You are the Future of Running

In the past 6 months I have picked up the pace and gotten back into running. As a washed up, mediocre at best, high school long distance runner, it has been quite some years since I last put foot to pavement on a consistent basis. 

With reviving my running routine, I have also begun to look into races. The competition and event element of running was built into the high school track team and now I crave it. The excitement and adrenaline of race day. The sense of accomplishment from completing your goal. The camaraderie from the other runners embracing the runners high. So as I look into running events, I thought how can NYC’s biggest marathon capture the younger audience. The folks who are just stepping into the “real world” and looking for races. 

Organization:

The New York Road Runners is a 501(c) non-profit organization whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. They have been hosting the iconoclast New York City Marathon since 1970. This marathon has gained the popularity equal to the Boston or Chicago marathon. Welcoming marathon competitors and running amateurs, New York natives, transplants, and international runners alike to join the race through the 5 boroughs. 

The Challenge: 

NYRR is looking to expand their demographic and freshen up their brand to younger folks. They are looking to get in touch with 20-30 year old New Yorkers looking for a fitness hobby or goal in the city. In the 2022 NYC Marathon 8,024 finishing runners were ages 20-29, making up just under 17% of the total group. Those aged 30-39 made up 28%, 40-49 made up 29%, and 50-59 made up 20% of the finishing runners (Data calculated from NYRR Race Results Page).

The Insights:

Nostalgia is an extremely powerful marketing tool, especially during times of national crisis. From the recent pandemic, social unrest, and economic recession, folks are seeing crises every which way. A digital marketing campaign that taps into collective nostalgia will connect with folks’ empathy and inspire the future generation. 

Research shows that millennials aged 20-30 are more likely to “work out to achieve a specific goal. 31% of Millennials work out to achieve their fitness goals” (Medium: "Why Millennials are Fitness Fanatics"). Running a race provides a clear goal leading up to and day of the event. Millennials are looking for races and are ready to enter the marathon world.

The Idea: “You are the Future of Running”: Digital campaign on socials + billboards that has an event activation component with NYC run clubs.

“You are the Future of Running” will highlight a series of interviews with runners from the first decade of the NYC Marathon in the 1970s. The interview will revolve around the feelings evoked on race day, how it shaped their lives, and overall nostalgia for New York City. They will be filmed with a clean background and edited to black and white. The videos will be posted to socials (TikTok and Instagram), on the homepage of NYRR, and across NYC billboards. 

Photo ads will feature a still from the interview also donned in Black and White. They will feature the runners name, race date, and finishing time with the campaign title splayed across the front. These will be placed in subways and on streets with a high population of young folks (SoHo, Nolita, LES, East Village, Williamsburg, etc.) and near parks and running trails (West Side Highway, Prospect Park, Queens Waterfront, and Central Park). 

After these interviews have cycled through the social channels, there will be an in-person activation with local run clubs. We will create partnerships with run clubs around the city that have a large demographic of young folks such as Slow Girls Run Club, Cafe Lyria Run Club, and Old Man Run Club. These run clubs will be invited to start with their individual clubs doing their normal run and ending at the New Balance Flatiron store for a special mixer.

The mixer will have several stations to readily equip folks for their marathon career and highlight NYRR’s philanthropic components as well as their brand partnerships, mainly with New Balance. 

At the start of the mixer there will be a small pamphlet with a map of the retail store with a drawn out route and checkpoints. The route design will mimic the marathon course maps.

• Checkpoint 1: There will be coaches on site to create training plans with the runners. Attendees will fill out a digital questionnaire about their running habits and goals then speak with a coach to discuss a plan and best practices. The plan will then be emailed to the attendees. 

• These emails will create a starting list for a weekly newsletter and point of contact with young attendees to highlight other events and training sessions with NYRR.

• Checkpoint 2: Shoe specialists will be available to discuss what the best shoe is tailored for each person based on their level and pain points. 
• Checkpoint 3: Charity partners will be available to teach folks how they can join a fundraising group and add philanthropy to their race day.
• Finish: Tote bags with swag will be given at the end of the event. 

• Campaign branded items include: sweat wrist and headbands, high ankle socks, Gatorade (provided by partner)

The Results:

Some metrics to track will be social media KPIs and marathon registration following the days and weeks after the campaign launch. The following metrics will help determine the success of the campaign after it has concluded.

Social Media KPIs:

• Number of views, comments, likes, and shares
• Profile views

Social Listening: We should monitor the following channels to see what the audiences reaction is beyond just the conversions and website visits

• Monitor comments sections on posts
• Monitor hashtags and stitched/dueted videos 

Marathon Registration:

• Website visits via QR code on billboards
• Overall registrations for the NYC marathon 
• Number of 20-23 year olds registering 
• “How did you hear about us?” question on the registration form 
• Google searches for keywords: “first time marathons/races” “races/marathons in NYC” “running shoe for beginner” “where to run/train for a marathon in NYC”

Event Metrics: 

• Emails received from the training plans
• Sign ups for fundraising groups 
• Total guest count vs RSVP count

*This is a fictional campaign and has no relation to the company(s) mentioned above. All ideas are my own.