Today was an experience truly one of its kind. Never before have I seen executives, managers and associates all unite in such harmony. To make those who run the havoc and cause all the running around in offices, do the running themselves is something rather remarkable. And thanks to J.P Morgan Chase; they lived up to their name and made 300 plus companies "chase" each other in a 5.6km course.
If you thought Singapore is a small island, you had to be present to witness the exhibition of its commercial prowess, if nothing else. 11400 professionals ended the office day early to be a part of this extravaganza. Adding to the flamboyance were the creatively (and in some cases not so creatively) designed running tees. I guess a running tee tells as much about a company as does its annual report. Not surprizingly then some of the most appealing designs came from the likes of Bank of America Merril Lynch, SAP Asia, J.P. Morgan itself, and others. Their tees made one wish they were running for them instead, in possession of such designs.
Some companies though took creativity to another level altogether. One such company, Apos, dealing with back and knee therapies , was a league apart with their tees. They actually had varying tees with different phrases at their backs, the likes of "having back pain due to all the running? Come to us", "back giving you trouble with the running? Don't worry we are here", etc. What they managed to do was launch a massive advertising campaign amidst 11400 people, without literally spending a penny extra (apart from the cost of the tees and registration fees), that left an impression in the minds. To top it, they also ran away with the best- designed tee prize.
Another phrase which I personally liked was on the shirt of the American Embassy Team. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE" is a quote often used in times of danger, fear. But on the tees of this team, they had a picture of a running man, and his heartbeat next to him. The double meaning connotation struck me as brilliant. It was another double meaning which made the entire purpose of this event clearer to me. JP Morgan, by organizing such an annual event had hit gold. On the face of it, they were creating awareness of a healthy lifestyle. But subtly, the three aspects that matter in a corporation and its growth; reputation, networking, advertisement, all were enhanced through one such event. Indeed, the marketing and events team must be given due credit for such a masterstroke.
The only blip of the entire event occurred from the least expected of all quarters. Upon the completion of the race, there were tents for each participating company, where along with the usual bananas and 100 Plus, were strawberries, vegie pies, grapes, and...BEER! I guess its true then, corporate life simply does not exist without alcohol! So much for all the healthy living and 5.6 km!
Oh, and for those who are left wondering, yes all these thought were flowing through my mind while I was huffing and puffing my way through 5.6km!
No comments:
Post a Comment