Office Depot has contest to promote small businesses

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- This election season, millions of voters will flock to polls across the country, review the nominees and make their selection. But the excitement won't be limited to politics -- small business owners also will have the opportunity to mount their own campaign as they vie to become the "Official Small Business of NASCAR Courtesy of Office Depot."

Office Depot, the official office products partner of NASCAR, is offering the support of Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford in the Sprint Cup Series, to help small businesses competing to become the "Official Small Business of NASCAR." Edwards will help rally support for these small businesses through a new and personalized online nomination component called "Connect with Carl" available at www.connectwithcarl.com.

• Connect with Carl
• Office Depot Racing
• Worklife Rewards

Small businesses can enter the sweepstakes online at www.officedepotracing.com now through June 22. As the Office Depot "Official Small Business of NASCAR," the winning business will have its company name and logo featured on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford driven by Edwards and seen by millions of people watching the races in NASCAR's premier series. This unique opportunity gives small businesses the kind of mass-market exposure typically reserved for much larger companies.

"In both business and racing, succeeding is a team effort," Edwards said. "This year, Office Depot's 'Official Small Business of NASCAR' promotion really reflects that approach because small business owners can leverage the support of their co-workers, friends and family to help them have the best chance of winning."

The winning small business's name and logo will appear on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford during the Sept. 26-28 Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Kansas Speedway, which serves as Edwards' home track on the circuit.

"Every year, I've made it a goal to visit Victory Lane with the 'Official Small Business of NASCAR' winner on my car, and I've always wanted to win a race in front of my home crowd," said Edwards, a native of nearby Columbia, Mo. "I know that everyone on the No. 99 Office Depot team will be pumped up and ready to take care of business at Kansas this year."

Chuck Rubin, president of North American Retail for Office Depot, explained that the promotion is an opportunity for Office Depot to continue in its mission to helping small businesses succeed in today's marketplace.

"Office Depot is offering small businesses the opportunity to truly differentiate themselves and leverage the tremendous visibility and exposure from being on the No. 99 Office Depot racecar," Rubin said. "We work very hard to be a partner for our small business customers and provide them with the tools they need to take care of business, capitalize on new opportunities and succeed."

'Connect with Carl'

In 2008, the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" promotion features an exciting new viral component called "Connect with Carl." Once a small business enters the sweepstakes online at www.officedepotracing.com, they will have the opportunity to spread the word to co-workers, friends and family by sending out a customizable e-mail audio message featuring Edwards. Businesses can increase their chance of winning by sending a "Connect with Carl" message and encouraging the recipient to support their small business with a nomination. Each nomination a business receives will count as an additional entry, with the winning small business being selected at random from among all entries.

Each promotion entrant will have a password and dedicated Web page to track nominations, and send e-mails to rally support and gain nominations. They can also submit one additional entry per day via their own page.

By giving small businesses a chance to generate support for their entry among friends, family and co-workers, Office Depot also is providing an online marketing platform that showcases the small business vying to become the "Official Small Business of NASCAR." Additionally, the "Connect with Carl" component can be used not only as a great way to increase a company's chances of winning, but also to spread word of their business to potential customers or business partners, and to create excitement among its own employees.

Prize Package

The logo of the winning business will appear on the TV panel of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford for one race and will be on the car for the remainder of the season as well. Additional prizes include:

• $10,000 Small Business Makeover

• VIP race weekend at the Sept. 26-28 Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Kansas Speedway

• Company logo, Web site design by Logoworks, plus business stationery courtesy of Office Depot Design, Print & Ship Depot

• Two-year membership to Lifelock Identity Theft protection service for 10 employees

• A private coaching session with NASCAR executives, including an insider's look at the business of NASCAR

Enter To Win

Registration for the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" promotion begins on April 27 and runs through June 22. Entries can be submitted online at www.officedepotracing.com. No purchase is required.

The "Official Small Business of NASCAR" promotion is open to small businesses with no more than 99 employees, and customers must be a member of the Office Depot Worklife Rewards program. To become a Worklife Rewards member, sign up at www.myworkliferewards.com or visit any Office Depot retail location. This industry-leading loyalty program provides 10 percent back on ink, toner and paper purchases, as well as Design, Print & Ship Depot services, plus an additional 1 percent back on nearly everything else. It is designed to reward loyal customers by giving them money back on the products and supplies they use the most.