TCS Head - Global Sports Sponsorship Michelle Doti Taylor talks about their association with the event in detail & how they are helping the organisers make better use of the data Upgrading its five-year-long partnership with the London Marathon, IT service giant Tata Consultancy Services has become the title sponsor of the event from 2022, following this year’s race on October 3, 2021. The six-year partnership will be a catalysing phase for the event as TCS will support the marathon in transforming into a hybrid experience. TCS Head of Global Sports Sponsorship Michelle Doti Taylor told exchange4media, “TCS has had a long-standing commitment to running and the London marathon. We have been associated with the event for a long time now, providing technical support and helping the organisers in making better use of the data. This year, we decided to take it a notch further and be present at the marathon in a bigger way.”   TCS has been providing tech support to the marathon for the past half-decade now and was also the prime force behind developing its app, which in 2020 was updated to support participants in the first virtual marathon during the pandemic. Doti added that the brand’s tech innovations will now be used in a bigger and better way by the organisers to give a more enriching experience to the participants and spectators across the globe.   The partnership has interestingly come just a few months after the brand picked up its new brand statement of ‘Building On Belief’, replacing the decade-long ‘Experience Certainty’. Speaking about this, Taylor shared that the new brand statement fits perfectly well with its long-standing association with marathon events across the globe, including the Mumbai marathon. “When we think of marathons, each participant moves with the belief to achieve something bigger, which keeps building on with each step that they take. And TCS wants to partner with them in supporting these beliefs by providing better tech and moral support at such events,” she elaborated. Taylor further added that the pandemic has changed a lot about the world and hybrid events, a strategic mix of online and offline participation, is going to be the way ahead. “I see technology playing an even bigger role in organising these events and we are completely geared up for that. Thus, these partnerships come naturally to us. We have worked extensively on the London marathon app, creating virtual medals and will be providing more real-like experiences going forward; creating virtual tracks similar to the runner’s neighbourhood and enriching the whole running experience.” On being quizzed about the marketing strategy for the upcoming event, she noted that the activities are still in the planning stage but there is going to be heightened focus on digital tools and marketing activities to raise awareness about the event and prompt the people to participate in bigger numbers. She concluded, “More than ever, with people restricted in their own homes because of the pandemic, the need to move and engage in such activities is higher now. And to us, these marathons are not just sporting events but an emotional moment, that enables a stronger connection between the humans. So, we are really excited for this one.”