The fanatical enthusiasm and passion runners have is always the stuff of wonder. That passion also extends to those who cover the sport as well. Take this recent example involving Runners World Executive Editor Mark Remy and how he made the unpleasant experience of being stuck in Chicago during a snowstorm into a media event that the RW PR team capitalized on.
Remy was returning back east from a holiday trip to Vancouver when he was standed with his family in Chicago. With lots of time and nothing to do until flights worked out, he decided to organize a run with Chicago area readers, and opushed it out on the Runner's World blog. The post was picked up and spread across other Chicago area sites and media, and the Chicago local news, always looking for ANY edge of a story in a blizzard, make it into an even bigger play for what people who are stranded can do. People showed, the run went smoothly, Remy satisfied his running Jones, and it looked like all the ancillary PR was done. However as the case sometimes in slow news weeks, other ancillary media looking for something else to write about were pitched, which resulted in expanded coverage ranging from USA Today to an upcoming piece in Remy's hometown paper in Allentown. Was it a combination of chance, luck, timing and enterprise that all worked ou.? Sure. However the difference was that all involved realized the opportunity, thought about how to use various media to spread the word, and then aggregated the story to make sure it became bigger than just a run in the snow. Great example of seizing an opportunity and growing it well beyond it's borders.
So does this open up opportunities for other stranded jounalists and executives to find a higher cal. Can hoops writers organize pickup games, baseball writers get together for a game of catch with fans, standed accountants assemble friend for a tax advoce servic.? Probably not, as runners need only their feet to motivate those around them. Maybe it could if the timing is right, but then again maybe this unique pitch and place activity, which was great exposure for the brand by the way, is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Regardless, it was a great example of maximizing the moment.
