This past weekend, I participated in my very first Marathon. The
purpose for me was not to win but, to join the many women and men who
wanted to use it to showcase the objectives of their cause, tick a box
on their bucket list, keep fit, make money and many like me who went in
for the fun and experience.
It was a family experience and bonding opportunity for my immediate
family. My husband really surprised all of us with his enthusiasm for
the event. A few weeks to the date, he started training. Every morning
he woke up, donned his sportswear and hit the streets to practice. He
became a pain in the neck and almost a broken record encouraging the
rest of us to join him to practice and prepare for the Marathon. His
phrase was, “I do not want to disgrace myself.”
What surprised and tickled all of us was what he did the day before
the event. This is a guy who never really posts on Facebook. He is
private about his personal matters, unlike the rest of us. Lo and
behold, on my way back from a trip I saw his post announcing his number
and asking all the young folks to beware! You can imagine the uproar on
Facebook when people learnt that a man of his age intended to
participate. Many jokingly teased him about his ability to do it, told
him to get a medical check-up first and go with an oxygen tank while
others encouraged him and saluted his audacity.
Early the next day, he woke up and forced all of us up at 5:00 am.
By 6:00 am, we had been hurried out of the house. We got to the Lekki
Roundabout at 6:30 am and the diversions had kicked in. Everything was
orderly and civil. The planning and logistics were well done and the
security personnel on the roads were helpful and polite. Policemen were
located in vantage positions around the city and 7up had positioned
their stands with water, refreshment and fruits in strategic locations
along the route.
We got to the National Stadium at 7:00 am, the race had commenced.
Everything started as planned. You had to clock yourself in, if you
wanted to join the race. Yours truly joined the race and did what my
power could carry. Two hours plus into the race, we learnt that a Kenyan
who won last year had won the prize money. So, I confess, I did not do
all, but I tried my best. However, it was a very satisfying and
worthwhile day for me and my family.
We ended the race at Eko Atlantic. Being at Eko Atlantic was also an
experience, because I kept on remembering the turbulence and the power
of the tides at the Bar Beach of a few years ago, now a concrete jungle.
It’s amazing what engineering and technology can do.
By the time we got to the finish line, the closing ceremony had
begun. The Kenyans got the first, second and third prizes. There was
entertainment to cool you down, men on stilts dancing and music from
notable Nigerian musicians. You can see that the organisers thought
about the well-being of the participants from start to finish.
But as usual, there is always room for improvement. My first
observation was that 90% of the water at the Stadium was wasted because
the amount of water provided was not needed at the start point.
Residents in the environment cashed in and carted dozens of bottled
water away. Some even got into fisticuffs over who stole the loot
first. Most of the water should have been at the finish line. Many of
us did not get water when we finished and resorted to buying water at
exorbitant rates from vendors.
Secondly, I believe the first 50-100 should be given certificates of
participation, please correct me if wrong. It’s not a joke starting and
finishing the race. Effort should be rewarded. This will also
engender more participation in future races.
Thirdly, while I agree that, there are benefits in making the race
international, as it is good PR and branding for the organizers, having a
foreigner winning every race may be discouraging to other participants
especially Nigerians. This is an opportunity to bring back our runners
from Plateau State, make them better and help them excel.
Fourthly, do we want to consider mini marathons before we get to the
grand finale? This will help the amateurs of the sport hone their
skills and get ready.
It is without doubt that the event was a huge success and impacted
lives positively because everywhere we went to after the race, people
recognized that we had just finished the race and kept on asking, “Did
you win?, Who won? How much was the prize money? Next year I must
participate”
The awareness was effective and the organizers have joined the global
train of those ensuring that their giving was not in terms of how much
they spent, but how impactful the giving was. Today, this is called
“Impact Investing”, one of the exciting developments to emerge from
social giving.
According to Forbes, “Impact investing is motivated by an
organisation’s mission and degree of social impact. Impact investments
are motivated by double or triple bottom-line opportunities to earn a
financial return while also doing something good for society. Securing a
financial return helps ensure the organisation generates measurable
impact that is scalable and self-sustaining over time.”
In view of the above, the potential scale of impact investing is impressive and this is why:
- Studies and surveys indicate that social impact is the number one priority of millennial investors, which sometimes even outweigh a financial return. Think about the goodwill the three organisers will garner in the international market for sponsoring this Marathon especially as it had international appeal and the prize money was sizeable.
- Impact opportunities are emerging as a new asset class for socially conscious investors. Venture Capitalists have termed it “Philanthrocapitalism”. By being very strategic and enterprising in organizing the Marathon, the organisers have been successful in creating social impact that is likely to generate returns in the short to medium term.
- From an external perspective, the organisations achieved good PR, as the Marathon could not be ignored by all media channels – traditional and new. Their reputation was greatly enhanced and many will change their purchasing decisions because of the good will that has been earned. These lead to enhanced profits because positive public perception and media sentiment influences branding and purchasing.
- Internally, the organisations got employee engagement, boosted moral and enhanced team work because they had many staff involved in the process and those not actively involved were proud of the societal impact their brands were making.
It is clear that Lagos State, Access Bank and 7up have built respect
and increased their reputation in their communities and
internationally. The event was well organised and they showed that they
truly care about the well-being and health of members in their
communities, even though on the long run they will also benefit
financially.
Finally, I’d like to encourage other organisations to get involved in
social giving and impact investing. It is good for your business and
employees. You can’t go wrong when you impact lives.
Holler!
Today, I am giving a Holler to Lagos State, Access Bank and 7up for
impacting lives, making us experience being in a Marathon and ensuring
minimal disruption. Holler!
– Marie-Therese Phido is Sales & Market Strategist and Business Coach
Email: mphido@elevato.com.ng
tweeter handle @osat2012; TeL: 08090158156 (text only)
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