Brandon Brown. A 25-year-old rookie in the NASCAR Xfinity Series whose story begins with someone who came from a town called Woodbridge, Virginia which lies just south of Washington D.C.
He was raised in a family focused home as his father is a self-employed entrepreneur and his mother worked on and off throughout the years with his childhood consisting of her being more of a stay at home mom. He remembers his family always being supportive, but not always wealthy.
It was through his childhood that Brandon learned that the key to success is building personal connections and doing the right thing. If he did that, other pieces to the puzzle would come along. Brandon attended Coastal Carolina University and graduated with a degree in marketing. A college degree is unique in NASCAR.
A degree in marketing might be a first in the sport. Brandon first started making a name for himself two years ago after finishing in the top 5 at his first ever Daytona start. He has continually placed well in races since then earning the licensing to run full time in the NASCAR Xfinity series and generating partners to help along the way. He is currently partnered with his Alma-mater, Coastal Carolina University.
After his graduation, he made the decision to step into a lead role, full time as the racing team’s Marketing Director. At this time, Brandon states he knew there was huge value in what he can accomplish within the NASCAR racing industry on both sides of running a team’s marketing platforms as well as building his self-brand.
He knows the social media space is crowded and he needed to be strategic and innovative is his methods to build his personal brand. Brandon has switched the team’s focus to the social media world starting with the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Vero where his following and engagements have steadily been on the rise since the start of the season.
He feels that this was mainly a result of his fan engagement methods daily. Brandon states “In the morning, after the gym, when I am at the office… I am constantly trying to make an impact with the NASCAR fan base on social media.
I want them to see me as a human who responds.” Brandon believes that his team is on the verge of something significant and attributes this feeling to his team’s willingness to adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape that they are trying to leverage.
The risk lies in the effort and time it takes to find successful pathways and to establish long term relationships. The marketing climate has shifted and is focused on a new generation that hasn’t known life without a smartphone. Brandon is excited about this endeavor because he knows there is a lot of ROI to be seen in the shift change for the sport, both as a driver and as the Marketing Director.