How to Market Your Business for the Manchester Marathon

How to Market Your Business for the Manchester Marathon

Manchester Marathon is the UK’s Largest Spring Marathon

With around 32,000 runners taking part each year, the event sees the local towns bustling across Trafford and Greater Manchester

The event makes a huge impact both economically for businesses and for charities

– £7.4 MILLION BOOST TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY
– MORE THAN £5 MILLION RAISED FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL CHARITIES
– OVER £15,000 DONATED TO LOCAL VOLUNTEER GROUPS HELPING AT THE EVENT

How to Market Your Business for the Manchester Marathon

We’ve listed 7 ways you can market your business for the Manchester Marathon below …

1. Run The Marathon
Less than 1% of the world’s population will run a marathon.

So this is a big ask for someone in your business, but if there is someone in your business running the Manchester Marathon tell their story to your audience

– Their Why
– Their Training
– Their charity fundraising

And

– Your Support
– Your branded cheering squad t-shirts
– Your banners
– Your Encouragement On The Route
– Your Charity donations

Fully back the people brave enough to run a marathon.

And if you don’t have 1 person brave enough to run the Manchester Marathon offers relay options. Take on the marathon distance in a team of 2 or 4!

2. Freebies / Discount Vouchers For Runners
If you’re a B2C business why not offer a freebie / discount vouchers for runners (and possibly their families)

This works particularly well for restaurants, bars, pubs where thousands of people will be looking to celebrate their marathon win with friends and families.

The offer could be
– Free pint
– Free main when celebrating with family
– Free Dessert

Basically, anything to replenish those calories burned.

Why not go the extra mile and offer a Marathon Offer for 7 days after the event to anyone who shows their medal?

This might encourage runners to celebrate with work colleagues as well as friends and family.

3. Take A Photo Of Runners Passing Your Business
The easiest win ever.

It’s a no brainer.

Stand on the opposite side of the road.

Cheer loudly.

Take a photo / video of the runners running past your business.

It’s one of those so obvious that most businesses let it slip from their mind.

4. Pay For Entertainment Outside Your Business
Lots of voluntary organisations source entertainment for the Manchester Marathon Route

Here in Altrincham, where we’re based, Altrincham Town Centre Partnership work hard each year to source entertainment. Its why Altrincham is often seen as the best part of the Marathon Route for community support.

If there are gaps to plug along the route why not pay a local energetic band / DJ to play outside your business

The runners always take note of where there is entertainment

The crowds always gravitate around entertainment on the route

Obviously check on the permits / legals / safety aspects of putting entertainment outside your shop etc as we’re marketers, not lawyers.

5. Sweet Stalls
Nutrition is a big part of running a marathon.

You can’t just run it on empty and need those energy bursts to keep going.

Why not get your kids involved and have sweets to hand out to runners outside your business?

– Put up a big sign saying “Sweets For Runners”
– Line the road with people having boxes of sweets ready
– Wish the runners the best as they take a few
– For a bonus make them “Vegan Friendly” sweet as nobody does those

6. Client Breakfast / Lunch
Why not invite your clients along for a Marathon Day Breakfast / Lunch.

Make your business social.

This is a great way for professional services firms such as Lawyers / Accountants / Estate Agents to provide something for the marathon.

– Have a selection of Bacon / Facon butties on offer
– Coffee
– Soft Drinks
– Alcohol

Treat it as an informal networking social to get to know your clients on a different level.

It’s a great way to enhance those client relationships and bond.

People remember those who something extra.

7, Post Marathon Event
What do when the marathon ends and the roads go quiet again.

Have a post marathon event to keep people around.

Work out the time for when the vast majority of runners come through your part of the route.

Give people a fun reason to stick around for another 2 hours.

Bonus
Run a Marathon Day competition

– Photo Competition
– Drawing Competition for kids
– Funniest GIF competition
– Guess how many calories your marathon runner burned on the marathon
– Win a pair of running shoes
– Win an entry to next years marathon

The options are limitless – what will you offer?

NEED HELP WITH SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Chat to us about Social Media Marketing for YOUR organisation , so we can better understand YOU and what will grow your organisation

We can chat about whether online or Face 2 Face is better for you

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Please call Alex on 07806774279 or email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk