Team Recognized for Outstanding Marketing Efforts for Partners Fastenal, Fifth Third, Navistar
CONCORD, N.C. (Dec. 21, 2021) – Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK) has again received national recognition in its marketing efforts by the prestigious MarCom Awards, earning seven total honors for the organization’s robust marketing plans. The team took home a combined seven awards, including three Platinum distinctions, which represents the highest level of achievement.
“We are thrilled to again receive national recognition by the distinguished MarCom Awards panel,” said RFK Racing Vice President of Marketing Operations & Communications Kevin Woods. “Honors such as these are further proof of the trust our great partners have in us continue to push the envelope in ways in which to authentically promote their brands. As with any industry, change is commonplace for us on many levels, and we’re proud of the team’s effort to continue to adapt and form compelling platforms for our partners.”
MarCom winners are recognized annually for their excellence in terms of quality, creativity and resourcefulness, with only a small percentage achieving Platinum status. The team earned a Platinum in Social Campaign for its promotion of the Fastenal Forward series, highlighting the brand’s integration of its products and services throughout RFK’s operations and featuring testimonials, product features and more.
Fastenal was also awarded a Gold Award in the Internal Communication Campaign category, for its efforts in the virtual events space. Again due to ongoing effects from the pandemic, Fastenal worked alongside RFK to develop a unique program to activate Fastenal’s top salespeople and their top opportunity customers by creating monthly ‘Coffee Talks’ featuring Chris Buescher and RFK President Steve Newmark.
The virtual events category became a focal point throughout the COVID pandemic, in which RFK excelled by promoting its virtual live events, earning a Platinum Award in Special Events. Included in those virtual events were a live, pre-race virtual show from the Daytona 500 and other marquee events, which included appearances from drivers and team personnel, live look-ins from the track, and other unique and customized options around the event.
The team also brought home Platinum honors for its Communication Plan with virtual planning, which featured weekly ‘race day communications’, serving as an alternative to an in-person race experience. The platform highlighted team profile features, and other aspects of the weekly virtual event experience.
Fifth Third Bank received recognition with the RFK team for its efforts in the Integrated Marketing category, where the bank highlighted its ‘Durham to Daytona’ event. The program featured a robust show car program with stops in its branches from the Carolinas through Georgia, and into Florida for the summer marquee event.
Fifth Third also received Honorable Mention honors in the Corporate Social Responsibility category for its continued contributions in the fight against hunger around Fifth Third Day (May 3). The program also included promoting Fifth Third’s shield program, which ultimately benefitted the bank’s partners across the region.
RFK was also awarded a Gold Award for its celebrated #RFRTruckin campaign, centering on the team’s trek to Bristol Motor Speedway and featuring live content featuring team partner Navistar and the team’s transporter drivers around National Truck Driver Awareness week.
The team was recognized earlier this year by the Hermes Creative Awards and the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), for multiple platforms centered around Castrol and Kohler Generators.
2021 Awards
Roush Fenway Virtual Integrated Planning – Platinum Award for Communication Plan
Roush Fenway Virtual Live Events – Platinum Award for Special Event
Fastenal Forward Content – Platinum Award for Social Campaign
RFRTruckin’ (Navistar) – Gold Award for Integrated Marketing
Fifth Third Bank Momentum Tour – Gold Award for Integrated Marketing
Fastenal Virtual Events – Gold Award for Internal Communication Campaign
Fifth Third Bank Fighting Against Hunger – Honorable Mention, Corporate Social Responsibility
MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communications professionals, administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The international organization consists of several thousand creative professionals. The Association oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and sets standards for excellence. Judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry.
MarCom entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers. The competition has grown to one of the largest of its kind, with winners ranging in size from individual communicators to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies.
About Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
RFK Racing, in its 35th season of competition in 2022, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner himself in the NASCAR Truck Series, joins the ownership fold while piloting the iconic No. 6 Ford, and brings to the team a championship mindset himself having won the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.
