Putting the Ambushing Brands on Notice

When I invited Doug Mayer to join me on Singletrack this week he had just published a long article checking the current temperature of UTMB Mont-Blanc in Chamonix. I had questions, wanted answer and we chatted about many things as it pertains to the present and future of this massive event in the Alps that’s reverberating around the globe. On the pod Doug mentioned he was working on a follow up piece outlining some conversations with and insights from the newly elected mayor of Chamonix. Mayor FX Laffin himself made some headlines being quoted to promise changes to the massive event and how it affects the town and valley.

In Doug’s piece we learn a bit about the backstory of the mayor. And the most important man in town ran UTMB once and is a race director for a small trail race himself, then Chamonix truly can claim to be the Trail Running Capitol of the World. That’s settled for now.

But the biggest piece in this story, and that should be a large alert signal for brands activating alongside UTMB during the week, is the expanded focus on what makes UTMB week that frantic and increasingly unbearable for the locals. Yes, it’s the eight races, the 11,000 runners, the tens of thousands more spectators, the expo, and all that other official stuff. But to folks living in Chamonix the busy-ness, the madness of the event is exasperated by “all that additional stuff” that the brands, who aren’t official sponsors of UTMB are bringing to the valley in the shadow of Mont-Blanc. This is something UTMB had already mentioned two years ago when they addressed “ambush marketing” directly. And yes, UTMB is not absolved from trying to find a solution to all this. And one more yes, I, as by-standing runner and fan of all that commotion love all these (as Doug called it Orwellian sounding) activations. But also, it’s clear that the brands who are flooding in town and aren’t on the official sponsor banners are not going to self-regulate themselves. UTMB asked for no group runs during UTMB week and there are over 50 scheduled. Brands are here to market, to sell, to gain exposure, to support their runner, and cash in on all the others who are here with vacation wallets – ready to spend. Brands want their ROI. And they are going to get it, with increased brazenness, or should I say creativity and ingenuity?

The big campaign UTMB launched this year aimed at teaching runners to be more mindful and responsible on the trail is called “Trail Running is about Freedom – Not without Responsibilities”. And that slogan isn’t just aimed at the runners visiting the Alps for the first time. At the media briefing announcing this campaign a few weeks ago UTMB was very clear that it’s the responsibility of the media to share this message, make it a priority, and help UTMB get this into people’s heads – if you will. If this is the new UTMB, an organization that’s found it’s footing and re-centered itself after a few years playing non-stop defense fighting off elite runner uprisings, online trolls, and self-inflicted communication faux-pas, then I am sure they are turning their attention to all the brands who are arriving in Chamonix with huge marketing budgets hoping to cash in – essentially for free – on the phenomena that UTMB created, or rather surfaced. It’s the mountains we’re here for, most of all, not just the blue arch in the town square.

What does this mean for the future?

UTMB, no doubt sees itself in the same sphere as other global sporting events like the Tour de France, the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, etc. and these events have massive legal team, draconian brand controls and strict marketing guidelines. I hope we don’t walk down that path and UTMB becomes a massively litigious overbearing organization demanding a tax for every breath we take. We will probably have to call it “the big loop around the mountain” rather than UTMB or whatever else the legal beavers come up with. Chamonix at the end of August is richer if there are more creative minds engaging with the public. But, I also don’t fault the city organization in trying to set some boundaries on all the parties “activating” during that time. The idea that only the UTMB event should be controlled and curbed, but the guerrilla marketing campaigns by billion dollar outdoor brands are “the Wild West” and should just go unchecked, does a massive disservice to what UTMB has built and will negatively impact the atmosphere in town in the future. I’m sure UTMB has already ideas and will find a way to lobby the city be heard. And I’m sure brands will adapt and find ways to continue to color just beyond the bounds to get noticed and get their precious ROI.

This will be fun to watch. Well, I hope it continues to stay fun and we don’t turn this into some IOC, FIFA, NFL hellhole. Trail needs to stay unique, different, a little quirky. That’s worth fighting for.