From Donation to Equity: Lessons from CIBC’s Run for the Cure

This past Sunday, our IMI International and SponsorPulse family teamed up with our friends at AIP to participate in the 33rd annual CIBC Run for the Cure. Joining thousands of participants who ran, walked to raise funds for breast cancer, we got to experience firsthand one of the most impactful events in the Canadian charity or causal space.

Naturally, given our role in the industry, I made sure to keep my sponsorship marketing hat on throughout the day and reflect on what makes this event such a resounding success…both for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and CIBC. Here are a few things I noticed:

This truly feels like a co-owned program.

Let’s make no mistake about it – while the Run for the Cure may be owned and operated by the CCS, it certainly would not be the same without its longtime title partner CIBC. In fact, CIBC’s involvement has become so integral, many people might believe the event is managed by the financial institution itself.

It’s quite rare that a brand builds so much equity in a program as much as CIBC has with the Run for the Cure. The synergy between the two organizations truly shows on race day, and it never feels “forced” to the consumer. Even as you see CIBC’s logo every which way you turn – it somehow feels natural and welcomed.

It’s a great way to engage staff.

Once you get to the grounds, it’s clear right from the beginning that CIBC uses this marquee event to engage its employees, clients, and foundations. How? Well because they’re all wearing red CIBC-branded shirts, of course! Only available to those in the CIBC community, the red shirts identify those who are part of Team CIBC, and there a ton of them.

While there are plenty of benefits in using causal partnerships to engage employees and boost staff morale (see IMI’s recent webinar hosted by Laura Janes), it also demonstrates to the community that the larger CIBC workforce truly cares about the cause. In other words, it makes the partnership feel less like “philanthropic donation” and more like a “corporate value”…a true win for both CIBC and the CCS.

The joy of overcoming (physical) challenges together.

I think it’s safe to say that you don’t need to complete any sort of challenge to feel good about donating to cancer (let alone any cause or charity). However, there is something to be said about the feeling you get when overcoming a significant physical test. For example, the euphoric state that runners experience after completing a long-distance run – also known as a “runners high”.

What if you could capitalize on those emotions and channel that incredible energy towards your cause, all in the name of your sponsored event? Wouldn’t that be magical? That’s exactly what CIBC and the CCS have been able to do, and it really is magical.

All around the finish line, you could see people celebrating and embracing as if they had accomplished something special, but something much bigger than the 1k or 5k they just trekked. It was symbolic of the community rising to overcome cancer together.

It was a metaphor for the perseverance and dedication it takes to fight the awful disease, and a way to show our love and support for those living with it. It was an emotional experience, but the good kind of emotion…the kind that makes you proud of what you’ve accomplished. In other words, the kind that a brand wants to be associated with every chance they can.

Similar to the CIBC x Canadian Cancer Society partnership, many brands are looking for ways to fully integrate into a cause that can deliver true value for customers and staff. Building co-owned programs and creating real equity is the name of the game, and it requires research and attention to detail to make sure investments are made in the right areas. Luckily for those in need of help, SponsorPulse recently launched our Brand IP & Strategy division, which can help identify key opportunities and execute with confidence, all by leveraging consumer data and insights.

If you want to learn more, just shoot me a note or reach out to the SponsorPulse team, we’re always happy to have a conversation.