Runners discovered the iPhone and Android app in Mizuno’s owned social channels, as well as on the social channels of friends, family and running influencers — which was especially effective because the running community is extremely tight-knit, and individual runners place the highest value on trusted recommendations.

We also promoted the Mizuno Baton app across paid media such as mobile and digital banners, keyword searches and high-impact bus shelters in strategic markets.

Our mobile click-to-download ads drove a 0.73% CTR, 47% above industry average. High-impact print and bus shelters, strategically placed in highly trafficked running routes in key markets, had a text-to-download keyword that drove 7% of downloads.

To date, the Mizuno Baton has encouraged participants from all 50 states to run for positive change. The app has logged more than 15,500 runs. Collectively, everyone has run two full laps around the world while donating one dollar per mile to Back on My Feet.

Mizuno believes running is transformative — for individual runners and society as a whole. So we put our beliefs into action with a campaign that asked the running community a provocative question: “What if everybody ran?” We prompted conversation by commissioning a statistical analysis that proved more running would have a positive impact on everything from happiness levels to homelessness.

Next, we created the Mizuno Baton — a mobile app that allowed runners to transform their daily runs into positive change. For every mile run with the app, Mizuno donated $1 to Back on my Feet, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless individuals transform their lives through running.

The Mizuno Baton tapped runners’ sense of altruism and competitive spirit by letting them track their donation dollars and positions on a leaderboard. Runners also “passed” the baton to friends and family members via their social channels and shared inspiring run photos.