I had the honor to attend and work behind the scenes at The CrossFit Games SoCal Regional this past weekend. The athletes were obviously all STRONG, but what about the marketing aspect of the event? Who was a stand out? Who had room to improve their brand game? Here's my take on the event.
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| 2013 SoCal Regional |
The Strong:
KillCliff (Recovery Sports Drink): It was everywhere! Athletes were drinking it, volunteers and crew had it in n, and spectators were asking where to get it. Simple grassroots approach to marketing with seeding product. Catchy tagline "Test Positive for Awesome" and Social Media support of the event and sponsored athletes. The rumor on Sunday was someone offered to buy 50 cases on the spot, the crew brought 50 for the whole weekend. I'd say they met their goal in getting the masses hooked.
Andrea Ager (Athlete): While Andrea may not have been strong enough on Day 1 to overhead squat 175 for 3 reps, her personal following and brand got a boost. With a controversial call on the line to allow Ager to continue to compete, she decided to take the high road and withdraw so she could "win the right way". She posted her statement on Instagram (and Twitter) and received close to 3,000 likes and 300 comments. Appropriate use of Social Media to stay connected to fans.
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| Andrea Ager- Event 2 |
Rx Jump Ropes and RPM Fitness (Jump Ropes and other fitness equipment): Yes 2 competitors, both winners. The 2 booths drew the largest crowds with their interactive set ups. Rx featured jumping stations, rings, wall balls, HSPUs, and a daily WOD. While RPM had a jump testing area and a challenge of 1 minute max double unders. The interactive set up was the ice breaker for crowds to approach and sales associates swoop.
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| Rx Jump Ropes Set Up |
The Weak:
Reebok (Title Sponsor, Apparel and Shoes): As the title sponsor, you'd expect to see an overwhelming presence and true Reebok experience. While the Reebok tent/booth was 2-3x bigger than the majority, it was separated from the pack and easy to walk past as nothing was drawing you in. The Reebok name is included on the CrossFit Games logo, its almost legible. There was just an overall lack of Reebok and their commitment to be in the CrossFit world and grow the sport.
Ryan Fischer (Athlete): I know Ryan personally so this is hard for me to write. I can't comment on the "fairness" of his judge but it was his poor reaction to repeated 'no reps' that puts him in this category . I can't say I would have handled it differently; its not just a sport but his livelihood, what he has worked for over several years and it came down to 1 judge ruining his chances for a ticket to the Games. But at the same time it
is his livelihood and his career that puts a roof over his head and food on the table, so I wouldn't recommend turning to social media to berate your "employer."
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| Ryan Fischer- Event 6 |
In the Middle:
CrossFit Games (the entire event): CrossFit has stepped up their game again, I heard repeatedly "this is so much better than last year." The venue, set up, signage, social media, etc. were all on point and even exceeded expectations. Some minor suggestions would be to amp up the technology, athletes in the warm up area didn't know what was going on the floor and spectators had to pull the scoreboard on their smartphone to see who actually won an event. Monitors and digital scoreboards would have enhanced the experience. The food lines were long and the expo was small. Quality vendors (not quantity) are important, there was plenty of room to sell more spaces, entertain the crowds, and promote commerce within the CF community.
Did you attend SoCal or another regional? What is your take on the marketing scene?
