From race sign-ups to personalized digital experiences, Icreon’s ecommerce strategy helped NYRR amplify engagement and revenue for the NYC Marathon like never before.
Key Takeaways
Direction
Speed
Velocity
The Challenge
The NYC Marathon can never exceed 50,000 runners, it’s a limit set by the city. That limitation poses a unique challenge for NYRR - how can we create growth opportunities as a business without increasing race capacity?
Tasked with the challenge, Icreon teams utilized the findings from their previous engagement of re-designing the customer experience. Icreon concluded that, for most runners, the NYC Marathon is a one-in-a-lifetime experience –one that tourists, casual participants and families want to memorialize. Understanding this customer sentiment, the team set out to re-think their marathon ecommerce strategy.
"Working with Icreon has allowed us to make our processes more efficient, while at the same time, and most importantly, providing a more personalized experience to our members."
Fred Lebow- Founder, New York City Marathon
Our Solution
NYRR collaborated with Icreon to expand its commerce strategy beyond race participation, envisioning a digital ecosystem that enhanced runners' experiences. By integrating Sitecore XC with existing marketing tools, Icreon redefined customer journeys.
Velocity Direction
The strategy revolved around understanding runners’ emotional connection to the marathon. Icreon proposed leveraging this sentiment to offer digital products like training classes, personalized memorabilia, and race photos, creating a holistic experience.
Velocity Speed
Icreon utilized Sitecore XC to seamlessly integrate NYRR’s systems, enabling personalized journeys at scale. With real-time insights and automated processes, NYRR could deliver tailored experiences with speed and precision.
Velocity Achieved
The new model unlocked innovative revenue streams, boosting per-runner value while elevating customer satisfaction. Runners could now engage with the marathon digitally, creating lasting memories and driving NYRR’s growth.
Platforms
Our Platforms
Sitecore
The Results
Icreon's solution allowed NYRR to monetize the NYC Marathon in new, exciting ways. By envisioning commerce in a different way, the team extended the running community without extending physical real estate. Runners are now able to be a part of the marathon experience without limiting themselves to just a single race.
The new ecommerce engine made the process seamless for customers, allowing them to not just sign up for the race but also make additional purchases that enhanced their overall experience. By offering merchandise and other value-added services, NYRR was able to maximize the value of each runner, leading to an increase in per-customer revenue and significant business growth, despite the cap on the number of participants. This strategy not only drove new revenue streams but also created a more engaging, memorable experience for the runners, reinforcing the NYC Marathon as a bucket-list event.
Furthermore, the new ecommerce model provided NYRR with deeper customer insights, enabling them to continually refine their offerings and marketing strategies.