IndyCar Series Sponsorship Nets Big Gains For Verizon

The Verizon Wireless sponsored Dallara leading the race at the 35th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2009)

IndyCar Series Sponsorship Nets Big Gains For Verizon

Winning cars, and winning markets!

Believe it or not, soon after Verizon Wireless placed its logo on an IndyCar, the car goes on to win the pole and place second in the race at the 35th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Now news has come in that Verizon Wireless surpasses AT&T for the lead in subscribership in its marketplace, is there any cause and effect relationship? Well, AT&T doesn't sponsor any cars that race in the IndyCar Series so who can say ... it can not help.

Will Power, a driver for the famed Penske Racing Team of the Indy Racing League, stepped into the brand new, never driven black Dallara, sponsored with the Verizon logo ... that (description from the Verizon corporate website) graphically portray's speed, while also echoing the genesis of the company name: veritas, the Latin word connoting certainty and reliability ... and horizon, signifying forward-looking and visionary.

Does this sponsorship and logo have any effect on the fortunes of the Australian driver who merged into the IRL when the ChampCar World Series agreed to have open wheel racing in North America be managed by one supervising body?

The Verizon Wireless sponsored Dallara leaves the pits looking to rejoin and win the race. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2009)

This excerpted and edited from ComputerWorld -

Verizon leapfrogs AT&T for wireless subscriber lead

By Brad Reed - April 27, 2009 (Network World)

Verizon now has more wireless subscribers than any carrier in the U.S., as its merger with Alltel has helped the company jump ahead of rival AT&T Inc..

Verizon said in its earnings report today that its total number of wireless customers surged to 86.5 million in the first quarter of 2009, when the carrier added a net 14.5 million wireless customers. Roughly 13.2 million of those customers came over to Verizon as a result of its Alltel acquisition.

----

The big increase in wireless customers now gives Verizon an edge of about 8.3 million wireless subscribers over AT&T, which reported last week that it has 78.2 million wireless customers.

In addition to its large customer gains, Verizon reported a solid net income of $3.2 billion in the first quarter, a 5.3% increase over the $3 billion net income it reported in the first quarter of 2008.

----

Its total number of broadband connections grew by 7.8% to 8.9 million, while the total number of subscribers to its FiOS Internet (2.8 million) and television (2.2 million) grew at impressive rates of 55.5% and 83.8%, respectively.

Reference Here >>

The symbolic power of the logo can not be denied, sponsorship generally brings good rewards and recognition to the sponsor ... but, maybe this kind of success is a little more than Verizon Wireless hoped for ... then, again.