NASCAR Nationwide Series - Digital Strategy + Experience Design
NASCAR Nationwide Series

Authentically connecting to a new customer segement


Having spent its first season of sponsorship on the sidelines, Nationwide Insurance decided to leverage its association with the NASCAR Nationwide Series to increase sales of insurance policies. But how does a Fortune 500 company connect with the NASCAR crowd?  

Nationwide desired a web presence to help them create an authentic relationship with this audience. The ideal site would provide a valuable racing resource while serving as a platform to turn the NASCAR sponsorship into one million new policies.

To meet Nationwide’s needs, Shift created a comprehensive online racing resource for the Nationwide Series. Tasked with both the strategy and design of this experience, we proposed a focus on valuable content and functionality. Shift planned a weeklong communication cycle for each race in the series, creating a reason for return visits to the site. The Virtual Lap feature gives users a tour and explains the nuances of each week’s track and explains the nuances. The site also features exclusive content in the form of driver bios and insider racing news and articles.

Shift also delivered a cycling Flash billboard as the centerpiece of the experience. This highlights the major features of the site, including the series’ spokesperson Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who offers testimonial to help spin Nationwide solutions into the site’s dialogue in a natural, genuine way.