How to Get Sponsored by Ford Performance

When Ford Performance joined the Off-Road Sponsorship Summit for the first time, I asked Matthew Winter, its global off-road marketing manager, to cover everything a racer needs to know about getting a Ford deal in fifteen minutes. He did. His answers show a company that races to sell trucks and to prove they work, that has a specific team handling racing, and that wants partners who solve problems instead of creating them.

Ford races to sell and to prove its trucks

Winter's first answer was about product. "We're trying to promote a lot of our consumer products right now. I think we have probably one of the most compelling lineups in our history with three different Raptors in our lineup, the reintroduction of Bronco," he said. Off-road also feeds Ford's wider racing story: "We're hoping that if you like what we're doing in off-road, you're going to like what we're doing with sports car, with F1." And it's a test lab: "It's a great way to prove what we're doing in a real world environment, and then that trickles down to the consumer eventually and makes better road going products." ▶ Watch Matthew Winter explain why Ford sponsors off-road

Product launches matter, but they aren't the whole story. "We definitely put a big push behind what we were doing with Bronco when that was coming out," Winter said, and Ford kept racing it afterward because "we want to have it be a continuous improvement process." ▶ See the full answer

That proof has to connect to the customer. "Obviously tech transfer is a big part. We're testing out shocks constantly in the off-road environment," he said. Ford also wants buyers to know "that the vehicles that they have in their driveway a lot of times are the same vehicle that we raced." Even if you don't race a Ford, your paddock might be Ford's market: "A lot of people are using our Super Duty pickup trucks or F-150s to get to the race, and those are definitely an avenue where we want to be a part of that. We want to be the truck that you rely on for getting your rig to the race, chasing the race." ▶ Watch the clip

Talk to Ford Performance, not the brand teams

Ford is a huge company, and racers waste a lot of time with the wrong people. "If you want to reach out and get involved in anything with the racing program, it's going to be the team at Ford Performance," Winter said. People on the consumer brand teams "are going to be very polite and take your name," he explained, but they focus on consumers, not racing deals. "So definitely look for the people in the blue Ford Performance shirts." ▶ Watch Winter on who to approach

Do your homework, then find the blind spot

Research is how you stand out. "I think doing a lot of research is the key, especially when approaching one of us on the Ford team, knowing what Ford's doing and where our initiatives are, what's kind of coming to market, even if it's a little bit of rumors," Winter said. Know which areas are already covered, then explain how your program helps what Ford is trying to achieve "and where we have a blind spot that we might need to fix." ▶ Watch the clip

Then show up. Winter wants racers who know where Ford has competed and who "have come up and said hi to us, introduced themselves at races, so we can start building that rapport." Later, the pitch can reference what Ford did there and where you'd recommend improvement. ▶ Watch the full session

Ford budgets on a January-to-December year and is deep into next season's decisions well before this one ends. Vehicle cycle plans are set years out, so Winter suggested "reading about where we're going, our electrification, different vehicles, and trying to read a little bit between the lines there to see what kind of initiatives" Ford wants to push. ▶ Watch Winter on timing

Be camera-ready and self-sufficient

For new drivers, content is the currency. "We're looking at what you have on social media, that unique voice that you're able to bring, and then what your content creation capabilities are," Winter said. Off-road is hard to film: "There's a lot of miles out there. We can't put a camera behind every cactus, unfortunately." Ford wants teams that are "already camera ready," and teams "that are well established and aren't going to have issues if they break down. They're going to be able to fix them. You know, they're problem solvers." ▶ Watch Winter on what a Ford deal looks like

In return, Ford offers reach and support: "introducing you to our global audience, getting you out there on those cross promotions to other racers." And, he added, "one of the best perks is you can hopefully get a Raptor to go chase the race with." ▶ See the full answer

Let your partners vouch for you

A good track record with other sponsors can open the door. "We definitely take recommendations from our partners," Winter said. "If they give us a thumbs up that this is someone that they'd like to work with, they have a great track record with, we'll definitely take a good look at them." If your shock or tire sponsor already works with Ford, its endorsement counts. ▶ Watch the clip

Keep the deal with numbers and progress

Ford measures. "We use Hookit to track a lot of social performance," Winter said, and expects to see "a lot of growth, especially once you get into the Ford ecosystem." On track, expectations depend on the program: "If it's a finish and learn kind of effort, you know, we'll like to see that driver development, see that you're improving." For competitive efforts, Ford wants to see you getting closer to the podium. ▶ Watch Winter on keeping a Ford sponsorship

His last piece of advice was about attitude. "The people that I like to work with the most are the people that are just the easiest. They're problem solvers. Be that kind of person that people want to sponsor," he said. "If there is a problem, you know, bring solutions, not problems to us." ▶ Watch his closing advice

Your checklist for Ford Performance

• Pitch the Ford Performance racing team, not the consumer brand teams.
• Research Ford's current racing, products and initiatives, and pitch a blind spot you can fill.
• Introduce yourself at races where Ford competes before you send anything.
• Show strong content capability and a program that can fix its own problems.
• Get your existing sponsors who work with Ford to recommend you.
• Plan around a January-to-December budget, and track growth so your renewal has numbers behind it.