HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- Mars Inc. will be honored with the 2012 NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award at the Encore at Wynn in Las Vegas on Thursday. The achievement will be recognized during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards and will honor Mars for its 23-year partnership with NASCAR.

Mars has directly reached out to racing fans across many platforms including public relations, promotions, intellectual property, online, broadcasting, event marketing and retail.

"The NASCAR sponsorship model is driven by brand loyalty and Mars has been behind the wheel of a best-in-class partnership," said William Clements, vice president of sponsorships and sports marketing for Mars Chocolate North America. "Our successes have been led by innovation that extends to customers, consumers and associates, and capitalizes on NASCAR's broad fan base that represents approximately one-third of the U.S. adult population. We are honored by this award and continue to see the strength and growth of our partnership with NASCAR."

According to Mars, the candy and snacks company receives a four-to-one return on its investment in NASCAR, and its sponsorships represent one-fifth of season sales for the brand.

"Mars' execution of a fully integrated strategy within NASCAR exemplifies the spirit of the award and has been the catalyst to the brand's success in the sport," said Jim O'Connell, chief sales officer for NASCAR. "One of our longest standing partners took full advantage of its sponsorship, raising the bar with innovative ideas designed to engage our brand loyal fan base, its associates and ultimately move product off the shelf."