The Client: Tokyo-based Remo Systems, a manufacturer of athletic training products.

 

The Project: Remo retained Abel Communications in conjunction with the 2010 New York City Marathon and the 2011 Tokyo Marathon, hoping to increase brand awareness in the U.S. via media coverage. The company had previously maintained a low profile outside of Japan, lacking even an English-language website.

 

The Plan – New York: For the New York City Marathon, Abel focused on Remo’s spokesman, elite Japanese runner Arata Fujiwara, and found a way to leverage his story in a way that would attract media interest, specifically focusing on how Fujiwara had broken away from the Japanese tradition of belonging to corporate running teams to strike out on his own.

 

The Results – New York: A pre-race Business Wire press release announcing that Fujiwara was training for the marathon, accompanied by a photo of Fujiwara holding Remo products, garnered hundreds of hits, and resulted in articles in both the New York Times “On the Run” blog and Runners World.

 

The Plan — Tokyo: For the Tokyo Marathon, Remo charged Abel Communications once again with generating press. This time, Abel’s strategic plan included hiring a high profile spokesperson to run the marathon on Remo’s behalf. Abel decided to target the inspirational Edison Peña, the Chilean miner who had recently run the New York City marathon just weeks after being rescued from a 69-day underground ordeal. Abel employees, navigating three different languages and continents, managed to track Peña down and secure an agreement for him to travel to Tokyo to work with Remo.

 

The Results –Tokyo: Within hours of announcing Pena’s plan to run the marathon, the story had been picked up by the Associated Press and gone viral, with pages upon pages of Google hits showcasing Remo’s name, including mentions in the New York Times, SportsIllustrated.com, and ABC News. News of Peña’s completion of the marathon made headlines worldwide, including mentions in USA Today and ESPN.