{"id":114457,"date":"2025-05-19T13:39:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T13:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114457\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T13:39:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T13:39:10","slug":"british-racing-cant-afford-to-be-scared-of-embracing-influencers-the-success-of-the-kentucky-derby-makes-that-clear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114457\/","title":{"rendered":"British racing can\u2019t afford to be scared of embracing influencers – the success of the Kentucky Derby makes that clear"},"content":{"rendered":"

As British racing unveils its new marketing strategy on Tuesday<\/a>, it seems it will draw the line at cosying up too much to influencers, or “pseudo celebrities” as Simon Michaelides, the de facto chief executive of Great British Racing (GBR), called them last week.<\/p>\n

Michaelides\u2019s comments in the Racing Post appeared in the same article as a rundown of the record-breaking coverage of the 151st Kentucky Derby, sparked by influencer Griffin Johnson getting involved with Sandman, the second favourite in this year\u2019s race, through the \u2018A Stake in Stardom\u2019 campaign. Johnson has 14 million followers across his platforms.<\/p>\n

US sports broadcasting has a unique way of building anticipation and excitement, with flashy graphics, buzzing crowds and on-the-spot interviews all creating a sense of occasion that pulls people in. This was seen to great effect at Churchill Downs, where NBC embraced the noise and energy of the track, chatting to A-list celebrities and dropping the viewer straight into the thick of it.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/p>\n

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to unlock<\/p>\n