A New Balance on Marathon Monday

A New Balance on Marathon Monday

It's one of the most famed races in the United States, and basically a holiday in good ol' Beantown. With the marathon drawing in runners and spectators from all over the world, it is a perfect opportunity for sporting goods brands to market themselves. But what happens when you can't get the prestigious role of being the sole sponsor? You bend the rules.

Just ask New Balance, the Boston-based shoe company, who has launched a full ambush on Boston in preparation for Marathon Monday. They are outpacing the official shoe sponsor of the race, Adidas, and tying their brand in with just about everything that has to do to with the trek from Hopkintown to Boston. Why? Because according to New Balance, "We Run This Town." The motto is the spark behind the largest promotional campaign they have ever run -- no pun intended. In fact, they are doing everything they can besides paying the sponsorship fees that Adidas is shelling out.

They are outfitting the Upper Crust pizza chain employees throughout the city, leading course tours, assisting runners and spectators with tips through their website, handing out goodie bags full of their merchandise, plastering the city with promotional banners, and providing a "Recover Faster" post-race event at all Boston Sports Clubs. This carefully crafted campaign also includes a limited edition shoe, sold exclusively at Tanners in Boston. The shoe is a customized version of the heritage running shoe, called the "Boston 993". The 72 pairs -- 36 for males, 36 for women -- are inspired by the prestigious event, with black suede and lime or lake blue piping. They also say "RUN" and "BOS" on the back of the respective shoes.

While their tactics may not exactly be traditional, and will probably piss off a lot of competing companies, they are definitely turning some heads. It's this kind of risk taking that makes a brand. Since they aren't breaking any specific rules, there is nothing anyone can do to stop them. New Balance has strategically rode the lines, and are using their knowledge of the city to put them to the forefront of the running shoe market, at least for today. Placing ads and kiosks in everyday places, in places where the runners themselves are going to frequent besides the course itself, makes them have a presence. While their campaign's success is yet to be determined, the buzz that is being generated around their strategy alone is definitely helping. Besides, having your name associated with any marathon is huge, simply for the sheer number of people, but to successfully work the Boston Marathon into your repertoire may be the largest honor you could have when it comes to running sneakers.

According to their running marketing director, Josh Rowe, "We are looking to capitalize on the fact we know Boston best -- we live here, we run here." Well, welcome runners, to New Balance's city.

-Mia

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Markets are the Name of the Game

Markets are the Name of the Game

An idea by the worldwide leader in sports has taken off in an unexpected way. The experimental launch of city-specific ESPN websites (see ESPNDallas.com, ESPNBoston.com as examples) have left execs “blown away” by the results.


The sites work to offer content that is geared toward local markets of super-fandom – in order to bypass national sporting news, but provide the quality of content that is expected from the original. The idea was to put centrally-located options for fans in the cities themselves, suburbs, and transplant fans.

In order to keep the standards of ESPN, the site developers searched for reporters and feature writers that have a history in the city and a strong value in sports reporting. This included nabbing staff from local newspapers and websites, and offering them the most coveted job in sports, working for ESPN.

Working as their own miniature version of SportsCenter, the sites provide clips of news – in the familiar format – allowing for centralized content that may not have gotten the same attention on the national version. We’ve all been there: casually turning on SportsCenter as you’re getting ready for your day, anticipating if the best play from the game will appear on “Top 10” or seeing what they’re going to say about the latest trade rumors for your local team. You scan the side bar to see when you’re favorite is going to be highlighted and the ticker has never moved slower. What about scanning ESPN’s posts online, just to see your team is not featured? Don’t worry, ESPN felt your pain, and it’s just what the doctor ordered.

The five sites that are in place were selected because of their market power and the fact that affiliated infrastructures were already in place. For example, Chicago teamed up with their ESPN radio affiliate, and Boston partnered with a local advertising company.

ESPN may have engaged in this process in a little backward but the idea of backing into a goldmine does not seem to phase them. More markets are reportedly in the works – so look out Philly – we’re probably one of them, since ESPN950/97.5 The Fanatic has been fighting for sports radio’s top spot on the local airwaves and our sports fans are insatiable, not to mention we’re one of the largest markets in the country.

It seems the selection process for the cities has relied solely on ease of transition, but it would be assumed fan bases played into it as well. The competitive nature of local sites by national providers also rushed the process, as both Comcast and FOX Sports have revamped locally-based sites (New England, Philadelphia, D.C., Baltimore, to name a few).

The move seems to work for long-term survival for all parties. The content generated beats out local bloggers that focus on the nuances of the game and provide access that may not be otherwise realized. The understanding that this local component of a national outlet can only support, rather than detract viewers is a key piece for ESPN. The use of existing affiliates to work to their advantage, as well as hand-picking contributors from competitors, allows ESPN to remain the worldwide leader in sports, even on the local level.

-Mia

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Dear Tiger: Nice try.

Dear Tiger: Nice try.

Unless you’re living in a black hole, you’ve at least heard through the grapevine that Tiger Woods is indeed going back to golf and will be playing in the Masters Tournament beginning April 5.  Tiger has recently come forward and given his first interview since the sex scandal that completely crushed his image surfaced in November of last year. 

The mechanical, horribly impersonal press-conference-involving-no-press-whatsoever that he led on February 19 was obviously the dress rehearsal to this interview’s opening night. 

Although I still think that this five-minute interview screams “Just tell them what they want to hear,” it was more successful in that he at least appeared to be something resembling a living, breathing, emotional, semi-remorseful human being. So to Tiger, I say: Nice try.

But frankly, actions speak louder than words, and where he will convince people of his true reconstructive efforts is on the fairways.  

During this brief TV interview last Sunday, he talked to ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi, and answered--or refused to answer--questions regarding his marriage, infidelity, rehab, fans, and his feelings toward returning to the sport that made him an icon.  

While he didn’t put a block on the 19 questions he was asked, he did sound like something of a broken record, repeating “That’s between Elin and myself,” numerous times.  And, when asked what type of treatment he is seeking, he quickly spouted that  “that’s a private matter as well.” Denying the public details that they so crave is not going to make this go away, so why not just come clean and move on? Surely as Tiger should know better than almost anyone at this point, secrets will come out.

Does he really think he can get through the Master’s just answering questions about birdies and course conditions? It’s obvious he’s avoiding facing all the uncomfortable, richly detailed questions that most want answered.  But--after 3 months of complete silence and an additional month before even taking questions--if he would just bite the bullet and address the facts, he could surely speed up the process of rehabilitating his image and putting this all behind him.

While I don’t mean to bash him this whole time (wait...yes I do), I just think that, although finally not digging any deeper, now he’s just sitting in the hole he’s dug himself, rather than trying to climb out of it. People want to see him as the well-rounded, near perfect idol that they once thought he was; perfect athlete, perfect husband, perfect man. Winning the Master’s (which I’m sure he believes he will do) will only get one foot out of that hole.  

Oh, and one more thing: enough with the Buddhism stuff, already. 


-Liz Trubey

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