NASCAR names Brett Jewkes to lead Integrated Marketing Communications

DAYTONA BEACH, FL. (Feb. 11, 2011) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today that Brett Jewkes has been selected to lead the sanctioning body’s new Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) department as vice president and chief communications officer. Jewkes will assume his new role on April 13, 2011 and will be based in NASCAR’s Charlotte, N.C., office.

Jewkes will join NASCAR after 13 years at Taylor, a marketing communications firm, where he has served as a managing partner since 2004. While at Taylor, Jewkes opened and led the company’s regional offices in Charlotte, N.C., and Chicago, Ill., built and oversaw the firm’s motorsports practice and has provided ongoing strategic counsel and project management services to a number of leading organizations and brands, including NASCAR. In 2010, Taylor was recognized as Consumer Agency of the Decade by The Holmes Report, and the firm’s transformation from sports-oriented public relations agency to brand counselor and marketing communications partner to leading brands was presented as a Harvard University Case Study.    
          
“We are extremely pleased to have a professional the caliber of Brett Jewkes join our executive management team and lead this critical function for our company, and the industry, in the years to come,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer. “Brett’s marketing communications expertise and broad experience working with top brands at a premier agency, coupled with his very unique understanding of NASCAR and our industry, will be tremendous assets to our company.”

Jewkes will assume responsibility for all communications functions at NASCAR, including the development of communications strategy and management of each operational area of the IMC department, including: competition, sport services, stakeholder communications, brand and consumer marketing, digital and social media strategy, business communications, NASCAR Media Group/entertainment and crisis communications. He will also contribute to the development of corporate strategy and provide ongoing counsel to the executive team.

“We conducted a comprehensive search, vetting over 50 candidates and interviewing nearly 20 over the last several months, and I can’t overstate how pleased we were with the quality of candidates that pursued this opportunity,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “In the end, Brett’s industry knowledge, vision for IMC at NASCAR and his proven ability to build strong, productive relationships were the primary factors in selecting him for this important role. We are thrilled he will be joining NASCAR.”

During his tenure at Taylor, Jewkes and the agency’s Brand Counsel Group spearheaded assignments with NASCAR, including a comprehensive strategic review of NASCAR and industry communications practices in early 2010. Additionally, he has led NASCAR-related marketing communications campaigns for Allstate Insurance Company, Alltel, Ask.com, Gillette, Diageo, Levi Strauss Signature, ISC and several others. Under his leadership, Taylor’s Safe Search Schools campaign in support of Ask.com’s NASCAR sponsorship was awarded a Silver Anvil, the Public Relations Society of America’s highest honor, in the category of Reputation/Brand Management.

Beyond NASCAR, Jewkes has led marketing communications campaigns to support various client partner sponsorships of the NFL, MLB, NBA, U.S. Olympic Committee, PGA TOUR and a number of collegiate sports properties. In addition, Jewkes has played a lead strategic role in a number of campaigns for brands such as Kimberly-Clark, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Nestle Purina, Spalding and Merck. Prior to joining Taylor in 1998, Jewkes worked at New York-based public relations agency Coltrin & Associates, and before that served four years in the athletics media relations department at Southern Utah University. He is a native of North Logan, Utah, and a graduate of Brigham Young University.

“I love the sport and have always felt blessed to work with the great people at NASCAR and in such a dynamic industry,” said Jewkes. “This represents a new and exciting professional challenge for me in an arena I’m very passionate about. I am forever grateful to Taylor for preparing me over the past 13 years to assume this responsibility and look forward to working closely with them in my new role.”

Jewkes, his wife, Melissa, and their three children currently reside in Deerfield, Ill. They will relocate to Charlotte this summer.