Toyota Goes Extra Mile With Marathon Activation
Posted: 10/14/2009 8:33:55 AM by
Rob Campbell | with 0 comments
With the Bank of America Chicago Marathon behind us, sights are set on the next major event on the running calendar: November’s ING New York City Marathon.
Unlike those who are particularly adept runners (my running style has occasionally been compared to that of a Mack truck), I focus not on incredible feats of endurance but feats of sponsorship activation.
One of the best activation examples of the upcoming ING New York City Marathon comes to us courtesy of Toyota.
Through its Pick the Champions promotion, second-tier sponsor Toyota offers fans the opportunity to win a 2010 Prius by correctly picking the male and female winners of the November 1 race.
By running this type of promotional contest around their sponsorship, Toyota is able to reach consumers it would not have been able to reach by focusing on event-based activation alone.
This increased reach not only helps generate buzz around the marathon (which is already one of the more recognized endurance events) but also helps raise awareness of top runners, which is beneficial for the sport in general.
Instead of taking the easy route and simply marketing to participants and fans in attendance, Toyota was able to increase the relevance and reach of its sponsorship by focusing on an unconventional endurance sport activation platform.
This example of activation by Toyota is especially encouraging given the recent state of the auto category.
The unfortunate demise of GM’s Saturn brand will undoubtedly have an impact on the world of endurance sports, where Saturn (to a lesser extent than previous years) has been a major sponsor of several events.
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Filed under: automotive, marathon, sports, activation