Company: America's Best Racing and Branch & Bramble, New York, NY
Nomination Submitted by: Branch & Bramble
Company Description: America's Best Racing is a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform, initiated by The Jockey Club, designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America's best Thoroughbred racing events with a primary focus on the sport's lifestyle and competition. Branch & Bramble is an agency specializing in values-based marketing for lifestyle brands.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Categories - Specialty
Nomination Sub Category: Influencer Marketing Campaign of the Year
 Nomination Title: A Stake in Stardom Influencer Campaign
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
March 16, 2022
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 214 words used.
Since the beginning of its creation, thoroughbred horseracing has been called “The Sport of Kings.” Considered one of the oldest sports in America, it has been both exclusive and expensive. America’s Best Racing (ABR), along with their marketing agency, Branch & Bramble, is seeking to fundamentally change this popular pastime and make it a sport for everyone with their influencer marketing campaign, A Stake in Stardom.
A Stake in Stardom is an opportunity to reach and attract new fans to racing, allowing them to experience the sport and lifestyle like never before. Brand ambassadors become racehorse owners. They receive a no-obligation ownership stake in top-performing racehorses. This campaign grants an inside, all-access look into a horse’s preparation, care, and competitions, from stable to starting gate.
Brand ambassadors have the opportunity to see their horses in training, tour the stables and facilities, and attend races in person. In turn, their followers become invested in the journey of these influencers, learning more about the sport and the excitement to be had during a day at the races. People who wouldn’t necessarily have been exposed to the heart behind the sport are now fully engaged in the story these influencers are telling—and are often inspired to head to the track themselves to experience the thrill firsthand.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
During the campaign development, ABR and Branch & Bramble met with various ownership groups to determine their interest and willingness to grant a percentage ownership to brand ambassadors. Each brand ambassador would receive 1-3% of any and all purse money won by their horse during the horse’s racing career, without obligation for expenses.
Once agreements had been reached with ownership groups, Branch & Bramble searched for, vetted, and conducted outreach to brand ambassadors. Consideration was given to brand ambassadors in various industries and locations, as well as their ability to reach different audiences. An important factor was to find brand ambassadors who saw this collaboration as more than a transactional partnership.
Promotional plans, suggested race travel, and content recommendations were tailored to each specific influencer and their racehorse for an initial 8-month campaign. Rather than create a campaign that was one size fits all, influencers were encouraged to share their own experiences in a way that was best suited to their social media platforms and audiences.
The brand ambassadors were invited to attend key races in the sport—such as the Kentucky Derby, the Breeder’s Cup, and other Triple Crown events—in addition to any races in which their horses were participating. ABR and Branch & Bramble coordinated with the ownership groups to obtain training updates. ABR’s video team was onsite during races to help capture content for brand ambassadors and coordinate livestreams direct from the race tracks. Brand ambassadors shared monthly updates on their platforms as well as race day content.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2021. Even if your initiative started before 2021, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2021 only (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
Launched in 2022 with two influencers and one ownership group, this initiative has made waves in the sport and is being expanded due to popular demand. The 2023 campaign will include 12 horses, 7 influencers, 3 ownership groups, and one racetrack. Brand awareness of ABR and the sport increased 17% as a result.
In 2022, the campaign’s initial 2 influencers, Sarah Cline and Joey Mulinaro, drove over 35 million in reach, over 4.3 million video views, and over 350K engagements. They attended 10 in-person race events including the Kentucky Derby, the Pegasus World Cup, and the Breeder’s Cup. They wrote several lifestyle articles for ABR’s website, shared over 100 posts, and joined multiple livestreams. A Stake in Stardom campaign was the leading influencer campaign for ABR’s marketing program in 2022 and led to a 190% increase in influencer video views and engagements when compared to 2021’s influencer activities.
News of the program was picked up by large outlets such as Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, and the Associated Press along with 333 other organizations reaching an audience of over 218 million.
The campaign successfully reached multiple audiences, from the fashion-forward, lifestyle followers of Sarah Cline to Joey’s audience of handicappers and sports aficionados, proving that thoroughbred racing is truly a sport for everyone.
2023’s campaign will include Ian Rapoport, Joy Taylor, Loren Izabel, Lindsay Czarniak, Sarah Cline, Joey Mulinaro, and Anita Marks. These seven brand ambassadors have a combined audience of over 8 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 209 words used.
We have linked to the largest social media platform for each campaign brand ambassador throughout this entry to showcase the breadth of audience that is reached through A Stake in Stardom across both years. Q&As with each inaugural influencer, Sarah Cline and Joey Mulinaro, give a glimpse into how each approached this partnership and what excites them about being first-time horse owners.
Two brief videos bring you behind the scenes. Join Sarah Cline at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club to get a sense of the sport’s lifestyle and fashion. Walk with Joey Mulinaro as he meets his horse, Vinco, for the first time. Both of these videos were shared on the brand ambassadors’ social media platforms and received over 50K views.
Sarah Cline’s incorporation of fashion brought to life one of the most underrated elements of the sport while giving her followers real input. Her videos showcasing her race day outfits and red carpet looks each received thousands of comments. We’ve linked to one of these videos as an example as well as several photos from an actual race day.
This entry’s supporting materials are just a small sampling of the robust content that was created across many different platforms and mediums during the A Stake in Stardom campaign.
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