The Brand-Building Race: How ING Grew Awareness with NYC Marathon

Though global financial services group ING started purchasing properties in the United States in 1994, it spent its first nine years here as a relatively unknown company. But since becoming the first-ever title sponsor of the New York City Marathon in 2003, ING says, its brand awareness has grown from a virtual zero to about 80% among U.S. consumers.

The ING New York City Marathon boasts more than 35,000 participants, roughly 2.5 million live spectators, and more than 240 million TV viewers in 119 countries who see race highlights. The race, which will be held this year on Nov. 6, is also shown live on New York's NBC affiliate.

Because ING is a diversified company, it does not use its title sponsorship to educate consumers about its multiple divisions. But the branding effort builds consumer awareness of the corporate logo and name and lets people know its base is as a financial services company, says Toby Hoden, chief marketing officer, ING US Financial Services.

"When you have the title sponsorship of something as big as the New York City Marathon, it means your logo is embedded within the event. It's on the mile markers, it’s on the Website, and it's embedded within the logos of the cosponsors, and that's one of the main benefits of title sponsorships," Hoden says.

For example, New York-based pharmacy Duane Reade, a cosponsor, produces a free spectator guide that it distributes throughout its 230 stores. The guides include the ING logo and advertisements, allowing its brand to touch those consumers.

ING also does a "tremendous" amount of advertising during the six weeks leading up to the race, Hoden says. That includes print ads in "Sports Illustrated" and "Runner’s World" magazines, radio ads, and TV spots on Time Warner.

In addition to all the racecourse signage, ING-branded cheering zones in four neighborhoods along the marathon route create a rallying point on race day for residents.

ING also helps build its brand awareness (and image) with what it calls the Races Within the Race. The key cornerstone of that is the ING Run for Something Better. The cause marketing program features four world-class female athletes competing not only to win the ING New York City Marathon but also to raise money for New York parks, track and field programs, and community organizations that promote fitness and sports in the U.S. and abroad.

"The PR we receive from the Run for Something Better does help build the brand, but we do it for the social concerns and the cause marketing," Hoden says.

And during the year, ING holds marathon-themed consumer financial seminars at its ING Café in Manhattan, which also helps connect the company to the race.

Though he would not share sponsorship cost or ROI figures, Hoden says that number-crunching by Norwalk, CT-based Sponsorship Research International shows that the brand is getting a good deal as the title sponsor, based on tangibles and intangibles such as race impressions, sponsorship activity impressions, and media exposure.

ING has used sponsorships in the past. The company has built its awareness in other countries with marathon title sponsorships, including 26.2-mile road races in Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Ottawa, and Taipei.