Five Tips From the First-Time-Event Finish Line
Posted: 12/2/2009 9:38:50 AM by
Diane Knoepke | with 0 comments
In step with IEG’s projection that North American companies will increase their spending on marathons and running events by 2.5 percent in 2009 (to an estimated $86.1 million), I had the pleasure of participating in an inaugural half marathon event on November 22nd.
The first-time event—the Women’s Running magazine Women’s Half Marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society—was held in St. Petersburg, Florida. While I was first and foremost there as a charity runner, I had plenty of time on and off the course to check out the sponsorship activity. While my running resume is by no means prolific (especially compared to IEG’s resident ultramarathoner Shan Riggs), I have participated in enough races of varying distances, sizes and sponsor profiles to know the drill.
We all know that a first-time event is a tough sell for the property and a significant execution and activation challenge for the property and its sponsors. Overall, this event went very well. While the line-up area was crowded and that drew some complaints from the ladies sharing air with me at the start, the event was well-designed, well-executed, and well-sponsored.
Here are a few of my takeaways from the first-time-event finish line.
- Embed predictability. The Women’s Half brought on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a beneficiary and “title sponsor.” LLS’ Team in Training (TNT) program, a known quantity in endurance sports, not only generated additional sure-thing participants but also considerable promotion for the event nationwide through direct mail to TNT alumni and other lists, coverage in informational meetings, and hype on TNT web sites and social media. Women’s Running magazine (event producer and title sponsor) also included guaranteed media and promotion into its sponsorship packages. Ad space online and in the magazine, as well as promotion at over 40 other running events, helped sponsors legitimize the investment before knowing how many runners would show up on race weekend.
- Sweat the small stuff. (And the big stuff too.) “Official Recovery Footwear” sponsor Crocs gave the most talked about goody-bag item—pink Crocs—and organically leveraged their event sponsorship by building participant buzz and good PR on the part of organizers. But here’s the rub: the Crocs brand let all the size-9 ladies down by substituting baby pink Crocs for the [advertised] hot pink Crocs all the other sizes received. (I was in the size-8 camp, but noticed the humdrum bin of light pink clogs and overheard disappointed comments from ladies in the area walking away with less sassy-hued pairs.) At an event that exuded hot-pink personality and reinforced that spirit through a hot pink event logo, hot pink medal ribbons, hot pink bib numbers, and hot pink floral goody bags, the sponsors’ execution needed to live up to the event’s promise to make everything perfect for participants. The details matter (especially with this much advance hype) and Crocs should have found a way to fix it, at least by sending hot pink pairs to size-9 participants’ homes post-event. If there was such an arrangement, I’d love to hear about it, as the woman passing out the Crocs offered no such solution or any explanation.
- Title sponsors, get over yourself. While Women’s Running magazine aimed to raise its profile with participants and gain subscribers, it did not do so at the cost of the event. We have all seen title sponsors and event owners lose sight of the audience and make it all about them. Women’s Running magazine did several small, simple things that made the event, and the magazine, more accessible and authentic to participants. For one, the official name of the event is a mouthful. Realizing that participants would not call it by its 14-word given name, they embraced the “women’s half” or “women’s half marathon” moniker by putting it front and center in the logo, on the web site, on Twitter (@WomensHalf), in verbal recognition, and so on. It’s a subtle thing that went a long way, as it made the women the focus and reinforced the message that ran throughout: this is your half marathon, Ladies. We are here to serve you. It also made the event a lot easier to activate for the other sponsors.
- Personalize it. Dawna Stone, founder of Women’s Running magazine and the event, is one smart cookie. Case in point: she made herself very accessible as a face of the effort. She spoke at a dinner for the TNT participants the night before the race and reinforced the staff and sponsors’ commitment to making the event as good as it could be for participants. She also made herself visible on race day (rather than hiding in a VIP tent) and I was able to talk with her for a few minutes in the finish area. She made it clear in each interaction I had with her—in both words and actions—that listening to participants was as important of a job as any she had. Sponsors: get someone front and center who can find (and communicate) a passion for the property and its participants, or get out of the way.
- Order the extra port-a-potties. Your participants, and your sponsors, will thank you. Kudos to the Women’s Half—shortest lines ever!
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Filed under: cause marketing, events, local, marathon, activation