Taste of Chicago

Last weekend's Bank of America Chicago Marathon featured a wide array of large-scale event marketing set-ups with elaborately constructed booths catering to the tens of thousands of participants and spectators. Three brands in particular - Bank of America, Volkswagon and Nike - involved so many elements they deserve their own posts which will follow in the coming days, but here are a few pictures from how some of the other big companies spent their dollars in Chi-town:

Mizuno was the only shoe company that had on-site running analysis, which is a far cry from Boston this year when every shoe company activated in this way. The outside of their booth space featured a collage of the 29 neighborhoods through which the Marathon passes and significant mile markers along the course. This makes for an emotional, interesting, and attention-capturing booth exterior. Adidas did something very similar this year in Boston (pictured third), although without pictures in which Mizuno's added another element.

Gatorade arrived with their sweat test booth, featuring runners jogging on a treadmill hooked up to a machine measuring and analyzing their sweat. They also provided free samples of a number of their products - both of the elements have been present at other races throughout the year, namely Boston.

The Asics booth was visually appealing and in a great lcation, but was nothing more than a glorified Asics store.

The same for New Balance, however I liked their hanging "video screen signage".

Noticeably absent from this event was official apparel sponsor Nike's top running footwear competitor Adidas. They chose instead to send Reebok, apparently conceeding running in Chicago to Nike, and perhaps to promote Reebok as a legitimate running shoe contender. This was the same Reebok display on-site at this year's Peachtree Road Race.

The enormity and design of the displays caught my eye immediately. They were set up very well and from what I gather, were effective and conducive to large sales numbers over the weekend. Just wait until you see Nike...

McCheck Your Runner

At the Bank of America Chicago Marathon over last weekend, ten McDonald's restaurants along the course featured check points for spectators to check the status of their runners. This is a great feature to add as a corporate partner because it provides a function for all those attending the race. I have seen other companies do mobile "Find Your Runner" stations (HP in Boston), which adds another element to this activation.

While I thought this idea was an effective way to drive traffic directly into the stores, the check points themselves left something to be desired. The time stations turned out to be nothing more than two guys with a couple of computers, which gets the point across and satisfies the function, but more structure and innovation could have made a lot more out of these in-store assets.

At a minimum, they should have had a booth or some sort of formal branding materials to make the stations look more official. They also could have leveraged this activation opportunity to incorporate other marketing initiatives as spectators entered the stores. On a local level, they might have done something incorporating their Monopoly game to incentivize people to visit multiple locations and collect game pieces. I suppose it is McDonald's and in that sense, this partnership means relatively little to them in the big picture, but there are always ways to sqeeze more out of marketing opportunities.

Spotty Activation

One way to get your brand noticed is to dress people up in outlandish costumes. It may seem simple, but word-of-mouth spreads rapidly at the sight of a crazy "mascot". For example, at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this weekend, a giant liver was seen roaming the aisles on behalf of the American Cancer Society and instantly became a topic of conversation.

Last weekend, four "spots" were seen making their way through the crowds of the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon promoting a line of health foods by Eating Right, urging people to "Spot Your Needs."

The spots drew much of the same attention, with people overheard saying, "Look, there are those spots again!" Whether or not people took away the branding message remained to be seen, but they were certainly well-noticed.

Number 50

In honor of my 50th post on "Running the Best Races", I thought it only fitting to do an abbreviated review of the book "50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days - and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!", written by ultra-marathon man Dean Karnazes. The premise of the book follows Dean's journey to run 50 marathon in 50 states in 50 days, while beautifully incorporating tips and useful information throughout the story. Beginning in St. Charles, Missouri, Dean and the North Face team successfully completed all 50 races, capping the tour off with the 2006 ING New York Marathon (which he ran in 3:00:30!).

Personally, the most interesting element of the book, beside Dean's feat of incredible human endurance, was the organization and event management of the 50 races. There were eight "live races" during the seven-plus weeks and 42 marathons that were recreated for the North Face Endurance 50. Contact was made with 42 different marathon race directors to stage a re-running of their race on the identical course to promote legitimacy and attract a small field of accompanying athletes. The crew would drive from the previous race until late at night, check in to a hotel for a few hours of rest, and begin set up of the course and finish festival in time to begin each race at 8am. The small group of runners had a police escort throughout the race, thus requiring minimal road closures, and were followed by a SAG (Supplies And Gear) wagon to aid runners along the way. Following the race, Dean would sign autographs and fulfill media obligations for a couple hours, and the crew would pack up and get on the road for the next event. Like most tours, they struggled at first, but eventually found their groove and had the execution down to a science.

I truly enjoyed this book, as a runner, an event marketer, and as a person in awe of what human beings can accomplish. I would highly recommend it, particularly to runners who are looking to be informed and inspired, astonished and amused. Run on and read on!

Helpful Distinctions

There are endless amounts of people that contribute to making an endurance event succeed. Race staff, volunteers, and medical staff all play crucial roles in the execution of the event and when something is needed, it helps to know who's who. Elite Racing implements different dress codes for the different contingents working the race to make it easier for participants, spectators, and anyone else to identify who to seek out. As pictured below: volunteers were all given blue, "Race Crew" shirts; the medical staff was given red shirts; and the event staff wore official Rock 'n' Roll San Jose jackets for the expo and on race day.

Races wouldn't exist without runners, but couldn't exist without hard working volunteers and staff. Giving volunteers at least a free shirt is always a great idea, not only will it help athletes identify them, but everyone appreciates good freebies. The shirts are branded with the race logo and a few of the top sponsor logos, which can be added value to your corporate partners. By having the race staff wear the same shirts or jackets, confusion can be reduced as people know who to go to with questions. This strategy also gives the race operations a more "official" feel. Simple ideas can often go a long way.

No Such Thing As Garbage Inventory

When it comes to generating revenue for an endurance event, it's important to consider every piece of inventory at your "disposal". The Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon featured race day trash cans wrapped with signage for two local radio stations.

Trash cans are clearly a staple at every event and should be in abundance for keeping the area clean. This provides plenty of empty sign space that can certainly be added to any sponsorship package. Consider that athletes and spectators alike often seek out trash cans on a regular basis and the brand impressions can be very advantageous. While caution should be taken to ensure that the wraps are done in a tasteful, aesthetically pleasing fashion, trash cans can reap benefits that might otherwise be "thrown away".

Sponsors Unite

According to a recent article by Terry Lefton in Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal, The Food Emporium is championing a collaboration among sponsors for the upcoming ING New York City Marathon. As a new, signature sponsor of the Marathon, The Food Emporium will involve other sponsors such as Asics, PowerBar, Emerald Nuts, and Barilla Pasta and run in-store promotions beginning October 17. Essentially, the marketing initiative will contain print advertising on the store's well circulated publication, end-cap displays, promotional discounts, and a sweepstakes with prizes from the participating sponsors.

This collaboration is a great way for sponsors to come together and leverage their collective sponsorships. Cross-promotion can be an effective strategy as long as the brands align and it makes sense for all concerned. This can open additional markets and avenues that brands might not touch without the participating co-sponsors. Corporate partners working together can create lasting relationships and enhance branding efforts which, in the end, benefit the race and the endurance community.