Last month, Arien O’Connell ran the fastest time but didn’t win in the Nike Women’s Marathon due to Nike unnecessarily starting a non-elite group of “elite” women 20 minutes early in the race. After a firestorm by runners throughout the country, Nike awarded her an equal prize as “a” winner. In my opinion, this is fair as it recognized her accomplishments while not taking anything away from the actual winner of the race.
Yesterday morning, however, O’Connell was in for a surprise. Reebok, one of Nike’s chief rivals in the shoe and apparel industry, surprised O’Connell at the elementary school she teaches at with an award ceremony to recognize her accomplishments.
Reebok awarded her a free pair of shoes every month for the next year, a $2500 donation to her school along with a t-shirt for all of the kids in her class, and a trophy inscribed “Winner and Heroine of Non-Elite Runners Everywhere.”
This is a great move by Reebok, and amuses me to no end. It is prolonging Nike’s embarrassment at poorly executed race management, and fosters a lot of good will amongst the running population. And I have to imagine that O’Connell is pretty happy at having won over $1000 worth of running shoes.
(Hat Tip: Shéamus – More Info: San Francisco Chronicle – Photo Credit: Reebok)
Wow, that impressive. Way to go Reebok!
Ha, that’s pretty funny…and cool on Reebok’s part!
Way to go Reebok. It nice to see a company stand up and do the right thing. Nike really messed this one up!
Yes, it is amusing, although the ulterior motive leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Way to go, Reebok!!! 🙂
This could be perceived as a commercial operation (and maybe somewhere it is -- business competition is also competition after all, right?) but I think it was still pretty nice from Reebok to recognize Arien’s accomplishments AND (especially) to donate to school.
I am helping with fund raising for my kid’s school and I know how money for Education is needed.
So, again… YAY Reebok!!!
I might switch brands… LOL
Isabelle, that’s why they did it. 😉
I certainly see this as Reebok being a vulture. Good job! To think that Reebok is shady in taking advantage of the situation just because it promotes their commercial interest is no different than Nike hosting a big event to start with. Nike does not run events like this because it is totally altruistic. They run it because it is great advertisement for them. It is all a money making opportunity. If it wasn’t their investors would never approve. Reebok is just taking advantage. That is smart business without being dishonest.
This (cute) girl’s situation is a marketing dream. “Average winner snubbed by Nike” She should have her own shoe line. Many girls can relate. Being declared a loser because you are not an “elite” even though you won. What is up with that?
Go Arien! We are all proud of you!
Funny! New Shoes every month! Cool.
It is funny that people are put out by Reebok using this situation to elivate their product recognition and bottom line.
Of course they did….it is part of the deal, if companies did not make money, they could not and would not sponser events like these.
They saw the oppourtunity to give someone recognition they deserved and create some exposure at the same time….seems win-win to me.
It would not cause me to switch brands (unless they gave me free shoes too)but I appluade their effort.
That is funny and a great marketing move by Reebok. Plus, its nice to see the shoe companies doing things to keep people talking about running.