Monster Jam Drives Program to Walmart

Aurora, Ill. — Feld Motor Sports Inc. partnered with Walmart from January into this month for a merchandise and ticket program at more than 1,000 stores in more than 70 markets. And as part of the program, Feld brought its "Monster Jam" trucks to parking lots at a limited number of stores for promotional events.Feld has produced stadium-based monster truck shows for 30 years, establishing itself as the largest touring monster truck property worldwide. For half that time, Feld has run a successful retail-licensing program based on its "Monster Jam" intellectual property and the trucks that compete in its events.Walmart is among a wide range of retailers that sell Monster Jam-licensed merchandise – including toys, video games, bedding and apparel – for good reason. "Monster Jam is the number one selling event through Ticketmaster kiosks at Walmart," says Mark Abernethy, Feld's senior director of brand marketing and licensing, even besting concerts and sporting events.More than 1,200 Walmart stores carry the Ticketmaster kiosk, Abernethy says, but for those stores without a kiosk, consumers can buy tickets at Walmart.com/ticketmaster. The Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam shows (the auto parts chain is the title sponsor) take over major arenas; Feld staged January shows at Ford Field in Detroit and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.At the parking lot events, Walmart shoppers could take photos with the trucks and get autographs from drivers, while buying the exclusive souvenirs and purchasing special "family four-packs" of tickets through the Ticketmaster kiosks. Feld promoted the events via local media, TV, radio, online and social media.Inside stores, large merchandise pallets touted ways to buy the family four packs and were "fully decorated in Monster Jam graphic design," Abernethy says. Produced by New Creature, Rogers, Ark., the pallets have three designated sections of items: one dedicated to Mattel Inc.'s Hot Wheels toys, one for exclusive souvenir items and one for apparel.Mattel is the die-cast toy partner for Monster Jam and also sponsors the "Team Hot Wheels Firestorm" monster truck, which was scheduled to appear at the parking lot events. At the events, children could engage with the toys at an interactive Hot Wheels display.Bioworld Merchandising, Irving, Texas, provides the apparel, and Rico Industries, Niles, Ill., provides the souvenirs.Feld did not designate one specific area for the pallets to appear. "It's a store-by-store decision," Abernethy says. "Some are placed right when you walk in, some are near electronics because that's where the Ticketmaster kiosk is, some have gone near apparel, and some go near toys because toys are so strong."He says Feld will determine which location worked best, while measuring the parking lot events by how many shoppers come through and the conversion into ticket and merchandise sales.Feld involved no brand other than Hot Wheels in the campaign, including Advance Auto Parts, which sponsors a truck in addition to its title sponsorship role.Feld launched the program in 2012 in only four markets but rolled it out to more than 70 this year, knowing its target. "It's definitely mom, dad and the kids," Abernethy says. "That's who our audience is, and that's who we market it to."

Monster Jam Drives Program to Walmart

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