Embark Digital Revs Up For 2014 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix #DetroitGP

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Inside Track," a unique social media fan engagement program created in support of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix (#DetroitGP), will be back again this year with even more opportunities for fans to share in the action-packed excitement of race weekend, May 30–June 1.

"In 2013, we surpassed many of our expectations in terms of sponsors participating in our event, as well as overall media coverage for the Grand Prix," said Merrill Cain, Director of Public and Community Relations for the race. "'The Inside Track' social media program really ramped up our ability to extend the excitement and engagement of the event to a new, younger group of fans that followed us through a variety of social media channels."

Developed by Embark Digital, "The Inside Track" provided 2013 race attendees with a behind-the-scenes look at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. According to Mark Russell, Embark Digital president, the program used Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare to encourage fans to explore the venue, share their experiences during race weekend and educate attendees about Grand Prix racing. Attendees commented, tweeted, and took photos and videos to share with their online communities. And, with each piece of content posted, fans were encouraged to use the official race hashtag, #DetroitGP.

In 2014, the Grand Prix is taking "The Inside Track" to the next level, creating three distinct engagement opportunities for fans to engage with the Grand Prix through the key social channels of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

New this year, fans will enjoy the Cadillac Pit Stop, located at the Cadillac Racing display along the midway when fans enter the race venue. The Cadillac Pit Stop, complete with comfortable seating and large monitors to track live social feeds and on-track action, will be a place for fans to recharge their legs and their phones. "The Inside Track" is also introducing the Chevy Garage, where fans will find numerous ways to engage socially with drivers, including taking "selfies" alongside Chevy car displays and driver cutouts to share on social media.

In addition, "The Inside Track" will feature Ally Auto interviews throughout the weekend with video interviews and features shot with Grand Prix stars, celebrities and newsmakers captured from inside the media center. These short, compelling clips will be perfectly suited for viral video content from the Grand Prix.

A recap of the 2013 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix social media results:

• The Grand Prix's Twitter activation valued at $91,264 with 20,317 total mentions and a National trending topic time of three hours (peaking at #2 spot)
• The Grand Prix's official Facebook page saw a total of 6,920 content likes; 363,764 impressions and a total reach of 107,234 users between March 31 and June 2, 2013. The total value of the Facebook activation was $1,205,826
• Video media broadcasts saw viewership of 276,538 individuals with 841 news release stories published locally and nationally, bringing public relations efforts to a total value of $845,375

"Sports fans no longer settle for only listening to a broadcaster announce the excitement of the race; they want to see the action and prove they were a part of it," says Russell. "Being able to sit at a turn of the race, snap a photo of a car accelerating by that's traveling at 130 miles per hour, and share it with your online community, that is a level of engagement new fans love."

See the video interview of Mark Russell, President, Embark Digital, http://youtu.be/VyXqY3llY_4.

About Embark Digital
Embark Digital, a Duffey Petrosky company, offers clients strategic digital, social and mobile marketing communications solutions, inspiring consumers to engage deeply with brands. For more information, visit www.embarkdigital.com.

About Duffey Petrosky:
Duffey Petrosky is an award-winning, Michigan-based, full-service marketing communications agency where the definition of success is finding and implementing the right answer for clients. For the past 16 years, Duffey Petrosky has grown by attracting top-tier talent in every discipline. The agency has been consecutively listed on Inc. Magazine's 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America from 2009 to 2013. The agency has also been named one of the Detroit Free Press's Top Workplaces from 2009 to 2013. For more information, visit www.duffeypetrosky.com.

About Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is a 501(c)3 organization and a subsidiary of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. Scheduled for May 30–June 1, 2014, the event will include the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans featuring cars of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers with the sports cars of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the Cadillac V-Series Challenge presented by the Metro Detroit Cadillac Dealers featuring the cars of the Pirelli World Challenge Series and the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks Series. Partners for the 2014 Grand Prix include General Motors, Quicken Loans and MotorCity Casino Hotel. For more information, visit www.DetroitGP.com and follow our social media pages at www.facebook.com/detroitgp and www.twitter.com/detroitgp.

SOURCE Embark Digital