Piaras Kelly PR - Public Relations in Ireland

I was very impressed by a recent Nike/Google Maps collaboration. The RunLondon project really emphasised how organisations can use the Internet to micro-target specific communities. People visiting the Run London website can visit the RouteFinder section to find, create and share routes with other runners in London.

Nike should really set up a similar project in Dublin given that Adidas currently sponsor the Dublin Marathon, the biggest running event in the country. This would allow them to engage directly with the Dublin running community, an audience which is a strong customer base for the company. My brother has stewarded the Dublin Marathon on a number of occasions and once had to note what trainers all the contestants wore for Adidas. Surprise, surprise…most athletes wore Nike.

The real reason for Nike to set up a similar project in Ireland is because the running community is such a niche audience and it is very hard to communicate directly with them. There are relatively few media outlets to communicate with them through and it offers a much better return on investment than posting maps with popular routes to running clubs.

This is a project which could be replicated for almost every sport in Ireland, especially on for amateur athletes. Think of the thousands of parents that have to drive their children to sports grounds across the countries and have a tough time finding the venue. Think of the thousands of young professionals that want to get back into a sport to work off that excess office flab, but are struggling to find somewhere to practice their discipline. Think of the thousands of amateur athletes that want to improve their diet as part of their training, but struggle to find shops that sell the supplements or nutritional items they want to buy.

Empower the community and get yourself a customer for life!

Technorati Tags: Google Maps, Nike, Piaras Kelly, PR, Public Relations, RunLondon