Tata Mumbai Marathon launches 'Inspire to be Better' integrated campaign

Sport pushes humans to test and conquer seemingly impossible limits. It has the ability to inspire, birth incredible stories, and bring out the gold in humanity. The Tata Mumbai Marathon is a befitting example of this.

Mumbai Marathon’s journey for the past 16 years has been transformational. It started a health & fitness revolution that has spawned over 1,200 road races in the country. Created a springboard for Indian long and middle-distance runners, and become the single-largest fund-raising platform in sport.

Today, the Tata Mumbai Marathon is amongst the top marathons in the world and has put India on the global map of distance running.

#Be Better. Our Ethos

What truly sets the event apart though is that it is the largest showcase of people pushing boundaries of the human spirit in India. The event has gone beyond running to bring people together – above politics, religion, race, colour and gender. This includes not only the runners, but also spectators, viewers, volunteers, fund-raisers, state and civic authorities and all the people who touch and experience the event in different ways.

The Tata Mumbai Marathon inspires people to 'Be Better'. A better son, a better boss, a better Mumbaikar, and so much more! It is this sense of inspiration that brings back people year after year to this iconic event.

The #BeBetter ethos is not just a catchy line but is a core truth that has emerged from a robust research exercise conducted with Mumbaikars from different strata of society.

'Inspire to Be Better' – Aim of the campaign

We understand that behind every person that has changed for the better, there are those that provide the inspiration to excel. We rarely acknowledge the contribution of these people who have inspired us to achieve our goals and impacted our life journey.

The Tata Mumbai Marathon 'Inspire to Be Better' campaign values the inspiring stories of people from all walks of life and recognizes those who inspired them to be better.

Given that Tata Mumbai Marathon is an event that appeals to people from all walks of life, the campaign is an integrated one, and will use print, radio, digital, and on-ground innovations to get people to thank the ones who inspire them.  

The campaign will feature real people and stories of real inspiration. Kickstarting this campaign is a letter from the Event Ambassador, MC Mary Kom to her husband, Onler Karong, thanking him for the inspiration he has been to her. The other two inspiration stories are about Meera Mehta, one of our young fund-raisers and one of the first ones to raise funds at TMM. There is also Krishna Prakash IPS, super cop, avid runner, and the first Indian Civil Servant to complete the gruelling Ultraman World Championships.

As a closure to the print Campaign, the event is running a contest and requesting individuals to share their inspirational stories and one meaningful story will be featured in The Times of India Front Page Ad.

Vivek B Singh, Joint Managing Director, Procam International said: "We are proud to launch the innovative 'Inspire to be Better' campaign leading up to the 16th edition of the prestigious Tata Mumbai Marathon. While a record number of runners participate on Race Day to gain glory, there are millions more who are part of the event in various avatars. This campaign will evoke a sense of pride amongst all those who have in their own unique way inspired to be better.”

“Given the turbulent times we live in today, the world needs positivity more than ever before. Given the inspirational role that Tata Mumbai Marathon plays in people’s lives, we focused on bringing alive this spirit in a totally unique way. We believe that gratitude is a great tool for inspiration itself. Rather than focus on the brand, we have focused on the people of Mumbai and have created a unique platform for them to thank the ones who inspire them.” - Chitresh Sinha, CEO, chlorophyll innovation lab.

In addition to the campaign, the #BeBetter gratitude ground activation will also be conducted simultaneously in various offices, city spots, running community and the event expo.

January is also a symbolic month for fresh starts, new beginnings, and turning-the-page, both figuratively and literally. We don’t often acknowledge the contribution of people in our life journeys and writing a thank-you note to someone who has inspired you, carries with it a message that can do incredible things. A 'Thank You' squad carrying special postcards & badges will be visiting iconic locations and offices in Mumbai to spread the #BeBetter spirit.

For our digital platforms, there is a #BeBetter Microsite on the Tata Mumbai Marathon website that will help us showcase stories on the page and it will also have an application that will enable people to send thank you notes digitally, to people who have inspired them to be better https://tatamumbaimarathon.procamrunning.in/be-better.

This will be driven by a sustained push on social media to encourage people to talk about their inspiration. We have also created an email id that people can send their inspiration stories to bebetter@procam.in. 

These activities will support the Inspiration Medal, the first of its kind in sporting history, which has been created by the Tata Mumbai Marathon for all the people who have inspired the runners to #BeBetter. The Inspiration Medal is a unique symbol of victory and inspiration together. Every 42k finisher, will receive this dual - finisher & inspiration – medal.

'Inspire to Be Better' campaign is a creative outcome of the collaboration between Procam International and Chlorophyll Innovation Lab, the Innovations Partner for the event.