Nov. 4 will see the return of one of the world’s biggest single day sporting events, the TCS New York City Marathon. In addition to being a massive participation event with a global audience, the Marathon has become one of the biggest focal points in the growing field of cause marketing. Harrie Bakst, co-founder of WCPG, one of the few firms who specialize in the intersection of cause marketing and athlete and sports engagement, answered some questions about how the Marathon has grown and who is doing the best in the space.
Bakst on cause marketing around events like the Marathon: It’s supply and demand. Over 100,000 people want to run the TCS New York City marathon every year and there are only 50,000 spots. The official charity programs offer guaranteed entry into the race in exchange for raising money for over 300 charitable organizations. It’s a fantastic fundraising platform with over $11M raised so far this year.
On the growth of cause marketing in sports: Consumers want and expect a brand to get behind social impact and causes from local non-profits to politically inspired issues. I think the brands are smart and see that cause is a new platform to reach, engage, communicate and attract consumers. They also want to make a difference and tell that story from a content perspective, which is why you have seen the sponsorship spending around cause sky rocket over the last 10 years.
On the success stories in the space: Look no further than Nike. They were always a brand that used emotion to engage consumers and they see that cause is just another example of that — look at the most recent Colin Kaepernick example. Adidas, Patagonia and Starbucks are also excellent brands who have mastered cause marketing.
On successful TCS NYC Marathon engagement: New Balance, the official sponsor of the marathon does an excellent job with their support of NYRR Youth programs. Adidas with their support of Grete Waitz’s legacy foundation AKTIV Against Cancer which supports how physical activity is an integral part of cancer treatment and post treatment.
On athletes doing cause marketing right: We have had several of our clients have athletes and celebrities run the TCS New York City Marathon for charity from James Blake, Amber Sabathia, Tiki Barber, and Pamela Anderson, among others. This year Teri Hatcher is running to benefit Save the Children.
