Most of us will remember Forrest Gump from the 1994 Oscar winning film of the same name and Forrest’s ability to run non-stop across America. Well, on 10 September, a team of six from the Royal Marines and US Marine Corps will follow in Forrest’s footsteps on the ‘Gumpathon’, a coast-to-coast charity run across America. Importantly, all money raised from the Gumpathon will go towards helping severely injured servicemen and women through the work of three charities: Help for Heroes (H4H), the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund and the US Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
The task ahead for the team is impressive – starting in New York and finishing in Santa Monica, a combined total of 3,350 miles will be covered, with every team member running the equivalent of 34 marathons. Nevertheless, the main focus of this blog is on their notable marketing efforts with a particular emphasis on their digital strategy. From the attractive, well laid-out website and social media strategy to their PR activities, the Gumpathon team, with the help of some professional firms, has clearly worked hard and put a lot of thought into its marketing.
The main marketing platform is the website http://www.thegumpathon.com/ designed by Aztec Media, which is eye-catching, well-designed and easy to navigate, with lots of great information on the challenge; in addition, the methods to donate are well thought out and prominently marked. When it comes to social networking channels and engagement, all the main bases are covered with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and flickr buttons fully integrated into the website. In particular, the Facebook page is already engaging with fans, helping to spread news of the challenge virally, with further engagement made through the blog, which will be updated regularly.
Putting these digital elements aside, Colour Sergeant Damian Todd from the Royal Marines, who originally came up with the idea, cleverly chose a memorable, quirky name for the challenge, leveraging the positive brand association of Forrest Gump with his loveable personality and ‘athletic’ ability. With the assistance of the PR firm KTB PR, significant media attention has already been generated with much momentum moving forward. Of course, the Gumpathon would not have taken place without the help of sponsors – with high profile sponsors and brands prominently displayed on the home page of the website, the team has also clearly marketed the idea effectively in the planning stages to generate that valuable support.
With all the key marketing elements and channels for donations in place, the Gumpathon has all the makings of a very successful fund-raising campaign. It won’t be easy to run across America in eight weeks, but we’re sure they will complete the challenge successfully and no doubt raise a considerable amount of money for such a worthy cause. Nae Bother will be following their progress closely via the website, Facebook page and Twitter, and cheering them on – run Forrest run!
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