Building A Brand: The LA Marathon

This year’s World Cup will likely serve as a case study for the sports industry on how a large-scale (in this case, global) sporting event can utilize social media to build excitement and a sense of community among a wide-spread audience of global fans. On the flip side, the LA Marathon might serve as a case study for how to use digital media to build community among participants – and viewers.

Peter Abraham, Creative Director for the LA Marathon, is tapping into multiple digital platforms in order to get a variety of stakeholders –  from participants and visitors, to brand sponsors and city residents - registered, informed and excited for the 2011 marathon. With over 3.5 million page views in the last year, the LA Marathon website serves as the key informational hub providing event, registration and logistical information for runners (which may be local, national or international), training support, information surrounding charities and partners, and a link to the marathon community. The blog aims to build a sense of community and support among wide-spread participants training for the race, with posts that include Q&A sessions with the race directors, coaches and marathon winners and record-holders. In addition, Twitter, a Facebook page, a YouTube channel, and a Flickr pool round out the effort to foster a sense of community and excitement for the race – among participants, fans and the city of Los Angeles.

Abraham’s overall goal is to make the 2011 LA Marathon an amazing, culturally relevant event – the digital and social media components play their role in improving access to information and facilitating communication between marathoners and the related community. They excite, inform and connect. And speaking of excite – it doesn’t hurt that the marathoners’ path itself provides a unique, differentiated experience for runners by exposing them to some amazing views of some of the city’s icons.

2011 LA Marathon