Sponsor Social Media

Entitled sponsors can utilize the event social media channels to post messaging. Sponsor social media posts must present an offer, service or promotion to the event audience which will further integrate sponsor into the event. Brand equity messages will not be accepted.

Event channels:*

• Facebook: facebook.com/ChiDistanceSeries
• Instagram: instagram.com/ChiDistanceSeries
• Twitter/X: twitter.com/ChiDistSeries
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChicagoDistanceSeries/

*Channels available for content creation vary by partner level and contract. See partner level details and platform guidelines below.

Social Media Best Practices

Sponsor social media posts must be viewed as engaging to the event’s participant. Please draft the copy speaking from the event’s voice vs. the brands. Copy may be tweaked by event social media team to match event voice. Brand equity messages will not be accepted.

Sponsor to follow this process when submitting a request to utilize this asset:

• Update and send social worksheet at least two weeks before the desired post date(s).
• Event to edit and share final content one week prior to post date.
• Posts that do not follow this process will not be accepted.

Partnership disclosures

In compliance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Laws, Rules and Regulations on Endorsement & Transparency Requirements, Disclosure of Advertising, Truth in Advertising Standards, and Native Advertising Compliance, all content provided by our partners or created on behalf of our partners to be posted on event channels, will include a partnership disclosure in the content copy.

All disclosures shall be clear and conspicuous and comply with the following requirements:

• In video posts, the disclosure should be made within the video itself, not just in the description of the video.
• In captions, the disclosure should be made before the “More” button unless the picture conveys an endorsement without the video having to read the accompanying description.
• Avoid content (e.g., videos or images) that appears user-generated, rather than created by the Sponsor itself.

Below are the two ways disclosures can be made:

1. Directly acknowledge the partnership in the beginning of the copy.
   1. Example: Nike is the official apparel partner of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series.
2. Include event partnership hashtag
   1. #ChiShufflePartner, #13point1Partner

Contractual content provided by a sponsor that does not include disclosure language will be adjusted by CEM and sent back to the sponsor for review before being routed for Bank of America approval.

Health claims

The FTC Act, FTC health advertising guidance, and the FDCA, all govern health advertising. These rules and regulations impose strict requirements on advertisers, including Sponsors, that make health claims, particularly “unsubstantiated” health claims and health claims that are considered “unfair and deceptive.”

It is the position of CEM that any content provided by a Sponsor containing any unsubstantiated or unfair and deceptive health claims shall not be re-posted or posted to any Event social media channels.  CEM will work with each sponsor to confirm that the sponsor’s own legal teams have reviewed the proposed content to ensure it meets these requirements.

When reviewing for health claims, CEM will pay close attention to the following “red flags”:

• Content containing the word “organic.”
• Content or copy that implies or directly characterizes the level of a nutrient in the food like “low fat” or “high protein.”
• Content or copy that characterizes the relationship of the food product to a disease or health-related condition.
• Content that includes performance claims (i.e., “allowing you to perform at your best”)
• Content that includes absolute claims (i.e., “this will help you run faster”)

All such content shall be returned to the sponsor and shall only be deemed admissible if the sponsor removes such health claims from the content/post.

Type of posts that do well with our running community:

• Relevant information to runners
  • Participant item announcement
  • Brand’s unique activation plan at the event
  • An offer or sweepstakes to win an item
  • Training tips
  • Impactful runner stories
• Utilizing engagement features within platform (ex: polls in Instagram stories).
• Videos with event footage incorporated.
• Creative must be graphically pleasing. Please use running or race-related creative. Stand-alone logos are not recommended.