The technology is taking over running – these days, there is a wide variety of products allowing athletes to act, analyse and compare training and racing data in truly unique ways. Power-meters, apps for running, smart watches and intelligent running shoes…you name it, and it’s probably already invented in one form or another.
In contrast, not everything is so bright when it comes to good old bib numbers. Not only paper bibs are still the most popular form of runner identification on track (despite digital solutions being available), but they are also still typically attached to running gear with the dreaded safety pins.
The disadvantages of the latter for athletes are pretty obvious, ranging from injured fingers to ruined exercise attire, as well as torn apart paper bib numbers. In addition, fiddling with safety pins takes a substantial amount of time which could have been much better spent before the event.
However, safety pins aren’t only a pain for athletes – they are a huge missed opportunity for race directors when it comes to securing sponsors. Why? Well, because, you see, there is a much better solution for securing bibs in place, which is also 100% customizable and brandable!
Keep reading to find out how BibBoards help race directors secure big brands as sponsors!
Introducing BibBoards: the billboards on bibs
Lightweight and easy to use, BibBoards are patent-pending bib snaps that click together on the four corners of a racing bib, gently squeezing the bib onto the garment. As a result, a tiny piece of fabric is secured between the two halves – no pokes, holes and tears involved (that’s right, no more pin-inflicted activewear damage).
There are also no magnets involved, which means there is no annoying heavy bouncing during running. The absence of magnets also means that the clips don’t stick together unexpectedly, which often causes problems and discomfort.
In addition, compared to many other safety pin replacements, BibBoards are much more affordable.
So, these are the main benefits for athletes, but there is much more to BibBoards!
Getting sponsorships has never been easier
As mentioned above, each bib clip consists of two parts that effortlessly clasp together. The front part of each BibBoard is flat and smooth, making it ideal real estate for race sponsors! Together with extreme affordability, this makes BibBoards a great solution for race directors addressing sponsorship challenges (which is, according to 60% of the race directors, is one of the most difficult processes in organising an event).
According to the co-founder and CEO behind the project Brian Goodell, the way it works is that “the race sells the exclusive right to the BibBoards real estate, the brand company pays the event’s sponsorship fee, the brand company then buys the BibBoards with its customized logo, and the event places BibBoards into the registration bag instead of safety pins.”
In this situation, virtually everybody wins!
After all, generating revenue has always been a painful process for race directors. And BibBoards have a great potential to solve this problem and help better capitalize on advertising space.
Essentially, BibBoards are virgin real estate that brand companies need – and one racer wearing BibBoards can display a company’s logo for up to four times! Not only the logo gets seen by other athletes, families, friends and spectators – it also reaches everyone watching the event on television! It gets even better, as BibBoards are reusable, and runners love keeping memorabilia. Therefore, there is a high chance of BibBoards getting seen throughout multiple events across many seasons – and this is a sponsorship offer hard to beat.
Sponsors love BibBoards
BibBoards have been tested at top events such as Bay to Breakers, the Oakland Running Festival, and the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, which allowed the creators to collect and analyse high quality data, as well as gather valuable feedback.
Turns out race directors loved the innovation! One piece of feedback reads: “[BibBoards] resonated extremely well on our Virtual Event Bag. Of the 35 placements we had, yours had the 3rd highest number of views (984 views), and 246 conversions (resulting in a conversion rate of 28.5%)”.
In other words, the response from race managers is overwhelmingly positive and gratifying. Sponsors also absolutely love the exposure they get for a reasonable price. And athletes enjoy BibBoards as well, making them an excellent solution for everyone involved!
BibBoards are innovative, impossible-to-miss advertising solutions that everyone involved in running events loves! With a flat shaped front specifically made for logo placement, BibBoards are not just a bonus for the athlete, but also for race directors and sponsors.
Planning your next event? Stay a step ahead of the competition and try BibBoards! These fun and straightforward safety pin replacements are the most desirable real estate for big brand sponsors, so don’t miss out and enquire today.
