Did you know that way back in 2018 – the pre-pandemic years, you might recall – only one out of three race registrations took place on a mobile device in 2018? But by 2022, as everyone emerged from isolation and social distancing, that number had increased to two out of three. And most expect that trend to continue to climb.
That’s where eseo comes in. Described by its founder Ian Campbell as “technology that elevates the athlete experience and simplifies the event management process,” eseo essentially is a digital resource for everything racing, running and other group physical activities. Its website provides information about local races, nearby pickleball courts and leagues, hot yoga classes and the like and its map feature allows users to search for local groups, events and activities in their neighborhood.
The technology is a natural for retailers looking to engage with local runners through a simple platform that is conducive to community building and collecting marketing information though purpose-built race registration technology. It also simplifies the race management process with QR code race day registration and dynamic bib assignment.
And all that helps to drive retailer brand awareness and to push products to a demographic of local runners through authentic digital channels, according to Campbell, who points to a number of ways run specialty retailers can benefit from a partnership with eseo.
“Retailers can leverage our community event registration technology to organize their events — from 5000 runners to a five-person local community group runs,” he points out. “It’s a partnership that helps the run specialty retailers reach our athlete community of more than 140,000 through authentic communications.”
Launching soon will be an audio streaming platform that allows retailers and race directors to motivate and educate runners during events, along with products that can be shared directly to a store’s community of athletes in fun, authentic and engaging ways in “other items you might like.” It also enables simple, streamlined mobile checkout while simplifying the race management processes and engaging with local run communities.
Founded in the City of Brotherly Love – “We’re nationwide, but our heart is in Philadelphia,” says Campbell – eseo currently works with retailers of all sizes and there is really no minimum size to getting involved. In addition, a la carte options make it so it could take as little as five minutes and $149 to get in the race — all the way up to months of collaboration and six figures of a financial commitment.
Campbell points to a number of trends, including a rapid shift to mobile communication on all levels, that make the eseo technology a win-win for run specialty.
“The most important is community, because runners want to connect with others and facilitating a way to do that digitally will not only improve mental and physical health, but also increase unity,” he explains.
Getting involved with eseo is simple, he says: “We’re real people, passionate about running, wellness and technology, so please reach out for a conversation.” The upside for run retailers is an ability to simply build their brand awareness and align with a fast-growing, mission-driven technology company with big plans.
“We have a long way to go and couldn’t be more excited about how we continue advancing our mission of uniting athletes and strengthening communities through innovative technology in the future,” Campbell adds.
