Alexander Rossi’s Crazy Week in Austin
For his first home Grand Prix, Alexander Rossi experienced a week full of events and emotions, culminating in a strong twelfth place finish at the end of the race.
For Alexander Rossi and his team Manor, the Austin stage was a key event, and both parties took full advantage of the opportunity to raise their profile in Uncle Sam’s country.
Thus, the young Californian had a very busy schedule before arriving in Austin. He started his media tour in the economic heart of the country, New York. There, he met with a number of American media outlets, with a predominance of economic media, such as Fox Business and Bloomberg Business.
Up & at ’em in NYC & kick-starting our tour with an interview for @AlexanderRossi at @FoxBusiness pic.twitter.com/EecuXsEGNq
— Manor F1 Team (@ManorF1Team) October 19, 2015
Once again, this shows that if F1 seriously wants to make headway in the United States, a stop in New York seems essential. However, after years of negotiations, the project for races in New Jersey seems dead in the water and is not even mentioned in the preliminary calendars released by the FIA…
Arriving in Austin, Rossi’s schedule picked up even more, engaging with fans. He was seen at numerous events, such as the Q&A session organized by American journalist Will Buxton, but also on social media since the circuit had also arranged a session on Twitter.
He also decided to capitalize on his compatriots’ attraction to outfits in the colors of their favorite drivers, which generate significant revenue for Nascar drivers. This is how Erreà, the team’s official partner, created a line of clothing and accessories in the driver’s colors, available for sale directly at the Manor shop on the circuit. Alexander Rossi obviously took the opportunity to attend the sales space to be close to the fans and, therefore, buyers.
This merchandising strategy also served as a full-scale laboratory for the team, which can once again focus on peripheral elements after spending the past year fighting for its survival. Contacted by us, the team commented on this initiative: « We have a very clear plan for what will be offered to fans next year, with a range of products that will be both affordable and of high quality. In this direction and to capitalize on the enormous interest of the American public in Alexander, we tried a limited number of products and several delivery methods to test our 2016 strategy. In addition to being a huge success, this experience allows us to be better positioned when we launch on a large scale next year. »
#ARMerchandise going like hot cakes/CornDogs/KrispyKremes etc #USGP pic.twitter.com/ysOgWc9axm
— Manor F1 Team (@ManorF1Team) 25 October 2015
Manor also played along by unveiling a special livery for this weekend, featuring the American flag on its rear wing, to make it even more identifiable for spectators. This livery also included logos of sponsors who decided to contribute for this special event. Thus, the website coupons.com and the coffee brand Alaska Coffee Roasting, which have supported the driver for several seasons, appeared on the team’s various communication platforms.
Happiness never coming alone, the young driver’s race concluded ideally, even though it had started badly: he caused his teammate, Will Stevens, to retire after a crash in the chaos of the first corner. But after a race full of twists and turns, Alexander Rossi finished his first Grand Prix at home in a very fine 12th place. Enough to leave him with great hopes of continuing his collaboration with the team next season…
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
