Client news and Hedges & Company news
Here is the latest on what's going on with Hedges & Company and our clients.
NHRA Hires Hedges & Company To Assist With Database Marketing
(March 8, 2010) Glendora, Calif. -– With the intent of better reaching and servicing its fan base, NHRA has retained the services of Hedges & Company, a database marketing agency in Hudson, Ohio, to assist the world’s largest sanctioning body on a comprehensive database marketing initiative in 2010.
"We've launched our database marketing initiative in order to better communicate with NHRA fans and to add value for our sponsors and partners," said Gary Darcy, senior vice president, sales and marketing, NHRA. "Aligning our efforts with Hedges & Company makes perfect sense given their extensive knowledge and success in database marketing and the drag racing marketplace."
Hedges & Company will assist NHRA in organizing its extensive internal databases with the goal of creating an actionable marketing database to extend the variety of touch points NHRA currently has with its various customers and constituents. "We're excited to be working with NHRA and bringing the latest database marketing technology and predictive analytics to motorsports," said Jon Hedges, principal of Hedges and Company.
Hedges & Company is a full service database marketing, market research and strategic planning firm specializing in motorsports and the automotive industry, headquartered in Hudson, Ohio. The company offers email marketing, database marketing, direct mail and customer list management solutions, as well as mailing lists through its subsidiary EnthusiastsDirect. For more information, log on to HedgesCompany.com or EnthusiastsDirect.com.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks nationwide. As the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States, NHRA presents 23 national events in the U.S. featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. Two NHRA-sanctioned bracket racing series provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels: the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the Official NHRA Pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Hedges & Company Recognized by Hudson Economic Development Groups
(February 2010) Hudson, Ohio -– Three local organizations responsible for economic development have recognized Hedges & Company, a market research and database marketing agency, for investing in Hudson. A new program sponsored by the City of Hudson Economic Development department, the Hudson Economic Development Corporation, and the Hudson Chamber of Commerce/ExploreHudson.com, recognizes companies new to the city with a sign placed in front of the business.
Hedges & Company relocated to office space in Hudson in September, 2009 and has since expanded its staff.
PINKS: All Out Brings Down Phones and Website; Estimated 9,000 Racers Vie For 425 Openings at Summit Motorsports Park
(December, 2009) Norwalk, Ohio -– Demand to appear on PINKS: All Out, a drag racing reality show that airs on SPEED TV, resulted in phone system and Web site outages in Norwalk Monday, December 7. An estimated 9,000 racers from the Midwest United States tried to grab one of 425 available openings when they went on sale at noon at Summit Motorsports Park. The 425 openings sold out in two minutes and were only available by phone or online.
The episode of PINKS: All Out will be filmed at Summit Motorsports Park August 27-28, 2010. The reality show last filmed an episode at the track in June, 2008.
"We had a lot of people simultaneously trying to get one of these 425 racer openings," said Bill Bader, Jr., president of Summit Motorsports Park. "We were amazed when we looked at the logs for our Web site. When you have that many people calling and using the Web site at the same time, it creates a large spike in demand on the equipment. I apologize to anyone in Norwalk that may have been inconvenienced." Many residents in eastern Norwalk reportedly lost phone service and Internet access mid-day Monday as demand interrupted service.
"There were only two other times when Norwalk experienced this much load on the phone and Internet lines," Bader continued. "The first was when a local resident appeared on the TV show American Idol and people were voting for him, and the second was when tickets for our first PINKS: All Out event went on sale December 3, 2007."
When tickets for the first PINKS: All Out show went on sale, 400 available driver openings sold out in 12 minutes, which was then a record for ticket sales for the reality show. Then, track officials estimated there were approximately 5,000 racers competing for the available openings.
"By all accounts, interest in PINKS: All Out is higher than it was two years ago," said Bader. "We think that's a positive sign for the economy and for northern Ohio." The 2008 event brought over 25,000 fans from Ohio and surrounding states to the track to watch the reality show being filmed.
PINKS: All Out pits drivers in street-driven cars against each other in an old-style drag race. Host Rich Christensen starts each pair of drivers with his famous arm drop, instead of using the traditional drag racing “Christmas tree” with lights. The show will be in its fourth season in 2010 and will tape 13 episodes across the country.
For more information on PINKS: All Out spectator tickets contact Summit Motorsports Park at (419) 668-5555 or visit www.SummitMotorsportsPark.com.
Hedges & Company Adds Bill Kincaid to Staff
(October 2009) Hudson, Ohio -– Hedges & Company announces the hiring of Bill Kincaid to head up marketing analysis and various marketing projects for clients. Bill came to Hedges & Company after spending seven years at OEConnection where he administered programs for State Farm, Honda, Ford, GM, Chrysler, and Nissan. Bill not only has has an extensive career in the automotive aftermarket but also has experience in the direct marketing industry at Hanover Direct. Bill is experienced in project management, marketing analysis, customer retention, and database development. He has a bachelor's degree in marketing from Kent State University, with an MBA in eBusiness from the University of Phoenix.
Hedges & Company Grows, Acquires New Office Space
(September 2009) Hudson, Ohio -– Hedges & Company, a database marketing, strategic planning and market research firm specializing in the automotive aftermarket industry, motorcycle/powersports industry, and other enthusiast-based market segments, has expanded into larger office space in Hudson, Ohio. The new offices are located in the Cambridge Commons Building located at 126 W Streetsboro Street (also known as State Route 303), Suite 8, Hudson OH 44236.