and promotions capabilities. The ideal agency will also have sports experience, a passion for Nascar specifically, and demonstrated success in leading a transformation of a similar organization”

DAYTONA BEACH, FL: Nascar is planning to launch an agency review as it seeks a shop that can help increase its fan base among youth and multicultural audiences.

The review follows the arrival last fall of Kim Brink, Nascar’s managing director-brand, consumer and series marketing, who previously spent time at Cadillac.

Ms. Brink said that the incumbent, St. Louis-based Jump Co., which has worked with Nascar since 2005, will be invited to participate. Jump will face off against three or four other shops.

Jump will likely face an uphill battle, as Nascar looks for a full-service agency with experience in youth, multicultural (with a focus on the Hispanic market), and digital marketing, as well as media planning and events and promotions capabilities. The ideal agency will also have sports experience, a passion for Nascar specifically, and demonstrated success in leading a transformation of a similar organization, Ms. Brink said.

“As we started taking a look at our future vision, we took a look at our evolving needs and realized we need agency resources to meet those needs,” Ms. Brink said. “We want to make sure we have a class-leading full-service agency.”

Ms. Brink said the budget will be “way north” of the $24 million Nascar spent on measured media in 2011. “But it’s bigger than the fee pay or media dollars against it,” Ms. Brink said. “It’s a very ripe place for [the agency] to demonstrate their capabilities to all the Fortune 500 companies involved with Nascar.”

The review comes on the heels of a five-year plan that Nascar outlined in 2011 with the following goals: Build the star power of individual drivers, increase engagement among children and college-age consumers, attract a multicultural fan base (specifically among Hispanics), craft more cohesive digital- and social-media strategies and improve the racetrack experience for fans.

Earlier this year, Nascar renegotiated a deal with Turner that will see Nascar regain editorial control of its digital and social-media properties starting in 2013.

Nascar is starting to talk to certain agencies in the coming weeks, but expects the pitch process won’t begin in earnest until June. Ms. Brink said she hopes to have the agency’s new work in market for next year’s Nascar season start in February.

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