An America’s Best Racing campaign in which influencers are given small ownership percentages in horses has earned the multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform a top honor from the American Business Awards.
America’s Best Racing and Branch and Bramble were honored for the campaign, “A Stake in Stardom Influencer Campaign.” It earned a 2023 Gold Stevie in the influencer marketing campaign category. Winners are determined by the average scores of more than 240 professionals worldwide in the three-month judging process.
Launched in March, 2022, the “A Stake in Stardom,” campaign initially saw two brand ambassadors, TikTok influencer Sarah Cline and former Barstool Sports contributor and impressionist Joey Mulinaro, become partial owners of 3-year-old racehorses in partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds. Designed to immerse both Cline and Mulinaro into the exciting world of elite Thoroughbred racing, “A Stake in Stardom” offered the brand ambassadors the opportunity to experience the sport and lifestyle of Thoroughbred racing up close and attend major racing events such as the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
In awarding ABR the top honor, judges noted:
• This is a great idea. Rotating the influencers is a nice touch. Giving them partial ownership is brilliant.
• Such a great and complex campaign. Only to promote a brand it’s not that difficult, but to change a mindset it’s pretty hard. Congratulations on your hard work, the numbers speak for themselves.
• This is a great campaign. Very compelling results, innovative use of influencers, and a clear goal. The submission is well-written and well-documented and the achievements shine through.
The American Business Awards is a program of The Stevie Awards. They were created in 2002 to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide. In short order the Stevie has become one of the world’s most coveted prizes. The American Business Awards are open to all organizations operating in the United States, and feature a variety of categories to recognize achievement in every facet of the workplace.
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This year, there were over 3,700 entrants. Stevie Award judges include many of the world’s most respected executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, and business educators. More than 1,000 professionals worldwide participate in the Stevie Award judging process each year. Past Stevie Award winners include Acer Inc., Apple, BASF, BT, Ford Motor Company, ING, Procter & Gamble, Roche Group, and Samsung, among many others.
America’s Best Racing is a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform, initiated by The Jockey Club, designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America’s best Thoroughbred racing events with a primary focus on the sport’s lifestyle and competition.
