Update: the #TrailTeam2014 project was shortlisted for a Digitals Award – Excellence in Digital Marketing in the Consumer Goods section for its effectiveness. 

The Trail Running Team was set up with the simple aim to give non-elite runners the opportunity to experience what the pros get for a season, and to generate engagement for the supporting brands – with Berghaus as the headline sponsor. After a social-media led application phase open to anyone, we selected a shortlist of 100 to attend our Trail Team Days, which were designed to maximize fun and engagement; advice, insight and inspiration from a range of speakers – and a little run – provided us with 86 unprompted blog posts about the events and a deluge of social media updates.

The final six athletes were able to test the sponsors’ products (kit from Berghaus, nutrition products from TORQ Fitness, headtorches from LED Lenser) at the training camp in Chamonix and generated further social media activity and blogs. They would then go on to race throughout the season as part of the team. You can see more here.

The Trail Running Team was immensely successful in raising brand awareness and promoting the sponsors’ products including the newly launched Berghaus trail running range. David Coombes, Marketing Manager at Berghaus, said “I really can’t overstate how fantastic Freestak have been to work with. They are friendly, professional and know the running market inside out meaning they can bring  level of skill and consumer insight to projects I’ve not seen matched in other agencies.”