Marketing the Boston Marathon "is a delicate task" following the '13 bombings at the event, and nowhere is there "greater focus on striking just the right tone than at John Hancock, the financial company that is the Marathon’s principal sponsor," according to Callum Borchers of the BOSTON GLOBE. While the race "has other corporate partners -- adidas, AT&T and Gatorade, among others -- Hancock collaborates most closely with the Boston Athletic Association on branding one of the world’s most famous tests of endurance." Hancock Chief Administrative Officer Jim Gallagher said that the company is "treading carefully, wary of any appearance that it is capitalizing on a tragedy that heightened the event’s profile." He added that at least 20 people at Hancock "hold regular discussions about how to keep its sponsorship tasteful, now that athletic achievements and painful memories are intertwined." Borchers notes the key "seems to be finding a way to gracefully return the focus to the running while honoring the past in everything from the promotional banners that adorn city light posts to the company’s social media messages," and Hancock's focus "appears to be moving toward the future." A "prime example of Hancock’s balanced approach is this year’s official slogan, 'There’s only one Boston.'" That slogan "could suggest that the Boston Marathon is a special race won by some of the greatest distance runners ever," or it "could refer to the city itself, which was widely celebrated for displaying uncommon strength in the face of fear and sadness." Gallagher: "You can draw your own conclusions about the meaning. The Marathon and one Boston -- that sense of community pride and ownership -- dovetail very neatly." Borchers notes Hancock also is "compiling what it calls a 'digital time capsule' of Marathon memories." Woven through all of the company’s marketing efforts "are references to the bombings, but the balance is shifting" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/17).
