When the Brand Comes Alive

I didn’t expect to become a marathon fan. But now I love them. Now I get it.

And it’s not just because my company is the sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors – though that is how I got the exposure that’s made me a convert. As Abbott’s CMO, my team manages our brand presence at the six major races around the world that make up the series – in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and this coming Sunday in New York. I’ve had the opportunity to attend all but London, and, as someone who’s never run one myself, become overwhelmed by all that they represent and the inspiration they bring to so many.

All six events and cities are great – but I won’t pretend that I don’t favor our hometown Chicago race, which was run a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful day for it – in fact, the conditions were so good that a women’s world record was set. Naturally, I loved seeing Abbott displayed prominently throughout the course, particularly in the Abbott Cheer Zone at Mile 25, with our logo and our brand line, “Life. To the Fullest.” And it was here that I recognized what it means to achieve the perfect embodiment of a brand.

First are the elite runners, world-class athletes representing the absolute apogee of what humans can accomplish. And then come the thousands of others – over 44,000 of them, including more than 60 proud Abbott employees – running those 26.2 miles not to set records, but to have this challenging, exhilarating, sometimes even life-changing experience for as many different personal reasons as there are runners. 

One of them stood out to me above all the others.

Cynthia Penaranda is a senior medical writer who’s been with Abbott for more than 30 years. She was never an athlete – in fact, looking back, she never even liked gym class. But Cynthia became so inspired after cheering on Chicago marathoners four years ago – when she was 54 – that she decided to train for the distance herself.

So, she started running. And she persevered. And this year she finished her third Chicago Marathon with a time of 7 hours, 9 minutes and 30 seconds. And she’s not done yet. Cynthia plans to run again next year.

She says marathoning has made her more focused at work and at home and gives her the calmness she needs to tackle the challenges she faces daily. When she needs support, she says she thinks of the spectators who took the time to cheer for her as she ran along the streets of Chicago.

“I’m living a potential I never knew was there,” she told us. “I learned what I’m capable of, what I can accomplish, and I have so many expectations now. That’s why I keep going back.”

That’s what our brand – Life. To the Fullest. – really means. At Abbott we get to help people do so through health technologies and products we innovate. And that inspires us to do the same in our personal lives, as well.

And the marathon captures it all: The goal. The commitment to the long haul. Enduring against obstacles. Surprising yourself with what you learn you can achieve.

That’s why I love marathons. And the Abbott people who carry that spirit into everything they do.