1. Usage of Social Media to Deepen Event Brand Value: A Case Study
Erica Shonkwiler, MBA

2. 17 Events, 4 Months, 19 Students, 857 Hours, More Coming…
500 Festival
10 Events
8 Students
285 Volunteer Hours
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
7 Events
17 Students
572 Hours
$5,000 in Student Scholarships
17 Events, 4 Months, 19 Students, 857 Hours, More Coming…

3. Miler Series & Mini Marathon
3 Event Training Program & Race
2 Day Expo
89,000 sqft of Exhibit Space
40th Anniversary
35,000 Participants
10,000 Spectators
Largest U.S. Half Marathon
3rd Largest Road Race in U.S.
State’s Largest Health Initiative
500 Festival. (n.d.). Retrieved from

4. Parade Kids Day 60th Anniversary Nation’s 3rd Largest
300,000 Live Spectators
Free & Ticketed
1 Million TV Viewers
80 Floats/Acts
30,000 Participants
Free
Carnival/Festival
500 Festival. (n.d.). Retrieved from

5. Breakfast at the Brickyard
Snakepit Ball
850 Participants
$75 per Ticket
80 Indiana Mayors
33 Princesses, 1 Queen
Celebrities & VIPs
1,000 Attendees
$300 per Ticket
500 Festival. (n.d.). Retrieved from

6. Grand Prix Carb & Legends Day Indy Car Series 14-Turn Road Course
40,000 Live Spectators
Historical Cars
Autographs
Practice & Pit Challenge
Indy Lights Race
Concerts: Journey & Blake Shelton
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (n.d.). Retrieved from

7. Indy 500 Race & Qualifications
100th Anniversary
260,000 Reserved Seats
Est 500,000 in Venue
~6 Million TV Viewers
Streaming/Radio Broadcast
World’s Largest Single-Day Sporting Event
Snakepit Concerts
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (n.d.). Retrieved from

8. Social Media Team Focus
Customer Service – Question Response
Engage/Encourage/Welcome the Attendees
Enhance Sponsor/Partner Recognition
Support Tourism
Drive Website Traffic
Promote Event Hashtags

9. Platforms
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

10. Indianapolis Motor 500 Festival Speedway Brand Personality
Community-minded
Fun, festival, family friendly
Inclusive
First-class, well organized
Tradition, Hoosier connection
Meaningful, impactful, purposeful
Brand Personality
Entertainment-focused
Thrilling, dramatic, fun
Sport and music fusion
Global
Tradition, Hoosier connection
Memorable
Social Media Tone
Conversational voice, acknowledgment by name, friendly, available, educational, and informational with a positive response focused on relationship building
Social Media Tone
Conversational voice, friendly, fun, even edgy and with a sense of humor that focuses on sharable conversation

11. Outcomes - Touchpoints
18,574
3,021

12. Outcomes – 500 Festival

13. Platform Review C B- B+ F Not Chronological Algorithm Impact
Engagement is Difficult
Data/Analysis is Easy B-
Chronological (Not For Long)
No Algorithm (For Now)
Engagement is Difficult in Platform, Easy Through Other Platform
Data/Analysis is Difficult B+
Chronological
No Algorithm
Engagement is Easy
Data/Analysis is Difficult F
Tags DO NOT transfer
Images DO NOT transfer
Hashtags DO NOT transfer

14. Lessons Learned Different Audience = Different Platform
2 Organizations, 2 Completely Different Tones
Professional = Boring, Humor/Creativity = Genuine
Strong Infrastructure vs. Environmental Energy
More ≠ Better
Training is Crucial
Program Expansion:
Application Process
Outgoing Content Development
Website Design Improvement
Improved Tracking – Data Access

15. Considerations Will Social Media Replace the “Fan Hotline”?
Are We Creating Monster Expectations/Learned Helplessness?
We Need a Killer App – What Are The Big Organizations Using for Volume?
Does “I’m Heard” = Repeat Customer? Greater Satisfaction?