The Official Blog of the IZOD IndyCar Series

You may have noticed a lot more online activity from IndyCar this season. We’ve launched a new IndyCar site, kept up on Facebook, continued pumping out videos, became more active on Twitter, jumped into the image world of Flickr and we’ve been blogging, blogging, blogging.

It’s the beginning of us shaping a new online experience for our fans and providing more in-depth access to IndyCar – a sport we obviously love. And yesterday, our friends at nomee launched an IZOD IndyCar Series iPad app. Pretty cool (This link, will take you directly to the iTunes store).

Part of our new online effort involves working more closely with our partners to create richer opportunities for our fans, develop clear online strategies and honestly, work with/learn from/and support our great team sponsors, like Go Daddy.

Go Daddy in action

We’re lucky to work with an impressive portfolio of companies, so why not develop better online relationships with them too?

About a month ago, we started talking with Go Daddy about a couple of ideas. The conversation started as a way to enhance our online relationships – yes we follow one another on Twitter and exchange Facebook messages. But as we talked, other ideas emerged, including, what we can do for and with our fans – something we’re both working to improve these days – we think you’ll like what we plan to roll out later this summer.

Since we are still developing IndyCar’s online persona, I’m very interested in how Go Daddy has developed their brand in ways that are both fun and helpful for the community. Whether you love, or sometimes question, Go Daddy’s edgy style, they’ve been wildly successful.

I spoke with Marianne Curran, Executive Vice President of Media & Communications at Go Daddy and learned more about their social media approach. She explained how feedback from fans (and customers) often leads to new ideas, or can help identify areas on which an organization can improve.  You hear it all the time, but Go Daddy has learned through experience that giving a voice to the public makes you stronger.  Here’s what Marianne had to say:

Go Daddy has been listening and engaging customers through their Twitter (@GoDaddy) and Facebook (/GoDaddy) accounts for more than two years now.

The process resulted in improving an already aggressive focus on customer service, finding new ways to reward customers with discounts, monitoring buzz about the company and receiving advertising feedback, like the ads born out of the “Create Your Own Commercial” contest … by the way, the winners will be revealed on live television  during the Indy 500 broadcast Sunday.

The social media team came up with the contest idea, which translated into a huge opportunity for the public.  Winners will receive big money, including $100K, $50K and $25K prize payoffs, along with five Honorable Mentions worth $15K each. So, other than contest opportunities, why is feedback so important? I mean, if you think about it, people with a keyboard and a computer can be painfully critical.  The simple answer is feedback helps shape strategies in ways that work.

Our IndyCar fans love our sport, know it inside and out and with social media, they have a direct line of communication to tell us what they want and, sometimes more importantly, what they don’t want.

At Go Daddy, customer service is at the heart of everything they do and making smart improvements quickly requires honest feedback

Go Daddy jumped into social media to really listen to what their customers were saying about them in the social space and provide assistance were they could. Once Go Daddy got the listening down, they began to engage and invite even more feedback about their brand, helping customers along the way.

That’s the goal, to help their fans and really listen.

Go Daddy’s approach to customer service is something we can better incorporate into our online presence. This season, we’ve worked harder at connecting with bloggers, our Twitter followers and the people that attend our races. It’s a work in progress, but know that IndyCar is listening, learning and implementing new ideas.

For the remainder of the season, we’ll be working with Go Daddy on a couple of other projects and continue to nurture relationships with our other partners in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Expect more posts about the online development of IndyCar and how we’re experimenting, learning and taking some risks. Feel free to keep an eye on Go Daddy in the social space. “Like” them and/or “Follow” them. I think you’ll enjoy what you find.

So tell us what you think!

P.S. There’s also another Go Daddy contest aimed at IndyCar fans.  Enter to win an autographed brake pedal assembly from Danica’s historic win at the 2008 Indy Japan 300!  Here’s the contest link.