Marathon Wins 2025 North American SABRE Award

We’re proud to share that Marathon Strategies has won a 2025 North American Silver SABRE Award in Thought Leadership in PR for our DefendED campaign.

Launched amid growing scrutiny of colleges and universities, DefendED was created to help higher ed leaders navigate today’s reputational risks with data-driven insights and expert communications strategy. Our program offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to help institutions respond effectively to crises and emerging challenges.

To amplify our expertise and promote the DefendED platform, we launched a thought leadership campaign grounded in original research, strategic partnerships, and targeted media engagement. Our flagship report, Spotlight on Higher Ed: Crisis Communications in the Era of Polarized Media, uncovered a 1,200% spike in negative media coverage over the past decade – findings that earned national media attention and drove engagement from higher ed leaders.

This year, we followed up with a second report, Higher Ed Spotlight: Rep. Tim Walberg and Sen. Bill Cassidy, examining the influence and priorities of two key congressional education leaders. The report provided university leaders with insight into the federal policy agenda and practical guidance to anticipate and respond to mounting scrutiny from lawmakers.

Thanks to PRovoke Media for this recognition – and to our team for their continued commitment to helping higher ed institutions lead through complexity.

Need communications support tailored to the unique challenges facing colleges and universities? Reach out at info@marathonstrategies.com.