About client
Abbott World Marathon Major’s only African candidate race – the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, which is an IAAF Gold Label marathon – was a client of Transform’s during a critical growth trajectory of the race from 2014 to 2019.
Relaunching under a new rights agreement, the must-run city marathon’s chief ambition was for it to eventually become a member of the illustrious World Marathon Majors, which – over a five-year course of rigorous operational development/evolution, marketing and goal accomplishment – eventually reached that milestone as Marathon Major candidate status in 2021.
The immediate challenge, upon relaunching in 2014, lay in getting South Africans (and the world) to understand and appreciate the value that a city marathon offers several different participant types and supporters as well as the massive appeal it carries for a host city, a country, or a continent. In year two of Transform’s support, the marathon won its first IAAF-label status, achieving Gold Label status in 2017 (three years after relaunching).
About the project
Transform handled the full PR function of the marathon, each year, by developing a solid strategy and tactical plan, providing nimble and effective client service, informed and topical content, and achieving ambitious target-driven publicity, both locally and abroad.
A key part of achieving £1.7million of publicity (excluding social media coverage) in 2019, was planning and hosting several media, influencer and stakeholder events that the agency had initially conceptualised in 2014 and which, over time, had developed a character and operational blueprint of their own. Each event was designed in such a way to drive pre-marathon coverage, often months before the marathon took place.
Rather than plan and host conventional press conferences, the agency held milestone countdown events (e.g., 180 days, 90 days, 60 days, or 30 days before) that were themed and focused on introducing critical developments in a creative and newsworthy manner. These were designed in such a way to drive quality news coverage as well as increased buzz and engagement on social media.
Having to operate within a reasonably tight budget, and trying to remove as much of the pressure from the client normally associated with the planning and organising these events, Transform developed a programme for each occasion, put together an invitee list, designed and sent out invitations, managed RSVPs, developed all the collateral displayed or handed out at the event (including press and influencer packs, as well as goodie bags), briefed (and in some cases scripted) speakers, managed sponsors/partners and their roles at the events, as well as handled the finer details such as a solid and well-equipped AV, sound and lighting set up, food and beverage management and, in some instances, styling and décor.
Results
Each pre-marathon event’s success was measured by the monetary value of coverage that each occasion would yield in the days or weeks following them together with actual guest turnout.
Over the course of five years and 20 events, each occasion saw all venues reach capacity (and in some case exceed capacity), with 2019 being a record year publicity-wise. In March 2019, publicity for the year stood at £84.000. A month later, after hosting the first of four pre-marathon events, coverage came in at £197.109. For that same period, social media’s value jumped up from £5.456 in March to £29.423 in April.
Not only did Transform manage and co-host these events but also handled the full press function and setting up 1:1 broadcast interview at each venue, briefing both spokespeople/interviewees and media, as well as ensuring that media had everything needed to produce a story/report they would be working on.
