250ok, an
Indianapolis-based email analytics platform, is filled with local pride — so much so that is sponsoring a team in the Indianapolis 500.
The company is the lead sponsor of the Juncos
Racing team. And its brand will be seen by millions of people nationwide.
For its part, Juncos apparently can use the help. Kyle Kaiser, the chief driver, crashed the team’s car
during practice last Friday.
But he made up for it in the qualifier by beating Fernando Alonso by .02 mph., using an unsponsored vehicle the team had lined up, thus earning the top spot in the
field.
Only one problem: The team needed a sponsor. 250ok seized the opportunity and its logo will adorn the Juncos car during the meet.
A skeptic might wonder if that
logo will lead to conversions. But even if it doesn’t, the race will be a peak experience for 250ok CEO Greg Kraios.
Kraios grew up in Speedway, Indiana and is a lifelong race fan.
Moreover, he identifies with the rags-to-riches story of Juncos Racing founder Ricardo Juncos.
Juncos is from Argentina. But Kraios went through a similar journey, growing up in a
working-class neighborhood in Indiana. Kraios worked for ExactTarget, then started his own company.
Whatever the history, Juncos appreciates the help.
“We needed a sponsor and
were down to the wire,” Ricardo Juncos states. “When Greg offered to support us, and we connected over our personal journeys, we knew this sponsorship was meant to be.”
He
adds that after working hard to qualify for the race, “250ok was the final piece of the puzzle we needed.”
If Kaiser wins, the whole email industry can bask in the reflected
glory.