Nov. 4, 2009 (The Hindu Business Line) --
Vice-Chairman and MD, Mahindra & Mahindra, and actor Vidya Balan running the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2009 held in Mumbai in January.
Sudha Menon
For car manufacturer Skoda Auto India, the marathon represents an ideal vehicle to convey a social message. “While cricket is the national sport and the impact of associating with it cannot be compared to anything else, the fact remains that i t (OOTC:ILIMF) is also a hugely expensive affair. Partnering with the marathon gives real-time access to a wider audience at a much lower cost and is a great opportunity for companies with a smaller budget, given its health associations and the charity angle,” says Ashutosh Dixit, Senior General Manager, Skoda Auto.
At the Delhi marathon, a large team, including Dixit himself, Skoda staff and dealers promoted causes such as observing traffic rules, driving manners, sticking to speed limits and no honking. “In addition to it being a great internal team-building tool, the marathon has also helped us with fulfilling our corporate social responsibility,” says Dixit
“In a cluttered marketplace, emotional equity is the key differentiator and nothing, not even cricket, can come close to it. In cricket, as in other sports, we are all spectators and that brings a certain level of involvement, but in the marathon, we are the players. At the end of the run you have not just one participant winning, but each person who crosses the finish line in his or her target time is a winner.”
A reason why prominent international brands such as Airtel, TCS and Standard Chartered Bank bet big on marathons. Fittingly, Airtel has not shied away from spending big bucks on marketing the Delhi event in a huge manner. A new TV commercial focused on the marathon with Shah Rukh Khan ran across the country and led the print and outdoor blitz.
The nine Standard Chartered marathons span four continents. For the bank they characterise the values and attitude that Standard Chartered wants to be associated with - a ‘can-do’ attitude, a priority on strength of trust, willpower, stamina, and a determination to go the distance. The bank also utilises the platform to support its community programmes. Blind athlete Henry Wanyoike and his running partner, Joseph Kibunja, take part in the Stanchart marathons, speaking to thousands of people on the importance of having the courage and the right partner to pursue their dreams.
