Golden Bear Racing (GBR) is a name we have used for some time to indicate that we are a California based organization. There are numerous teams, universities and some companies that use the Bear/Bruin identity. However, we had never seen the "California Golden Bear," associated with motorsports.

Our mission hasn't changed we have always been in the customer service business! GBR is responsible for the promotion of young racing drivers attempting to further their motorsports career in the international arena,

Golden Bear Racing is involved in Advertising Partner Search, Racing Driver Marketing and Promotion. We have over Thirty Years experience in Motor Sports Marketing. We practice the art of Motor Sports Relationship Marketing.

A large portion of the American public believe that all one has to do a stick a corporate logo on the side of a race car and the money comes rolling in!

We know that it takes a lot of hard work and cooperation between our customer and ourselves. To this end, we have adopted a concept that we refer to as Relationship Marketing. Relationship Marketing is that invisible yet tangible connection between our customer and his or her customer.

Our racing drivers are taught the value of Relationship Marketing.

Relationship Marketing is based on the premise established by Jim Cathcart in his book, RELATIONSHIP SELLING: "The Key to Getting and Keeping Customers." (© 1990 Penguin Putnam, Inc.) Relationship Selling is normally applied to the process of selling a product or service to a single customer across a counter or on a retail salesroom floor. However, after much personal debate and observation, we have expanded our horizons from selling someone a washing machine or a suit to the selling of a company and it's products to a larger audience. For our purposes we chose the high falootin' title "Relationship Marketing," to define our version of the concept.

Actually, Relationship Selling and Relationship Marketing are one and the same. The scope is different. In the days before Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the development of automated processes, it was called CUSTOMER SERVICE! We understand and value Customer Service!

For our purposes, we confine ourselves to motor racing.

Relationship Marketing creates a strong bond between the racing team, racing driver, the brand and the CUSTOMER! In many cases that bond can become devotion or a heightened level of fanaticism! Drive around your hometown and count the cars and trucks with a 24,48,6,3 or 8 sticker in the back window.

In America and in particularly in the realm of the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR), this type of devotion/fanaticism has turned large groups of (otherwise sane) people into brand aware customers! We choose not to use the term "consumers," because we believe that consumers will buy anything from anybody. Customers, on the other hand, purchase products out of loyalty. Whether it is that, the customer was treated well in a store; the customer felt good about purchasing a particular product or because Richard Petty/Bill Elliott/Dale Jarrett/Michael Waltrip is "sponsored," by a particular brand or races a car built by a particular manufacturer!

In their day, Richard Petty (43-STP) and Bill Elliott (9-Coors Beer) were examples of two of the best Relationship Marketers. The joke used to be that everyone believed that Richard put STP on his flapjacks in the morning. Bill Elliott would never be seen leaving a grocery store with a six-pack of Miller High Life under his arm.

How did these auto racing greats create that feeling of loyalty with the fans?

Simple! Because they were loyal to their fans! They knew that if it weren't for the average race fan, there would be no racing! These guys stayed at the track and chatted with the "average race fans." They signed autographs until the last person was satisfied! They understood how valuable the ticket holder is to auto racing!

Something that Stick and Ball "professionals," don't get!

An example: At Laguna Seca in 1991, Eighty-one year old Five Time World Grand Prix Driver's Champion Juan Manuel Fangio was signing autographs late into the day. One of his escorts told him that it was getting late and they should go on to the next activity. The Maestro replied. "These people came to see me and I will not leave."

Many drivers like Richard Petty carried a Magic marker in their driving suit pocket to sign autographs and Richard likely still carries one, today.

Many of today's Modern NASCAR and International racing heroes are too busy looking for their helicopter to spend time with a fan!

Today's relationship marketers are Michael Waltrip (NAPA) and (the recently retired) Dale Jarrett (UPS). A classic example of how important a relationship between an advertiser and their spokesman can be, occurred at the end of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season when Michael was released by Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) the racing organization for which he had won two Daytona 500's. The name Michael Waltrip is synonymous with the NAPA Auto Parts Company and stores in the eyes of his loyal fans. (Read NAPA customers!) Apparently, many people felt that NAPA would stay with DEI and accept whomever they put in the "NAPA Chevy!" However, NAPA, recognizing the $$ value of the connection with Michael Waltrip, joined Mr. Waltrip at his new racing team!

In the case of Dale Jarrett, UPS had built their entire program around "Hey Dale! Race the Big Brown Truck!" Jarrett and the UPS program were featured in an issue of SELLING POWER Magazine. The cover story was titled "UPS Roars into Action." The article describes the methodology employed by UPS, the Robert Yates Racing Team and Dale Jarrett to leverage the package delivery company's involvement in NASCAR and vice versa. The most important thing you can take out of this article is the "personal relationship," between the racing team, Jarrett and the UPS employees. Mr. Jarrett and UPS moved to the Michael Waltrip Toyota NASCAR program for 2007.

Another CLASSIC example of relationship marketing is the National Hot Rod Association's (NHRA) Funny Car Champion John Force! Ford, Castrol and anybody involved with the Force organization has made tons of publicity and money from John Force!

We practice Relationship Marketing! We believe that employing this type of program can reap benefits in market penetration, market share, public awareness, profitability and return on investment for our Marketing Partners.

We are currently working with Californians Sergey Shleikin, from Mountain View, "The Heart of Silicon Valley," and Sacramento's Troy Castaneda to develop active Marketing Partners.