RFK is moving away from sweet dinner rolls, understandably, but the reason lies in a conflict with Bimbo, sparked by RFK’s intention to partner with a prominent U.S. grocery giant. With NASCAR’s approval, no less. What? Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to amend and extend my statements. Here we go … For the last […]
RFK is moving away from sweet dinner rolls, understandably, but the reason lies in a conflict with Bimbo, sparked by RFK’s intention to partner with a prominent U.S. grocery giant. With NASCAR’s approval, no less.
What?
Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to amend and extend my statements.
Here we go …
For the last three years, King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls has been a key sponsor for the No. 6 NASCAR Ford of Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing — the vehicle piloted by team co-owner Brad Keselowski.
(Quick note: Each time those dinner rolls are spotted on Kez’s vehicle, cravings kick in because, honestly, a King’s Hawaiian might technically qualify as a dinner roll, but it surpasses 90% of the desserts available. Honestly, place an asbestos-dusted piece of liver in a King’s roll, and I’m in.)
GREAT AMERICAN READ:Our Daytona 500 history book is a must-have and, indeed, an excellent Christmas present
Major grocery retailer Kroger has been the primary supporter of JTG Daugherty Racing, which has recently undergone ownership changes and rebranded as Hyak Motorsports.
Kroger, eager to establish a more prominent presence in NASCAR (i.e., desires its logo in the front group more frequently) departed from Hyak to join RFK, starting with the forthcoming 2025 season, when it will showcase its brand name and logo on all three RFK cars at various times.
RFK, Kroger, and King’s: Three’s a crowd
The devil, that rascal, lurks in the intricacies. Let’s allow the business experts at Sports Business Journal to illustrate the devil’s mischief …
“Kroger utilizes a vendor model in NASCAR where it collaborates with numerous brands that offer products in its stores to help finance the sponsorship and share in the advertising perks.”
Visit a Kroger display in a NASCAR fan zone, and one of the complimentary snacks you grab will probably be something available on the Kroger shelf. It might just come from Bimbo Bakeries USA.
You heard that right, Bimbo Bakeries. Fine, you may not recognize the name, but you’ve definitely heard of Thomas’ English Muffins, Sara Lee, and Entenmann’s. All are part of the cheerful and carb-heavy Bimbo family.
In the realm of corporate marketing, a King and Bimbo form a conflicting duo. It’s ironic. In this situation, Kroger (and by extension, Bimbo) is the sponsorship behemoth compared to King’s Hawaiian’s partial-season support. Marketing 101 teaches you not to mix nicely with direct rivals.
Thus, King’s is now on the hunt for a new NASCAR ally.
And that’s beneficial news for NASCAR, by the way.
It’s a reassuring indication that NASCAR isn’t losing the King’s bread
Around twenty years ago, sponsorships were plentiful, and NASCAR was surrounded by abundance. Marketing approaches evolve, as always, and over the years, NASCAR teams began to lose full-season sponsors and piecing together funding with a mix of corporate sponsors covering different segments of the season.
Some sponsors did not merely downscale their participation but departed completely (where have you gone, Adolph Coors?). So the fact that King’s isn’t using this opportunity to exit … that’s significant.
It’ll be even more significant for whichever team secures a part-time funding partner, whose annual contribution is projected to be in the low seven figures, should there indeed be a low seven figures.
Perhaps King’s will find a new ride in time for the official kickoff of the 2025 NASCAR regular season, which is set for Feb. 16 with the 67th edition of the Daytona 500.
